Governor Beshear, PCAK Launch Child Abuse Prevention Month at Capitol Ceremony

Governor Andy Beshear opened Child Abuse Prevention Month with a direct charge to Kentuckians, telling a crowd gathered at the Capitol's English Garden in Frankfort on March 31 that "there is far too much child abuse in this country, and in this world, and as responsible adults, we all have a duty to stop it."

Beshear delivered those remarks alongside Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky staff, board members, and community partners during the organization's annual Pinwheel Planting Ceremony, a Capitol tradition that opens April with blue-and-silver pinwheel displays planted on the grounds as a visible call to protect children and strengthen families.

PCAK Executive Director Jill Seyfred used the ceremony to press a broader point: prevention is a community responsibility, not solely a family matter. Seyfred urged neighbors, schools, businesses, and local leaders to participate and support families so children can thrive.

The Pinwheels for Prevention program, a national initiative adapted by PCAK, uses the pinwheel symbol to move communities from awareness to concrete action, including caregiver training, respite programs, family support services, and policy advocacy. Local organizations, faith groups, and civic clubs that plant pinwheels or host awareness events in April can connect families to PCAK materials, training, and statewide grant opportunities.

Kentucky consistently ranks among states with higher child maltreatment metrics, making April's concentrated attention on prevention more than ceremonial. For Owsley County, where formal services can be limited and community networks carry an outsized role in family wellbeing, the statewide kickoff offers a concrete entry point. A church, a school, or a nonprofit that joins the campaign this month gains access to PCAK's full network of resources and support infrastructure built for rural communities like this one.