Author: Emily Bandy

We are excited to share our new Are They Good For Your Kids Trainer Guide! This guide can be used to request a training from a PCAK certified Are They Good For Your Kids Trainer in your area! Below is an excerpt from the guide.

Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky (PCAK) is the state’s leading child abuse and neglect prevention agency with over 300 Partners in Prevention across the commonwealth. Through evidence based and evidence informed content, PCAK has led the charge in child sexual abuse prevention efforts for decades. By surveying individuals across the commonwealth, collaborating with subject matter experts, parents, individuals with lived experience and research, PCAK created a curriculum designed for community members, caregivers, service providers and more to ensure all Kentuckians have the necessary tools to strengthen families and prevent child sexual abuse before it occurs.

Are They Good for Your Kids? (ATGFYK) Child Sexual Abuse Prevention training highlights Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky’s Are They Good for Your Kids? Campaign and resources that teach participants how to prevent child sexual abuse in their spheres of influence. Contents cover: grooming behaviors, healthy child sexual development, cyber safety and provides actionable steps to keep kids safe. Each ATGFYK training is evaluated for extended outcomes and impact across Kentucky communities. Evaluation results indicate:
96% are better able to identify grooming behaviors or the ways in which perpetrators gain access to and develop a relationship with children and families
95% of attendees feel better prepared to prevent child sexual abuse in their communities

With funding from the Child Victims’ Trust Fund, over 40 PCAK Partners in Prevention were trained to provide this valuable content in communities across Kentucky.
This guide provides a breakdown of trainer by geographic location. Interested in a training? You can reach out to a trainer directly or contact Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky at pcaky@pcaky.org.

How long is the training or presentation:
Trainings can be provided in 60 to 90 minute sessions.
Presentations can be offered in 30 minutes, 45 minute and 60 minute sessions.

The guide can be viewed here!

This year, we will be shipping our signature blue and silver pinwheels directly from our distributer! The pinwheel order form is available here.

Pinwheel orders will be processed by PCAK every Friday and will be shipped from our partners following PCAK processing your order.  Boxes of 240 pinwheels will cost $185.

If you would like to order chopsticks to accompany the pinwheels, you can do that in our online store here.

Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky is excited to issue the Upstream Request For Proposals (RFP), designated for Fiscal Years 2025 and 2026. Successful applicants will provide parent education, support groups (including, but not limited to Parent Cafés), and self-help services designed to support families and their communities. New this year, parent education providers will now be able to choose from three approved curricula.

Please note: this RFP is being issued in advance of any contract being executed, and PCAK
reserves the right to rescind the RFP at any time for any reason.

Please submit any questions via email to aroyer@pcaky.org. Questions and their corresponding answers will be posted weekly on our website for all applicants to access. All required documentation and attachments must be submitted with your proposal on or before the due date of February 29, 2024 at 5:00 PM EST. Access the RFP here.

RPF Questions
Updated 2.16.2024

What is the award ceiling amount for this proposal?
There are no minimum or maximum amounts applicants can request through the Upstream RFP process. The average allocation for current funded programs for FY 23 and FY 24 is $25,513.21.

Can you share what the typical funding ranges are for this grant?
Our average award for FY 23 and FY 24 is $25,513.21. Our smallest allocation is $10,500.00 and our largest allocation is $52,000.00.

How much is budgeted for these services for FY25 and FY26?
This subcontract is being issued before a contract is executed with our funder. Historically, between $350,000.00- $380,900.00 has been allocated for funding Parent Education programming.

How many providers are you looking for?
We are not looking for a certain number of providers. Our goal is to have at least one service provider in each of the 9 DCBS regions of the state. Historically, we have funded between 15-18 providers.

Are providers meant to provide services in all 120 counties?
If a provider has the capacity to provide services in all 120 counties, we would certainly welcome that, however, it is not a requirement that providers serve every county in Kentucky. Providers operate regionally, or in just a few counties. On average, FY 2024 providers serve 5 counties.

What are the geographic areas with the highest needs?
Currently, we are lacking services in far Western Kentucky (Fulton, Hickman, Carlisle, Ballard, Graves, McCracken, Marshall, Calloway, Trigg, Lyon, and Livingston counties).

Who are the current providers? Are they providing services statewide or by region?
Our current providers are:

1. Children’s Advocacy Center of Green River District
2. Chrysalis House
3. Cumberland River Behavioral Health/ TriCo Mentoring
4. Family Enrichment Center
5. Family Nurturing Center
6. Harlan FRYSC
7. Home of the Innocents
8. Hope’s Place CAC
9. Lake Cumberland Community Action Agency
10. LKLP CAC
11. The Nest: Center for Women, Children, and Families
12. Regional Prevention Center of Comprehend
13. The Sunshine Center
14. Todd County Health Department

Are there other programs, like Stewards of Children, that can be funded under this RFP?
This subcontract only funds the implementation of Parent Education Programming, Parent Cafés, and Parent Support Groups using the following curriculum:

• Nurturing Parenting
• Triple P- Positive Parenting Program
• Chicago Parent Program

Can a Word Document of the RFP be provided to potential applicants?
At this time, we will not be releasing the RFP as a Word Document, given our concern that the RFP may be altered in some way.  Applicants are welcome to create their own tables and charts that mirror the fillable PDF, if the PDF does not work for them.

What do I do if the fillable PDF does not work properly for me?
There have been a few reported concerns with Attachment A not providing applicants with enough space to justify their line items.  If this occurs, applicants are encouraged to create their own version of Attachment A to utilize as they submit their line items.

We are interested in writing for the Parent Education RFP and had a question regarding programmatic expectations.  We want to partner with schools to facilitate parent cafes and parent forums within our county.  In doing parent cafes and forums-is the expectation to still “teach” a parenting curriculum such as those outlined in the Upstream RFP? 
Applicants are encouraged to write their RFP to provide whatever services, using whatever curriculum, they believe will best serve their community.  If your community only needs Parent Cafés and forums using the Nurturing Parenting Curriculum, please write your RFP to reflect those needs.  One curriculum must be selected and be utilized to provide programs and services through the Upstream RFP.

Can the Lean On Me Kentucky training be attended by the agency’s Prevention Director who oversees the parent education program?
In Attachment D, applicants are required to sign and the Lean On Me Kentucky Pledge and attend a Lean On Me Kentucky training during the funding cycle.  This training can be taken by anyone associated with general program implementation, including, but not limited to, Prevention Directors, Parent Educators, Executive Directors, or others.

In Attachment A, the budget, there is a column for expenses for each fiscal year, but only one column for the requested funding from PCAK.  Is the amount in the PCAK column supposed to be a one or two year amount?
The PCAK Funds Requested column should reflect two-year amounts.

What percentage of match for our budget, if any, is required?
No match is required for this grant.

May we use our indirect costs as match as we have in the past?
PCAK will not direct applicants on the ways in which their budget should be formatted.  Please format your budget in a way that reflects your program costs. 

Is the RFP available in a Google Doc format? 

At this time, we will not be releasing the RFP as a Google Doc, given our concern that the RFP may be altered in some way.  Applicants are welcome to create their own tables and charts that mirror the fillable PDF, if the PDF does not work for them.

How do I submit my application?

Applications may be submitted electronically to Amanda Royer at aroyer@pcaky.org or electronically via upload to a cloud-based system (Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, etc.). You may also submit hard copy applications via postal mail or in-person to the address below:

Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky
Attn: Amanda Royer
2265 Harrodsburg Road
Suite 200
Lexington, KY 40504

The application deadline is February 29, 2024 at 5:00 PM EST. Applications received after this deadline will not be accepted, even if postmarked by the deadline. PCAK assumes no responsibility for proposals mailed to an incorrect address, with insufficient postage, lost in transit, or otherwise not received for any reason. Please ensure applications delivered via email or through a cloud based system are able to be accessed by Amanda Royer at aroyer@pcaky.org.

We cannot type text into the proposal narrative that starts on page 9. Are we supposed to type our answers up on a separate document?

Yes, proposal narrative questions should be answered in paragraphs, bullets, or a combination of both formats in a separate document.

If I am dropping off my application to the office, how many copies should I provide?

One copy of your application is sufficient.

Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky is hiring for an office support coordinator!  Use your organizational skills to help a state-wide child abuse prevention agency move its mission forward. This position is the “glue” that holds our organization together by supporting dedicated coworkers, tracking our work, helping to produce reports, and sending materials out to our partners across the Commonwealth. This is a full-time salaried position with benefits that include health insurance, dental, a 401 (k) plan and generous holiday, vacation and sick leave.

Click the links below for more information on the position and how to apply.
Hiring Notice
Apply via Email
Apply via the Kentucky Nonprofit Network
Contact Janna Estep Jordan with questions.

Following an administrative regulation that required school districts to create a policy on the use of corporal punishment in schools, and advocacy efforts by Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky and partners, every school district in Kentucky has now prohibited the use of corporal punishment. The administrative regulation requiring districts to formalize rules around corporal punishment went into effect on Aug. 30.

“Corporal punishment is both ineffective and a violation of a child’s human rights,” said Myranda James, program coordinator at the U.S. Alliance to End the Hitting of Children. “It is consistently linked to increased behavioral problems, increased aggression and defiance, and lower moral internalization. It is also linked to an increased risk of mental illness in adolescence, drug and alcohol abuse, and a greater likelihood of domestic violence into adulthood. It has no place in schools.”

The decision by Kentucky school districts is in line with the American Academy of Pediatrics’ recommendation that corporal punishment settings be abolished in all school settings in all states and replaced by alternative forms of student behavior management. Corporal punishment remains legal in many public and private schools in the United States and is disproportionately used among Black students and children with disabilities, according to the AAP. Additionally, national data show that among students who received physical punishment at school, 16.5% were served under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act; making students with disabilities overrepresented among students who are physically punished at school.

“The decision by every school district across all 120 counties to formally prohibit corporal punishment in schools is a win for students and the commonwealth,” said Alex Young, a Kentucky native and student at the University of Notre Dame who advocates for ending corporal punishment in schools. “For seven years, we have worked tirelessly on advocacy efforts at the state and local levels to ban paddling. And from here on, students in the commonwealth will be safer, no longer having to attend school in fear of being hit by trusted adults. I am grateful that school boards and district leaders across Kentucky are in agreement that the archaic and inappropriate practice of corporal punishment has no place in our schools. Kentucky children deserve to receive quality education in a safe environment, and today’s announcement is a monumental step in the right direction.”

The Kentucky Department of Education’s 2022-2023 School Report Card, released on Tuesday, showed there were five incidents of corporal punishment in schools last year. All five incidents were in Pike County and involved white male students.

“Ending corporal punishment in schools is an issue we have been strong advocates for going back many years,” said Prevent Child Abuse Director Jill Seyfred. “It is encouraging that every Kentucky school will now be free of this harmful practice and will provide healthier, safer environments for all children. This is wonderful news for the future of the commonwealth.”

Utilizing the Building Blocks of Prevention all year long is a key way to prevent abuse and neglect of Kentucky’s children, ensuring that all children experience happy and healthy childhoods. Thanks to sponsorship from The Ridge, we are promoting our Building Blocks of Prevention as a tool for anyone to use, not just during Child Abuse Prevention Month, but every day! Read more about each Building Block in the following pages, and use the blocks to build a healthier Commonwealth for children and families by downloading the guide here.

The Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission announced a $243,050 grant to Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky to prevent child maltreatment in homes with caregivers experiencing opioid use disorder. The grant was funded from the over $842 million awarded to Kentucky from settlements with pharmaceutical and other companies in 2022 for their role in exacerbating the deadly opioid crisis.

Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky, or PCAK, is the state’s leading nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing child abuse and neglect before it ever occurs. The grant will fund a Child Maltreatment & Opioid Use Disorder Cohort, which will determine gaps in addressing the connections between opioid misuse and child maltreatment prevention. The cohort will be selected based on experience in the field of prevention, family engagement, recovery and lived expertise.

“The link between opioid use disorder and child abuse is an ever-present concern in the commonwealth,” said PCAK Executive Director Jill Seyfred. “PCAK is in a unique position to collaborate with our 272-member statewide partners to help service providers and the public better understand how opioid misuse among parents or caregivers impacts children and improve supports for families currently experiencing the effects of the opioid crisis.”

Substance use among caregivers in the home increases the likelihood of child maltreatment and is a risk factor for child abuse, neglect, near-fatalities and fatalities. In 2021, substance misuse was documented as a risk factor in 64% of Kentucky’s reports of child maltreatment with a finding of substantiated or services needed.

While the state has multiple resources and tools to assist those already experiencing opioid use disorder, there are not specific tools focused on both the prevention of opioid misuse and child abuse for the public, service providers and the press, said Seyfred.

As part of this work, PCAK will offer an opioid use disorder track at their 2024 Kids Are Worth It! Conference, the state’s largest child abuse and neglect prevention educational event. The opioid use disorder track will allow national experts in the field of substance misuse prevention to speak to statewide child welfare professionals, who will take what they learn back to their communities.

To increase public awareness around opioid misuse and child abuse, the grant will also support a virtual press room housed on PCAK’s website, giving the media access to footage, tools, stories and more to disseminate to their audience statewide.

All aspects of the program will be evaluated by the University of Louisville’s Center for Family & Community Well-Being.

The Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission was created in 2021 by House Bill 427. It comprises nine voting and two non-voting members and includes stakeholders from the prevention and treatment community, law enforcement and victims of the opioid crisis. The Commission’s purpose is to distribute Kentucky’s funds from settlements reached with opioid companies resulting from 4,000 claims from state and local governments across the country. PCAK was one of 24 organizations that received grants on Thursday.

“These 24 organizations will join us in keeping our promise to this state that we will be accessible, transparent and accountable for the results we will deliver in order to save the next generation that is growing up in the midst of this travesty,” said W. Bryan Hubbard, executive director of the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission.

Thank you to our Partners who participated in our Partner in Prevention Video Contest for our annual Kids Are Worth It Conference!  Watch the videos submitted by The Nest and the Kentucky State Police Victim Advocacy and Support Services and vote for your favorite by liking, commenting, or sharing their video.  The winner of our contest will be announced after May 15, and they will receive a free registration to #KAWI2023!