The Attorney General in Kentucky announced Wednesday that funding is available to organizations helping to reduce child sexual abuse and exploitation.
Attorney General Jack Conway says that the Child Victims' Trust Fund's Annual Regional Prevention Grant will give funding to regional child advocacy centers in the state.
The funds are to be used for regional sexual abuse prevention programs and projects to educate Kentucky citizens about this type of crime.
The Child Sexual Abuse Medical Reimbursement Examination Grant is also available to 15 regional child advocacy centers as well as the Discretionary Statewide Prevention Program Grant.
Attorney General Conway chairs the Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Prevention Board. He says, “This grant helps ensure that citizens across the Commonwealth know how to protect our children and that our children are armed with knowledge to combat sexual abuse.”
Attorney General Conway says statistics from Kentucky Youth Advocates’ Kids Count report there were 3,548 investigations of child sexual abuse in the state of Kentucky in 2007.
Approximately one-third of all sexual assaults reported to police involved a child victim under 12 years old. The Attorney General says it is estimated one in 10 victims of sexual abuse disclose the abuse.
The money for the three grants come from the proceeds of the special license plates, 'I Care About Kids,' the Kentucky Income Tax Refund Check-Off and private donations.
Registration for the grant ends February 27, 2009. You can find more information and grant application forms at
http://ag.ky.gov/criminal/victims/cvtf/ or call (800) 372-2551 or (502) 696-5312.
