9.1 Kentucky Mandatory Reporting
If you are licensed in Kentucky, three statutes passed by the State of Kentucky cover the following items:
- Duty to Report
- Reporting Procedures
- Definitions
Duty to Report is the core mandatory reporting statute (KRS 620.030) for child abuse in Kentucky. It establishes the duty of any person with reasonable cause to believe a child is abused, neglected, or dependent to make an immediate report.
The Reporting Procedures statute (KRS 620.040) governs how reports are made, who receives them, and the obligations of institutions. Specifically, KRS 620.040(5)(c) addresses situations where a child is sexually abused and the custodian is unable or unwilling to protect the child.
Definitions states that mandated reporters must report a child who is dependent, neglected, abused, or a victim of human trafficking, as defined in Kentucky Statute 600.020.
9.2 Child Abuse Treatment and Prevention Act
CAPTA requires states to identify who is mandated to report child abuse. Mandatory reporters are typically people whose professions bring them into frequent contact with children. In some states, anyone who suspects child abuse is required to report it. In all states, territories, and the District of Columbia, anyone who suspects child maltreatment is permitted to report it, though they are not required to do so.
About half of the states and territories require that mandatory reporters receive training on their responsibilities, while 22 states and the District of Columbia simply make the information available on their agency websites. The institutional responsibility to report includes volunteers or staff members at institutions such as schools or hospitals to report suspected maltreatment, even if the reporter does not belong to a specific profession on the list of mandatory reporters.
Privileged communications, such as confidentiality between spouses and physicians and their patients, are often denied for mandatory reporters, though attorney-client privileges and clergy-penitent privileges are often upheld.
All jurisdictions have provisions to maintain the confidentiality of the reporter. Most states and territories specify that the reporter’s identity must be protected from the alleged perpetrator.
9.3 Failure to Report or False Reporting
Mandated reporters are required by law to report child maltreatment when they know it is taking place, or when they have reason to believe it is. Ninety-two percent of states impose criminal penalties for failure to report, and 27% also impose civil penalties. More than half of states penalize mandated reporters who fail to report, while just over a third impose penalties on any adult who fails to report (Lee and Weigensberg, 2022). Failure to report is a misdemeanor, punishable by fines, jail time, and serious professional repercussions.
Often, these laws do not have the intended effect. According to the ACLU of Southern California, these laws often result in overreporting of families, particularly Black, Indigenous, and low-income families, to the “child welfare system” (also known as the “family policing system”) for circumstances that arise from poverty rather than neglect. This can leave families most in need of support and resources afraid to ask (ACLU, 2024).
9.4 Who Makes a Report
[The following information is from the U.S. Department of Human Services, 2025]
Mandatory reporters submitted 70.9% of the reports of child abuse and neglect in 2023, according to the Children’s Bureau Child Maltreatment 2023 report, released in 2025. Legal and law enforcement personnel submitted 21.4%, educational employees submitted 21.1%. and medical staff submitted 11/2% of reports. Friends, family, and community members submitted 14.8% of the reports.
The Children’s Bureau noted some signs of possible improvement, including a 19.3% decrease in children determined to be victims of maltreatment since 2019. The number of children who died from abuse and neglect went down from 2,050 in 2022 to 2,000 in 2023. However, that number is up from the 1,825 children who died from abuse or neglect in 2019.
Native American and Alaska Native children suffered the highest rate of abuse, at 13.8 per 1,000 children of the same race or ethnicity. This is closely followed by Black children, at 11.9 per 1,000. Black children also die from abuse or neglect at more than three times the rate of White children, and 3.4 times the rate of Hispanic children. Children younger than one year old make up 44% of child abuse fatalities. Children under a year old suffer the highest rate of abuse, at 21 per 1,000 children of the same age in the population of the country.
9.5 Professional Training
Now, we’ve all heard about what the most important factor is in the child welfare profession—not exactly a new technology, not exactly a new tool to use, and not even, at times, money. There’s no question that the most important factor in the child welfare profession and bringing about positive outcomes are the people performing the work. And to improve those outcomes, you need to focus on that workforce.
Tom Oates, CWIG, 2018
Providing training about protective factors for all people who work with children and families helps build a workforce with common knowledge, goals, and language.
Professionals, from frontline workers to supervisors and administrators, can benefit from training that is tailored to their role and imparts a cohesive message focused on strengthening families.
The Child Welfare Information Gateway cites multiple examples of jurisdictions that are using protective factors training materials. For example, the Strengthening Families approach emphasizes ways to support parents, Youth Thrive concentrates primarily on strengthening adolescents and young adults, Essentials for Childhood promotes relationships and environments to help create neighborhoods and communities where children can flourish, and the HOPE framework stresses child well-being while working to reduce the effects of ACEs. Many of these communities have launched their programs using grants from CWIG, which also has an extensive podcast series about how to prevent child abuse (CWIG, 2020).
9.6 Never, Ever Shake a Baby
Recognizing, diagnosing, treating, and ultimately preventing pediatric abusive head trauma and shaken baby syndrome are urgent public health goals. Educating parents and caregivers and providing them with the tools and support to understand when infant crying is normal and when it is something more is the key to preventing frustrated reactions that may lead to abuse.
For those who have regular contact with infants and their parents or caregivers, understanding risk factors is critical. For healthcare providers, knowledge of the latest science about abusive head trauma will guide assessments and diagnoses.
Public health workers, teachers, and others who work with infants and children can educate parents and caregivers about child abuse. They are critical frontline workers who can intervene to protect vulnerable infants when they see signs of potential child abuse.
No matter your occupation or responsibilities, whether you are a parent, a caregiver, a community member, or a healthcare provider, the message is clear and simple:
Never, ever shake a baby!