The Record · KY
Kentucky
Kentucky: federal child-welfare figures and 60 pieces of KARA reporting, in full.
Federal child-welfare figures and KARA's reporting on Kentucky.
Child maltreatment victims
NCANDS, FFY2024
Entered foster care
AFCARS, FY2022
In foster care on Sept 30
AFCARS, FY2022
Sources: NCANDS Child Maltreatment 2024; AFCARS state tables. Full record — every metric, every year, gaps labeled — on KARA SIGNAL
KARA reporting on Kentucky
60 articles, newest first, republished in full.
June 6, 2026 · KARA Reporting
America’s Child Abuse Emergency: 546,000 Victims, 2,000 Deaths, and a System That Chooses This
Child abuse in the United States is not rare or random. It is the predictable outcome of policy choices. In 2023, about 546,000 children were confirmed victims of abuse or neglect and an estimated 2,000 were killed, rou
Alaska · Florida · Iowa · Kansas · Kentucky · Maine · Massachusetts · Minnesota · Mississippi · Montana · New Hampshire · New Jersey · Pennsylvania · Rhode Island · South Dakota · Vermont · Virginia · Washington · West Virginia
April 8, 2026 · KARA Reporting
Best and Worst Hospitals For U.S. Children (Beckers Hospital Review)
Which states give kids the best chance at a healthy life? This review ranks all 50 states and D.C. on children’s healthcare, nutrition, and oral health, and the gaps are stark.
Alaska · Arizona · Arkansas · California · Connecticut · Georgia · Hawaii · Iowa · Kentucky · Massachusetts · Minnesota · Mississippi · Montana · New Jersey · New York · Oklahoma · Pennsylvania · Rhode Island · Texas · Vermont · Wyoming
March 8, 2026 · KARA Reporting
A Closer Look At Child Fatality and Egregious Incident Reporting
Child Fatality & Egregious Incident Reporting: A U.S. Overview America’s approach to exposing and understanding the gravest harms done to children(fatalities, near-deaths, torture, and catastrophic agency failures) reveal
Arkansas · California · Colorado · Connecticut · Kentucky · Maryland · Minnesota · Missouri · New Hampshire · Ohio · Oregon · South Carolina · Texas · Wisconsin
October 23, 2025 · KARA Reporting
Manner of Child Death Unknown (State by State)
WHEN YOU Share KARA’s reporting with FRIENDS, INSTAGRAM & FACEBOOK and most of all, your State Representative (find them here) change will come a little bit faster. When enough of us become informed and speak up for abus
Arizona · California · Colorado · Kentucky · Maryland · Michigan · Mississippi · Missouri · Nebraska · Nevada · Rhode Island · Virginia · Washington
July 29, 2025 · KARA Reporting
A Closer Look At Child Fatality and Egregious Incident Reporting
Child Fatality & Egregious Incident Reporting: A U.S. Overview America’s approach to exposing and understanding the gravest harms done to children(fatalities, near-deaths, torture, and catastrophic agency failures) reveal
Arkansas · California · Colorado · Connecticut · Kentucky · Maryland · Minnesota · Missouri · New Hampshire · Ohio · Oregon · South Carolina · Texas · Wisconsin
July 14, 2025 · KARA Reporting
The Assault on Child Protection - Part 2
The combined cuts to child friendly programs will impact some states more than other. This article presents a snapshot of what different states will be experiencing. Send KARA information concerning what's happening in y
California · Colorado · Florida · Georgia · Idaho · Illinois · Kansas · Kentucky · Louisiana · Massachusetts · Minnesota
June 20, 2024 · KARA Reporting
Recent Child Suicide and Self-Harm Articles Around the Nation
What parents should do after a child's suicide attempt? Answering caregivers' frequently …
California · Colorado · Kentucky · New York
February 15, 2024 · KARA Reporting
America's Crazy World of Child Protection (find your state here)
America's Crazy World of Child Protection (find your state here)
September 11, 2022 · KARA Reporting
Happy GrandParent's Day (volunteering, kinship & raising a grandchild)
Happy GrandParent's Day (volunteering, kinship & raising a grandchild)
Arizona · California · Florida · Kentucky · Minnesota · Nevada · Ohio · South Carolina
December 21, 2021 · KARA Reporting
Domestic Violence Around the World
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD WINTER 2021 The United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned that we are seeing a horrifying global surge in domestic violence all over the world and is urging lea
Connecticut · Kentucky · Louisiana · Maine · New Mexico · Ohio · Tennessee · Utah
November 16, 2021 · KARA Reporting
Human Rights and the Psychotropic Medicating of Children
Human Rights and the Psychotropic Medicating of Children is common in foster care and juvenile justice in the U.S. Self-harm and suicidal ideation play a roll in the early death and physical harm these children suffer.
October 4, 2021 · KARA Reporting
October Is Domestic Violence Awareness Month
Watching your mother being beat up or raped is the same trauma as being beaten or raped to a five or nine year old. Untreated trauma lasts forever and it changes a person forever. The United Nation's-Secretary General An
Alabama · Alaska · Arizona · Arkansas · California · Colorado · Connecticut · Delaware · Florida · Georgia · Hawaii · Idaho · Illinois · Indiana · Iowa · Kansas · Kentucky · Louisiana · Maine · Maryland · Massachusetts · Michigan · Minnesota · Mississippi · Missouri · Montana · Nebraska · Nevada · New Hampshire · New Jersey · New Mexico · New York · North Carolina · North Dakota · Ohio · Oklahoma · Oregon · Pennsylvania · Rhode Island · South Carolina · South Dakota · Tennessee · Texas · Utah · Vermont · Virginia · Washington · West Virginia · Wisconsin · Wyoming
November 21, 2020 · KARA Reporting
COVID & Child Suicide November 2020
KARA (Kids At Risk Action) tracks current news about at risk children bringing transparency and attention to our youngest and most vulnerable citizens. The COVID pandemic has interrupted most major media reporting of chi
California · Kentucky · Missouri · Virginia
November 20, 2020 · KARA Reporting
Lawsuits and the Death of Two Year Old Arianna Hunziker
Arianna was wrapped in sheets, left alone in a closed room and slowly starved to death. Foster parents Sherrie and Bryce Dirk will go to prison for murdering Arianna. This solves nothing. There is something terribly dist
July 27, 2020 · KARA Reporting
Minnesota Child Protection Stories, Statistics & COVID - June 2020
The nightmare of George Floyd’s murder and the burning, street violence and social upheaval continuing as this already too hot summer gets underway is raining down extra hard on children already suffering the traumas of
June 10, 2020 · KARA Reporting
The Pandemic Impacting Child Abuse and Foster Care (state by state)
Because schools are closed, after-school activities are canceled and churches aren't having youth groups and community activity with trusted adults outside the home have evaporated - the chances an abused child can find
Alaska · Arizona · California · Colorado · Connecticut · Florida · Georgia · Idaho · Illinois · Indiana · Iowa · Kansas · Kentucky · Louisiana · Maine · Massachusetts · Michigan · Minnesota · Missouri · Montana · Nebraska · Nevada · New Hampshire · New Mexico · New York · North Carolina · Ohio · Oklahoma · Oregon · Rhode Island · South Carolina · Tennessee · Texas · Virginia · Washington · Wisconsin
March 6, 2020 · KARA Reporting
Foster Care News 2019
The first article in this series is a CASEY Foundation Q&A about recruiting American Indian Foster Parents in Oklahoma and fixing the State’s struggling child welfare system. All states are struggling to find safe homes
Alabama · California · Illinois · Kentucky · Michigan · New York · North Carolina · Ohio · Oklahoma · Wisconsin
June 19, 2019 · KARA Reporting
June Child Abuse 2019 (find your state here)
current news about at risk children bringing transparency and attention to our youngest and most vulnerable citizens.
Indiana · Kentucky · Michigan · Mississippi · New York · Oklahoma · Oregon · Pennsylvania
January 4, 2019 · KARA Reporting
Recent Child Suicide Reports & Statistics (part III)
Most child suicide is under reported & obfuscated Find your state, reporting & resources here…
August 16, 2018 · KARA Reporting
Medicating Very Young Children July 2018 (part 6)
6 to 12 million children a year are reported to child protection services and in many states, About 1/3 of foster children are required to take psychotropic medicines
Arkansas · California · Kentucky · Louisiana · West Virginia
July 20, 2018 · KARA Reporting
Articles, Stories & Statistics About Adoption and Foster Care for June 2018
Group home caters to LGBT foster children Cronkite News Redmond said she wanted to provide a real home for LGBT foster children and her group home was immediately at capacity. They usually go on … Flag as irrelevant Adop
Arizona · California · Iowa · Kentucky · Michigan · Montana · North Carolina · Ohio · Texas
April 25, 2018 · KARA Reporting
Child Well Being State by State March 2018 (X)
HI: Girl who was severely beaten after state returned her to mom gets $450K payout (Includes video) Hawaii News Now - March 02, 2018 Twelve years ago, Shari Rodrigues suffered permanent brain and internal injuries after
April 8, 2018 · KARA Reporting
Child Well Being & Child Abuse State by State (March 2018) IV
CA: LA County Board looks to shut down pipeline from foster care to juvenile hall City News Service - March 20, 2018 The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to reevaluate the treatment of youngsters in
Arizona · California · Florida · Georgia · Kansas · Kentucky
April 5, 2018 · KARA Reporting
Child Well Being & Abandonment March 2018 (III)
Opinion | Home visits a key to trauma-informed care for kids The Commercial Appeal As evidence of the impact of childhood trauma continues to permeate child-serving institutions, teachers, social workers, pediatricians a
Florida · Kentucky · Mississippi · Montana · North Carolina · Ohio · Utah · Washington
March 22, 2018 · KARA Reporting
Sad Stories Feb 2018 Part VI (foster care stories and statistics)
KARA (Kids At Risk Action) tracks current news about at risk children bringing transparency and attention to our youngest and most vulnerable citizens. KARA’s reporting is only sampling of what should be reported – the g
Arizona · California · Connecticut · Iowa · Kentucky · Minnesota · Oregon · Texas · Virginia
March 8, 2018 · KARA Reporting
Sad Stories Feb 2018 Part IV (child abuse & trauma articles and statistics)
37% of children overall and 57% of Black children are reported to child protection services in America by the time they turn 18. (American Journal of Public Health 1.17) 12 million children a year are reported to child p
Connecticut · Indiana · Kentucky · Maryland · Pennsylvania
December 31, 2017 · KARA Reporting
December 2017 Sad Stories Part II (child abuse stories & articles from your state)
KARA (Kids At Risk Action) tracks current news about at risk children bringing transparency and attention to our youngest and most vulnerable citizens. This is only a sampling of what should be reported. Most child traum
September 20, 2017 · KARA Reporting
August Sad Stories Part II
Kids At Risk Action; American states are struggling to find answers for saving at risk children and reversing the explosive growth of child abuse and neglect. Today, many state ward children are the 4th and 5th generatio
California · Colorado · Delaware · Florida · Illinois · Indiana · Kentucky
June 14, 2017 · KARA Reporting
CASA guardian ad-Litem News Feb -May 2017 Part I
FIND YOUR CASA here – CASA’s around the U.S. If you are not listed, send me your info and we will include it. More than 251,000 abused and neglected children find safe, permanent homes, according to casaforchildren.org.
Arizona · Arkansas · California · Kentucky · Maryland · Michigan · Missouri · Montana · Nebraska · New Jersey · New York · Oklahoma · Oregon · Texas
May 2, 2017 · KARA Reporting
Sad Stories April 2017 Part III
KARA tracks current news about at risk children bringing transparency and attention to our youngest and most vulnerable citizens. These pages are a sampling of what should be reported – the great majority of child trauma
Florida · Kentucky · Maine · Michigan · Minnesota · New York · Oklahoma · Pennsylvania · Wisconsin
April 1, 2017 · KARA Reporting
Sad Stories March 2017 Part III
Sign Up Here For KARA’s Free Friday Morning Real Story KARA tracks current news about at risk children bringing transparency and attention to our youngest and most vulnerable citizens. These pages are a sampling of what
Connecticut · Florida · Georgia · Iowa · Kentucky · Minnesota
February 19, 2017 · KARA Reporting
February Sad Stories Part II
Sign Up Here For KARA’s Free Friday Morning Real Story KARA tracks current news about at risk children bringing transparency and attention to our youngest and most vulnerable citizens. Please note that what you see here
Kansas · Kentucky · Minnesota · Ohio · Oregon · Pennsylvania · South Dakota
September 21, 2016 · KARA Reporting
September Sad Stories (part 1 through September 15)
Homeless woman accused of child neglect, children covered in filth, lice, suffering health problems Bennington Banner (subscription) BENNINGTON >> A homeless woman is facing charges after her children were found covered
Arkansas · California · Georgia · Illinois · Kentucky · Minnesota · Mississippi · Nebraska
September 21, 2016 · KARA Reporting
September Sad Stories Part II (through September 30)
Murder charge in Burke baby death The Augusta Chronicle The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has charged a man with murder after the death of an infant in Waynesboro. The Burke County Sheriff's Office … UPDATE | Waynesbor
California · Colorado · Connecticut · Georgia · Illinois · Kentucky
September 17, 2016 · KARA Reporting
CASA guardian ad Litem News & Stories for August 2016
Jan. 17 trial date set in Sullivan County homicide Terre Haute Tribune Star Tribune-Star/Lisa TriggDefendant Joshua Travis Hall is led from the Sullivan Superior courtroom by Sheriff Clark Cottom following a hearing Mond
California · Illinois · Indiana · Iowa · Kentucky · Missouri · Montana · New Jersey · New Mexico · Ohio · Oklahoma · Oregon · South Dakota · Tennessee · Texas · Washington
July 16, 2016 · KARA Reporting
July 2016 Sad Stories (part 1)
This page is a compilation of child protection news from around the nation (with some international reporting) for the month of June (through June 25) If you would like to help KARA gather and report news from your commu
California · Florida · Illinois · Kentucky · Maine · Pennsylvania · Rhode Island · Texas · Virginia
June 25, 2016 · KARA Reporting
CASA guardian ad-Litem News Around the Nation for June 2016
FIND YOUR CASA here - This page tells the stories of CASA's around the U.S. If you are not listed, send me your info and we will include it. Thank you Sai Yang and Century College for your research and writing on this pa
California · Illinois · Kentucky · Louisiana · Missouri · Montana · Nebraska · New Jersey · New York · North Carolina · Ohio · Texas · Virginia
February 22, 2016 · KARA Reporting
More Americans Killed By Toddlers With Guns Than Terrorists
Toddlers with guns have murdered 5 people with guns in America this year, terrorists 3. Would we be safer if the NSA were spying on children, or just keeping an eye on pistol packing families? Here's a list of this years
Alabama · Arizona · California · Florida · Idaho · Indiana · Iowa · Kentucky · New Jersey · New York · Ohio · South Carolina · Tennessee · Texas · West Virginia
February 13, 2016 · KARA Reporting
CASA guardian ad-Litem News Around The Nation 10.1.15 Through 12.31.15
FIND YOUR CASA here – This page tells the stories of CASA’s around the U.S. If you are not listed, send me your info and we will include it. Thank you Sai Yang and Century College for your research and writing on this pa
California · Florida · Illinois · Kentucky · Louisiana · Maryland · Montana · North Carolina · Oklahoma · Oregon · Washington
February 6, 2016 · KARA Reporting
Public Records (the mystery of child abuse and child protection)
My story is triggered by a graphic demonstration of malfeasance by a public servant (Harper's Magazine article below) and my response to conversations with Brandon Stahl at the Star Tribune and a former administrator at
January 1, 2016 · KARA Reporting
5 People / Week Accidentally Shot By Children (thank you Wayne LaPierre)
265 Moms, dads, brothers, sisters and selves were shot by very young children this year. This is the first time data on people shot by children has been collected in America. I'm guessing it will go up n next year. There
California · Colorado · Florida · Kentucky · Louisiana · Oregon · South Carolina · Virginia
October 31, 2015 · KARA Reporting
Sad Stories October 2015
Find information about child protection, child endangerment & child well-being in your state here. For past months, click here AR: Arkansas's child welfare system discriminates against relatives of neglectful or abusive
Arizona · Arkansas · California · Florida · Indiana · Kansas · Kentucky · Massachusetts · Minnesota
August 19, 2015 · KARA Reporting
Child Death and Child Abuse Articles (for August 2015 - find your state/country here)
CA: County responses unacceptable (Opinion) Ukiah Daily Journal - August 02, 2015 The Mendocino County Health and Human Services Agency's response to the Grand Jury is one of the most twisted documents I have ever read.
Colorado · Illinois · Iowa · Kentucky · Massachusetts · Texas · Virginia · Wisconsin
June 21, 2015 · KARA Reporting
Grandparents; Counties & States Can’t Live With Them, Children Can’t Live Without Them.
It is not the social worker, the teacher, or other professionals working with children that are responsible for the problems within American child protection service, it is lack of awareness and understanding by policy m
Arizona · California · Colorado · Indiana · Kentucky · Louisiana · Minnesota · Mississippi · Montana · New Jersey
February 28, 2015 · KARA Reporting
Sad Children Stories From February
The following sad stories have been gathered from around the nation and give an indication of how different states are handling child abuse and child protection. Find your state here;
Alabama · Alaska · Arizona · Arkansas · California · Colorado · Florida · Georgia · Illinois · Indiana · Kentucky · Louisiana · Maryland · Massachusetts · Michigan · Missouri · Montana · Nebraska · Nevada · New York · Ohio · Oregon · Pennsylvania · South Carolina · Texas · Utah · Vermont · West Virginia · Wisconsin
September 8, 2014 · KARA Reporting
Brandon Stahl Reports (reporting on the reporter)
ois Jurgens tortured and killed her three year old adopted son Dennis Jergens over time and in a most brutal fashion. She was the adoptive mother of six children and she tortured them all over long periods of time. She w
June 30, 2014 · KARA Reporting
State Ward Children As Medical Guinea Pigs (or parents withholding medical treatment for religious reasons?)
Justina Pelletier's sad case of medical experimentation on state wards in Massachusetts and the religious freedom to deny children with treatable diseases medical care in so many states, proves the awful truth that child
June 22, 2014 · KARA Reporting
CASA Guardian ad-Litem News (updates from around the nation)
Lawyers to become 'eyes and ears' of judges in new Family Law Guardian ad Litem pilot program Bradenton Herald More than two dozen lawyers from the Icard Merrill law firm have signed up to be guardians ad litem as part o
Alaska · Arizona · Colorado · Florida · Illinois · Indiana · Kentucky · Maryland · Michigan · Minnesota · North Carolina · Ohio · Oregon · Utah · Wyoming
February 21, 2014 · KARA Reporting
Snakes In Guatemala vs Guns In America
Last weekend, after 20 years of handling snakes, Jamie Coots received his final bite. A rattler got him in the back of the hand. It happened as Coots, a Pentecostal minister, was leading the Saturday night service at his
Alabama · Arizona · California · Florida · Georgia · Idaho · Indiana · Kentucky · Ohio · Tennessee · West Virginia
January 2, 2014 · KARA Reporting
What We Can Learn From Kentucky (kinship rules)
JEFFERSONTOWN, Ky. - In Kentucky, a lot of children are being raised by extended family members: at 6 percent of all kids, it's one of the highest kinship-care rates in the nation. A new report from Kentucky Youth Advoca
December 3, 2013 · KARA Reporting
Bad Day In The News For Children In Need Of Protection
Z: Senate president rejects request for more CPS funding Your West Valley - December 02, 2013 The president of the state Senate is blasting a request for more money for Child Protective Services, saying the agency may ha
Arizona · California · Florida · Kentucky · Maine · Massachusetts · Missouri · New York · North Carolina
August 29, 2013 · KARA Reporting
CASA & GUARDIAN AD - LITEM NEWS (for August)
Local children in desperate need of CASAs. Court Appointed Special Advocates Arizona Silver Belt A CASA is a Court Appointed Special Advocate, who is there to represent a neglected or abused child's best interests and n
California · Illinois · Kentucky · Michigan · Mississippi · New Jersey · Ohio · Pennsylvania · Texas · Virginia
May 3, 2013 · KARA Reporting
How To Sell Guns To Five Year Old's (yes we do)
Mother Earth News this month includes weapons manufacturers marketing materials aimed at very young children. It is disturbing. It was just last week a five year old Kentucky boy killed his two year old sister with his "
Idaho · Kentucky · New Jersey · New York · South Carolina · Tennessee
February 8, 2013 · KARA Reporting
Tracking America's Most At Risk Children (Compiled)
New documents obtained by KCAL9 detail previous allegation of abuse in the case of a now- deceased 8-year-old Palmdale boy who investigators say was tortured and beaten to death. Gabrieal Frenandez suffered a skull fract
Arizona · Colorado · Delaware · Florida · Indiana · Kentucky · New Jersey · North Carolina · Pennsylvania · Texas
August 14, 2012 · KARA Reporting
Destroying Child Protection Records In Iowa, A Better Iowa For Children?
On several occasions in my guardian ad-Litem work I was unable to bring charges against very dangerous child abusers and I observed their continued violent and sexual abuse of children over many years (I would venture on
May 27, 2012 · KARA Reporting
Louisiana Children Don’t Stand A Chance.
If you can read this, and you are a poor child in Louisiana, beg your mother or father to take you to Arizona, Colorado, Utah, or almost any other state. Your chances of reading at a third grade level, graduating from hi
Arizona · California · Colorado · Kentucky · Louisiana · Utah
May 1, 2012 · KARA Reporting
This Doesn't Change What's Wrong In Kentucky (and elsewhere) For Abused & Neglected Children
Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear is hiding the records of dozens of dead children (from child abuse) because life for abused children is so awful in his state he wants it hidden from the rest of the nation. The core issue
April 30, 2012 · KARA Reporting
Children Murdered In Kentucky, Governor Beshear Hides The Evidence
Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear is hiding the records of dozens of dead children (from child abuse) because life for abused children is so awful in his state he wants it hidden from the rest of the nation. The core issue
November 25, 2011 · KARA Reporting
Race To The Bottom
From California, as if life for poor children were not difficult enough, State sponsored Indentured Servitude: Lawsuit Seeks to Stop State Welfare Agencies from Illegally Forcing Children to Repay Money Paid to Parents M
Arizona · California · Illinois · Kentucky · Minnesota · New Hampshire · Oklahoma · Pennsylvania · South Dakota
June 27, 2011 · KARA Reporting
The Boy Who Died Locked In A Cage After 12 Visits From Indiana DCS
We only read about the babies found in dumpsters, or other violent child deaths. NO one reports the thousands of children sexually abused, beaten, or starved. I know too many of these children & it is a dark stain on Ame