Press Releases

‘Rally to End Child Abuse,’ Wednesday, April 1, Big Four Bridge

Family & Children’s Place, Face It Movement issue call to protect Kentuckiana kids

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (March 13, 2015) – On Wednesday, April 1, Family & Children’s Place, along with members of Kosair Charities’ Face It^® Movement, will “Rally to end Child Abuse” at the Big Four Bridge in downtown Louisville. The rain or shine event kicks off recognition of April as Child Abuse Prevention Month.

Following the 11 a.m. rally, which will feature as speakers Pam Darnall, F&CP president and CEO; Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates; Louisville Police Chief Steve Conrad; Sadiqa Reynolds, the city’s chief of community building; and Jerry ward, Kosair Charities board chair, participants and guests are encouraged to walk across the Big Four Bridge to show support for children in Indiana as well.

Indiana residents are invited to walk the bridge, too, from the Indiana side to the rally and back, showing support with their Kentucky neighbors.

Family & Children’s Place programs and services straddle the Ohio River, preventing and stopping child abuse, and helping child victims and families move from hurting to healing in the Greater Louisville area and Southern Indiana. Face It is a Kosair Charities 10-year initiative with the goal to free children in Jefferson County of abuse and neglect by 2023.

It’s audacious but achievable. In 2012, 319 children were victims of substantiated physical abuse In Jefferson County. Nearly 100 children were victims of substantiated sexual abuse, and more than 2,300 were substantiated victims of neglect in 2012. Each substantiated case of abuse represents a child whose life is altered forever because of what happened, and who likely will suffer lifelong impact in health, emotional well-being and self-worth.

Face It and Family & Children’s Place believe that every child has the right to grow, learn and mature in an environment free from emotional, physical and sexual abuse, and neglect. Join us April 1 and be the face and voice that ends child abuse.

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Family & Children’s Place works to protect Kentuckiana children, families and communities from abuse, neglect and exploitation, and help move them from hurting to healing.  We serve approximately 5,000 children and families annually through research-based and impact-evident services.  For more information about Family and Children’s Place, visit www.familyandchildrensplace.org or call 502.893.3900.

The Face It® Movement, conceived and created in 2012 as a response to the public outcry against the increasing number of child abuse deaths in the Commonwealth, officially launched in April 2013, as a 10-year initiative led by Kosair Charities; its vision is that by 2023 all children in Jefferson County will be free from abuse and neglect.  Face It® directly addresses the increasingly unacceptable number of child abuse deaths in Jefferson County and the surrounding areas with best practices in child abuse prevention, community engagement and the promotion of effective policies to improve the child welfare system. For further information, visit http://faceitabuse.org.  Socially, Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/faceitabuse, Twitter: https://twitter.com/faceitabuse.