LOUISVILLE, Ky. — While Kentucky continues to struggle with child abuse rates, Norton Children's has opened a new center dedicated to helping victims and others.
The hospital and nonprofit Home of the Innocents cut the ribbon Wednesday on a new center dedicated to treating and preventing future cases.
Kara Mellick said she finds comfort walking the halls of the newly opened facility, the Norton Children’s Center for Safe and Healthy Kids. It began seeing patients Monday.
“I’ve seen there is a lot of space for privacy," Mellick said. “It’s very important to feel comfortable in an environment talking about child abuse or child neglect, examining a child that may have gone through that, so they can open up and you can get a more detail of what's going on."
Mellick’s infant daughter was killed 15 years ago while in the care of another. In the years since, she has become an advocate for preventing and reporting when abuse happens.
“If we as a community continue to partner together in creating necessary resources such as this new center and the staff within it, we are one step closer to accomplishing our goal of eliminating child abuse and neglect," Mellick said.
According to the U.S. Department of Health’s 2022 Child Maltreatment report, 12 out of every 1,000 children experience some kind of child abuse in Kentucky.
“Norton Children’s Center for Safe and Healthy Kids will allow us to serve more children, more families, both in addressing maltreatment but also enhancing those prevention efforts that are just so critical," said Melissa Currie, Norton Children’s Pediatric Protection Specialists director.
She was the first doctor of her kind in Kentucky and is renowned for not only treating child abuse cases but also trains doctors specializing in this form of care. Currie said Norton Children’s already handles 1,500 child abuse and neglect cases every year and will be able to help even more children with this new space and expanded staff.
The center can serve children in every Kentucky county. Currie said there are 300 active cases.
"Always report any signs or suspicions that you may have toward child abuse or child neglect," Mellick said.
In 2022, Kentucky’s General Assembly pledged $6 million to help reduce abuse. An additional $6 million was raised through the Norton Children's Foundation and other community donations to build and staff the new center.