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April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. Whether you are a valued member of a multidisciplinary team working daily to address child abuse or you’re an individual who cares deeply for Kentucky’s youth, April is a great time to educate yourself and others. Children’s Advocacy Centers of Kentucky has compiled the best Child Abuse & Human Trafficking Prevention Resources, including facts and statistics, prevention tips, free educational materials, training opportunities, and more. At CAC Kentucky, we believe that every child deserves safety, support, and a path to healing. Together, we can…

Children’s Advocacy Centers (CACs) of Kentucky recognized 18 men and women today in the capitol rotunda for their invaluable work with child victims of abuse. As part of the Legendary Partners ceremony, award recipients were celebrated among fellow colleagues, elected officials, partners and supporters at the event.  “We are honored to name these individuals as our Legendary Partners of 2025,” said Caroline Ruschell, CEO of Children’s Advocacy Centers of Kentucky. “Each and every one of them have inspired their communities across Kentucky by going above and beyond to ensure children…

Dive in to Children’s Advocacy Centers of Kentucky’s 2024 Annual report to learn more about the Children’s Advocacy Center model – a model that stands the test of time. This report includes statistics on children served, support provided by the coalition, multidisciplinary team work, and more.

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. Whether you are a valued member of a multidisciplinary team working daily to address child abuse or you’re an individual who cares deeply for Kentucky’s youth, April is a great time to educate yourself and others. Children’s Advocacy Centers of Kentucky has compiled the best Child Abuse & Human Trafficking Prevention Resources, including facts and statistics, prevention tips, free educational materials, training opportunities, and more. At CAC Kentucky, we believe that when we work together as a united force, communities are empowered to take…

Children’s Advocacy Centers Honor 2024 Legendary Partners On March 4th in the Capitol Rotunda, the Children’s Advocacy Centers of Kentucky honored 16 individuals who have shown dedication to serving child victims of abuse in their community. Attorney General Russell Coleman provided the opening remarks and presented the awards to these outstanding individuals. A cape was placed on each Legendary Partner to highlight their heroic qualities.   Children’s Advocacy Centers (CACs) are child-focused facilities that coordinate the investigation, prosecution, and treatment of child abuse while helping abused children heal. CACs in…

Children’s Advocacy Centers Honor 2022 Legendary Partners On Monday, March 14th at noon in the Capitol Rotunda, the Children’s Advocacy Centers of Kentucky honored the 2022 Legendary Partners, seventeen individuals and organizations from across Kentucky who have made a difference in the lives of child victims of abuse in their communities.  Governor Andy Beshear provided the opening remarks and presented the awards. Honorees were also caped by CAC Kentucky Executive Director Caroline Ruschell, recognizing that these partners’ actions have made them superheroes to those around them.   Children’s Advocacy Centers…

We were deeply saddened to learn today that former Fayette County Commonwealth Attorney Ray Larson died this morning.  Ray was committed to holding offenders accountable and seeking justice for victims. He was a tireless servant, who spent his career fighting for justice and safety within his community. As a founding member of the Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) of the Bluegrass in Lexington, Ray knew that child victims deserved a comprehensive, multidisciplinary response to their outcry of abuse.  He often credited the CAC and multidisciplinary team with the successful prosecution of…

Due to COVID-19 social distancing restrictions, CAC Kentucky hosted the 2021 Legendary Partner Event via Facebook Premiere to highlight the remarkable contributions made by its 2021 Legendary Partners.  Through their hard work and dedication to Kentucky’s children, Legendary Partners are committed to the work of Kentucky’s children advocacy centers as centers work together to provide advocacy and healing services for our state’s most vulnerable youth.  In addition to the video recognition, honorees also received capes and plaques. Each of Kentucky’s 15 Children’s Advocacy Centers nominated individuals with demonstrated commitments to…

Kentucky’s children’s advocacy centers are committed to helping children heal from the trauma of abuse.  On March 3, 2021, twenty-three clinicians representing eight of Kentucky’s children’s advocacy centers and two partner agencies participated in training on Advanced Topics in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT).  Topics were selected after a survey of clinicians already trained in TF-CBT, an evidence based treatment model.   This three-hour training hosted by CAC-Kentucky was presented by licensed psychologist Melissa Runyon, Ph.D.  Topics included tele-mental health therapy, children with sexual behavior problems, and complex trauma.  In the…

Kentucky’s regional children’s advocacy centers provide life-saving services to more than 12,000 children and caregivers each year. Child abuse is the number one public health issue facing children, with a costly impact for victims as well as our society. This is why our specialized intervention services are so critical! Kentucky’s children’s advocacy centers not only lessen the impact of trauma to ensure the health and well-being of survivors and families but are also making ourcommunities safer for everyone. House Bill 8 will ensure that $1.3 million in funding goes to critical…

This period of isolation, while important for our health and safety from COVID-19, could be a perfect storm for child abuse. With our teachers and counselors removed from regular in person interaction with children, we know that incidents of abuse are likely going unreported. Another factor at play is home isolation. The majority of child abuse incidents occur in the home by someone the child knows and trusts. The Children’s Advocacy Centers of Kentucky is committed to supporting our children, multidisciplinary teams and caregivers by providing resources and access to…