FRANKFORT, Ky. — Buffalo Trace Distillery and UK Health have partnered up hoping to lower the child maltreatment rate in the in the capital city.

What You Need To Know

  • Buffalo Trace Distillery and UK Health partnered on a community-focused mentorship program; Fathers of Frankfort 

  • Fifteen new and expectant fathers will be paired with Buffalo Trace team members who are fathers

  • The current dads at Buffalo Trace will guide the new dad's through their child's first year of life

  • 26.6 per 1000 children in Frankfort experience some form of maltreatment by a parent

Frankfort’s child maltreatment rate is three times the national average—the state as a whole is also above the national average.

Buffalo Trace Distillery has called Frankfort and Franklin County home for its entire 248 year history. Sara Saunders, head of marketing at Buffalo Trace, said it’s a special place for the bourbon distiller.

“So as we thought future planning and all of the bourbon that we are set to make in the next 5, 10, 15 years; we realized we really need to do something locally in the community to make sure that we raised up the next team members of Buffalo Trace Distillery,” Saunders said.

It’s why the distillery in partnership with UK Health created a mentorship program; Fathers of Frankfort. Once launched this fall, the program will connect new or expecting dads in the community with fathers who are currently team members at Buffalo Trace.

“It’s a very emotional topic and how we’re approaching it I think is very touching to our existing team members and there’s a lot of personal draw from male team members excited to give back,” Saunders said.

The goal is to improve the lives of children in Frankfort where 26.6 per 1000 children experience maltreatment according to UK Health. Dr. Christina Howard, a child abuse pediatrician at UK Health, says it’s a statewide issue.

“In 2020, Kentucky’s rate was 16.7 per 1000 children were victims of child maltreatment. Nationally, the average is about 8.4,” Howard said.

Howard described ‘maltreatment’ as neglect, physical and sexual abuse, with neglect being the most common in Kentucky. Howard added 1 in 4 children nationwide grows up without a father figure. According to Howard and other medical experts, an active father pre and post-delivery leads to healthier outcomes of youth.

“Parental divorce is childhood adversity, a parent incarcerated is also a childhood adversity and so what we really want is for children to not have five adverse childhood experiences by the time they’re five months of age,” Howard said.

Fifteen Buffalo Trace team members will be paired with Frankfort dads; giving them tips and tricks through the first year of their child’s life, with meetings taking place at the distillery.

“We see a lot of father bonding at Buffalo Trace Distillery; it’s a really cool part of bourbon and bourbon culture that men are able to connect with different generations over a glass of bourbon,” Saunders said.

UK Healthcare is coordinating the mentee selection process, using referrals from local doctors.

Only 15 dads will be selected for the inaugural class, with both organizations hoping to expand the classes substantially after year one.