Bevin plants pinwheels in fight against child abuse

Gov. Matt Bevin planted pinwheels in the front lawn of the state Capitol Tuesday afternoon to draw attention to the problem of child abuse in Kentucky.

Bevin earlier had declared April as Child Abuse Prevention Month in Kentucky.

The state last year investigated 54,263 reports of child abuse or neglect that involved 75,710 children.

The number of substantiated child abuse and neglect findings in Kentucky has steadily risen from 9,934 in fiscal 2012 to 15,378 in fiscal 2016. In that time, at least 334 children died or nearly died from abuse and neglect in Kentucky.

Jill Seyfred, executive director of Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky, a private, non-profit based in Lexington, said each of the 3,000 blue-and-silver pinwheels planted represented 20 births last year in Kentucky.

Bevin and first lady Glenna Bevin joined representatives from Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky to kick off the ceremony. Also participating were Attorney General Andy Beshear, several state legislators and officials from the state Cabinet for Health and Family Services.

This story was originally published March 28, 2017 at 4:05 PM with the headline "Bevin plants pinwheels in fight against child abuse."