Community Partners for Protecting Children was originally a grant-funded program led by the Department for Community Based Services (DCBS, our state child protective services). The “40505” project is directed at a single Lexington zip-code with the highest rates of child abuse and repeat child abuse, high rates of drug use and of newborn babies testing positive for drugs of abuse, high rates of domestic violence and lack of community empowerment. IFCK has been involved for many years as an active partner in this on-going community child abuse prevention project led by others. Both SP and MTW have been members of the Safety Committee, where we have been able to include unintentional injury prevention efforts for the community as well as child abuse prevention. Working with the Faith Committee, we were able to secure a small grant from the 40505 project which enabled us to purchase fire prevention materials which we have provided to families through vacation bible schools in this zip code and in others within Lexington for the past two summers. MTW has also served on other committees. Our contact with social workers, judges, mental health professionals, child care staff and schools through this project have also led to some improvements in care for children in out of home (foster) care and early efforts to provide special training for child care centers serving children in foster care. SP continues to work with the hospital child protection team also.

Through partnerships with groups such as CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate),PCA-KY (Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky) and DCBS and contacts with judges, we have been able to increase awareness of the need to consider child passenger safety (the willingness and ability to protect your child against the leading danger to children) as an additional important factor in making decisions about readiness for reunification..