Welcome to our Monthly Newsletter!
Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky
Our mission is to prevent the abuse & neglect of Kentucky's children through advocacy, awareness, education & training.
October 2024 Edition
Welcome to our monthly newsletter! While we have been sending our newsletter via email to subscribers and stakeholders for a few months now, we are excited to launch our first newsletter via LinkedIn! Subscribe here to stay up-to-date each month on all the exciting things happening at PCAK.
Greetings from the offices here at PCAK!? I am happy to share this month’s newsletter with you to keep you up to date on latest updates and developments here at the agency, but before we get into all the updates we have to share, I would like to introduce myself.
I am one of the newest members of the staff here at PCAK and came on board in late July.? As the Programs and Trainings Coordinator I get the opportunity to help folks across the Commonwealth learn how they can prevent child abuse and neglect, and work alongside them to better advocate for children, families, and caregivers. My passion (some might say my calling) has always been to advocate for and lift up children and families who need additional support.
I grew up near the Daniel Boone National Forest in Menifee County and continue to have a special place in my heart for the folks of Eastern Kentucky. Prior to my work with PCAK, I worked primarily with the federal TRIO programs (Upward Bound and Educational Talent Search), first at Morehead State University and more recently at Eastern Kentucky University. I also worked for a time coordinating the Appalachian Career Training in Oncology (ACTION) Program at UK’s Markey Cancer Center. For more than 12 years, I worked with middle, high school, and post-secondary students throughout the Appalachian region of Kentucky.
When I am not fulfilling my duties at work with PCAK, I enjoy hosting meals for friends and family, quiet evenings on the patio, and travelling (usually to anywhere with a beach). I also serve as part of the Markey Cancer Center Patient Advisory Group and am the song leader on Sunday mornings at Bluegrass United Church of Christ.
It is my pleasure to share our latest news for October and to share some of the details of our most recent Kids Are Worth It! Conference. On behalf of the rest of the staff here at PCAK, thank you for your continued support as we work to be a positive changing force across all the communities in Kentucky. I look forward to meeting many more of you in the coming weeks and months as I continue my role in the incredible work we get to do!
September is always a busy month for PCAK, as we host our Annual Kids Are Worth It! Conference.? Check out all the other fun things we did in addition to our Conference.?
PCAK is excited to share the highlights from the 28th Annual Kids Are Worth It! Conference, held at the Central Bank Center in Lexington on September 9th and 10th, 2024.? This year’s conference welcomed 650 participants, including workshop attendees, exhibitors, presenters, and staff, representing 79 counties across Kentucky—covering 66% of the state!
Attendees had the opportunity to choose from six workshops out of 49 options, attend three keynote sessions, and network with more than 30 exhibitors.? Additionally, the Lean On Me Kentucky self-care room provided a space for participants to recharge and connect.
Following the conference, participants were invited to complete a digital evaluation to help improve future events.? With an 18% response rate (95 responses), PCAK received excellent feedback.? Notably, 96% of attendees expressed satisfaction with the conference, and 97% were pleased with the registration process.? Workshop choices received a satisfaction rate of 94%, while 91% appreciated the keynote sessions and 89% found value in the exhibitors.
When asked about the impact of their attendance, 95% reported feeling better prepared to prevent child abuse, and an impressive 98% learned about new resources relevant to their work.? Additionally, 94% indicated they gained new skills.? Participants praised the diversity of workshops and expressed a desire for more time between sessions to explore exhibits and network.
This year, the conference introduced the Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) and Child Maltreatment Prevention Track, funded by the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission.? This track focused on the intersection of opioid use and child welfare, featuring expert-led sessions on safe medication storage, family dynamics, and community prevention efforts.? Keynote sessions emphasized belonging and connections, culminating in the launch of a documentary showcasing the findings.? Evaluation results for the OUD track were promising, with 74% of attendees reporting an increase in knowledge.? Additionally, 67% plan to utilize the resources gained, and 48% expressed interest in tools developed through this initiative.
The Parent Engagement Track also received positive feedback, with 57% of participants feeling their knowledge advanced and 63% planning to apply what they learned in their work.
PCAK was thrilled to have graphic recording artist Alece Birnbach at the conference, capturing key insights and participant feedback visually, making the content even more accessible.
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Thank you to everyone who attended and contributed to making this year’s conference a success!? We look forward to seeing you next year as we continue to work together to improve outcomes for children and families in Kentucky.
Save the date for KAWI 2025!
With #KAWI2024 wrapped up, we are excited to announce our dates for our 29th Annual Conference.? Please plan to join us on September 14- 16, 2025 at the Central Bank Center in Lexington.??
Announcing PCAK's hot off the presses news!
Over the past few months, PCAK has been busy creating new Partnerships, trainings, and more!? This section covers a few of these new and noteworthy things from us this month.
Announcing New PCAK Board Members!
We are thankful to have an awesome and involved Board of Directors supporting the work we do every day.? Over the past few months, we have welcomed 4 new Board Members!?
PCAK Partner in Prevention Network Reaches 330 Members!
Our Partner in Prevention Network forms the foundation of the work we complete at PCAK.? We value our Partners so much that we changed our mission to reflect their involvement!? We are excited to announce that our Network has reached a new milestone- 330 members, representing all counties across our Commonwealth.? We have at least 2 Partners in Prevention in every county, with an average of 6.4 Partners per county.? If you are interested in learning more about our Partner Network, contact Amanda Royer, Manager of Brand Marketing and Outreach at [email protected].??
Fundraising Efforts Through the Kentucky Employees Charitable Campaign
A big THANK YOU to the Kentucky State Police for raising more than $3,000 to benefit PCAK through the Kentucky Employees Charitable Campaign. The funds were raised by designing and selling a t-shirt, just for this cause. We are so thankful for our partnership! Pictured here are Jill Seyfred, PCAK Executive Director, KSP Commissioner PJ Burnett, and Roberta Steutermann with United Way of Kentucky, the administrators of the Kentucky Employees Charitable Campaign.
While we don't have all the details ironed out just yet, we are already looking forward to hiring three new staff members to the PCAK team in the weeks and months to come.? Stay tuned as we advertise more details about these openings soon!??
Questions can be directed to Amanda Royer ([email protected]) and Janna Estep Jordan ([email protected]).?