As communities across the country recognize Child Abuse Prevention Month in April, the Pennyrile Children’s Advocacy Center is marking a major milestone while continuing to confront a persistent and often hidden crisis.
The Hopkinsville-based nonprofit is celebrating 25 years of service to children and families across a nine-county region in western Kentucky, providing support to victims of abuse through coordinated investigations, advocacy and counseling.
Executive Director Candra Barnett said the anniversary is both a moment of reflection and a reminder of the work still ahead.
“This is April, and it’s Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness Month,” Barnett said. “If you see the pinwheels out in the community… the idea is to think about what it means to be a child… and to remember that it is an adult’s responsibility to keep children safe and to protect children.”
The Pennyrile center operates under a nationally recognized Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) model, which brings multiple agencies together to investigate abuse cases in a child-focused environment.
Through partnerships with law enforcement, social services, prosecutors and medical and mental health professionals, the center works to reduce trauma for children who disclose abuse.
CACs are designed to coordinate services and minimize the number of interviews a child must undergo, improving both outcomes for victims and the effectiveness of investigations.
“Our goal is to reduce the number of times that the child has to tell their story,” Barnett said.
Services provided include forensic interviews, medical examinations, counseling and advocacy support, all at no cost to families.
The work of advocacy centers is a necessity based on troubling statistics about child abuse.
Barnett cited widely recognized figures:
- “One in four girls and one in six boys will be sexually abused by their 18th birthday.”
- “Ninety percent of children that are abused are abused by someone that they know, love, or trust.”
- “Only 40% of children ever tell anyone.”
Those numbers shed light on a vital challenge: most abuse remains hidden, often leaving children without help.
Research shows that children who do come forward frequently experience significant trauma. In one study, nearly 45.5% of children served by advocacy centers showed symptoms consistent with a high risk of post-traumatic stress disorder at the time of their visit.
At the state level, demand for services continues to grow. Kentucky’s Children’s Advocacy Centers collectively served tens of thousands of children in recent years, including more than 7,700 in fiscal year 2025 alone.
Barnett stressed that the decision for a child to disclose abuse is often the most difficult step.
“For a child to say what happened to them could be one of the hardest days of their life,” she said. “It takes incredible courage for a child to tell their truth.”
The Pennyrile Children’s Advocacy Center served 452 children last year, each representing a case where a child chose to speak rather than remain silent.
“This year, we will honor 452 survivors that we provided services to last year,” Barnett said. “While that number does matter, what matters even more is that every single one of those moments could have gone differently.”
Experts say that creating environments where children feel safe to speak is an important factor. Advocacy centers play a key role by offering trained professionals and coordinated support, which can also improve legal outcomes. Studies have shown that increased use of CACs is associated with higher rates of prosecution in child abuse cases.
Still, Barnett shared that many children never disclose abuse at all.
“Today, somewhere in our community, a child is deciding whether or not they should speak,” she said. “Abuse thrives in silence.”
While the Pennyrile center focuses on responding after abuse is reported, Barnett acknowledged larger gaps in prevention and education.
“The statistic that only 40% of children ever tell anyone, lets us know that there are children out there that feel unsafe and don’t feel safe enough to tell,” she said.
She put a spotlight on the role adults play in recognizing and responding to potential signs of abuse, urging open communication and vigilance.
“If we aren’t talking about it, then we’re part of the problem,” Barnett said.
She also stressed that community members are not responsible for investigating abuse, but they are responsible for reporting it.
“If you see something, it is your responsibility to say something,” she said. “What you can promise a child is that I will hear you, and I will believe you.”
Advocacy centers also help address strain within child welfare systems.
Barnett, who began her career as a child welfare investigator, said heavy caseloads can limit the ability of agencies to respond effectively.
“When I left social services, I had 56 active cases,” she said. “There is no way that you’re protecting children at that rate.”
She said the center helps ensure that cases—particularly those involving sexual abuse—do not fall through the cracks.
To mark its 25th anniversary, the Pennyrile Children’s Advocacy Center is inviting the public to a celebration recognizing both its history and the children it serves.
The event will be held April 14 at 7:30 a.m. at the Pioneers building in Hopkinsville, where the organization will honor the 452 children served in the past year.
“We are celebrating 25 years of service to this community,” Barnett said. “And it’s just going to be a good celebration.”
The program is expected to last about an hour and is open to community members.
Despite progress over the past quarter century, Barnett said the mission continues.
“For 25 years, our agency has listened,” she said. “And as we celebrate these 25 years, we’re proud of the progress that we’ve made. And the mission before us still remains great.”
She also shared a message focused on responsibility and awareness.
“Children still need safe adults,” Barnett said. “Their voices matter.”
