Child abuse is a national public health crisis, with nearly 700,000 children in the United States being abused each year. 

In honor of April being National Child Abuse Prevention Month, KYCC is launching a month-long social media campaign to bring attention to child maltreatment and neglect, ways to support children and families, and our programs and services that strengthen the Protective Factors.

The 5 Protective Factors are: Parental Resilience, Social Connections, Concrete Supports, Knowledge of Parenting and Child Development, and Social and Emotional Competence of Children. 

When these five factors are present in a family, it reduces the likelihood of a child or young person from experiencing abuse, harm and trauma. Our programs and services for families, such as our year-round childcare and preschool program Kids Town, Clinical PFF program or P&A program, are all geared toward strengthening these protective factors and finding ways to support parents, build resilience and nurture a safe and supportive environment for families.

We also hope our campaign will raise awareness about Adverse Childhood Experiences (or ACEs) and its impact on adult health.

Adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs, are potentially traumatic events that occur in childhood (0-17 years). These traumatic events could be experiencing violence, abuse or neglect, witnessing violence, or having a family member attempt or die by suicide. Children with traumatic childhood events often grow up to have chronic health issues, mental illness and substance misuse as adults.