The Child Advocacy Center provides comprehensive crisis services, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for sexually abused children and their families. We are the region’s only certified child sexual abuse advocacy center, and serve Jefferson and six surrounding Kentucky counties.

Children who are victims of sexual abuse and their non-offending family members receive crisis services that may include trauma response, mental health care, medical care and child protection, all in a safe, child-friendly environment.

In an effort to serve families more conveniently and compassionately, a partnership of collaborative services come to one location to eliminate the need for multiple interviews and duplication of services. In addition, each child served has one counselor who works with him or her every step of the way to understand the individual’s needs and develop an appropriate solution.

Last year, the Child Advocacy Center served 972 children and 921 caregivers. A total of 1982 family members were served in these households.

HOW TO GET HELP

If you know a child who is being abused, or whom you suspect is being abused, you may be filled with many mixed emotions, particularly if you have a relationship with the suspected abuser. The most important thing to understand right now is the need to remove the child from the abusive environment as quickly as possible to prevent further harm. The emotional support and facilities needed to keep you and your child safe and to develop a solution that will prevent future abuse are available through the Child Advocacy Center.

You can call on our comprehensive crisis services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for any child, aged 0 to 17 years, in Jefferson and surrounding counties who is a victim of sexual abuse. You simply need to be referred by Kentucky Child Protective Services (CPS) or Louisville Metro Police Crimes Against Children Unit (CACU) at the point of disclosure of sexual abuse.

To report suspected abuse …

Kentucky law requires that anyone who knows or has reasonable cause to believe a child or adolescent has been physically or sexually abused, report the abuse to local authorities.

• If you suspect a parent or caretaker is responsible for the abuse, call Child Protective Services Hotline at 1-800-752-6200 (or 502-595-4550).
• If you suspect the child or adolescent was abused by someone who is not a parent or caretaker, call your local law enforcement agency. In Jefferson County, contact the Crimes Against Children Unit at (502) 574-2465.

In addition to recognizing and reporting abuse, we invite you to contribute locally to Family & Children First on our donations page, OR statewide when you renew your auto registration with an "I Care About Kids" license plate to support the Child Victims Trust Fund.  Child sexual medical examinations are made available, in part, by a grant from the Child Victims' Trust Fund.   

TO MAKE A REFERRAL

The Child Advocacy Service accepts referrals from Kentucky Child Protective Services (CPS) or Louisville Metro Police Crimes Against Children Unit (CACU) at the point of disclosure of sexual abuse. You can make a referral to our comprehensive crisis services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for any child, aged 0 to 17 years, in Jefferson and surrounding counties who is a victim of sexual abuse.

Please call us at (502) 584-8505 to see how we can be of assistance.

Child Advocacy Service is located at 560B South Fourth Street in Louisville.

To report suspected abuse …

Kentucky law requires that anyone who knows or has reasonable cause to believe a child or adolescent has been physically or sexually abused, report the abuse to local authorities.

• If you suspect a parent or caretaker is responsible for the abuse, call Child Protective Services Hotline at 1-800-752-6200 (or 502-595-4550), regardless of the county in which you live.
• If you suspect the child or adolescent was abused by someone who is not a parent or caretaker, call your local law enforcement agency. In Jefferson County, contact the Crimes Against Children Unit at (502) 574-2465.
• In Floyd County, Indiana, call (812) 949-4055. In Clark County, Indiana, call (812) 288-5422.

Services are generously funded by the Child Victims’ Trust Fund, Kentucky Cabinet for Health & Family Services, WHAS Crusade for Children, Commonwealth of Kentucky Justice Cabinet – Victim of Crimes Act, Kosair Charities through the University of Louisville, Louisville Metro, Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky, the National Children’s Alliance and others.