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Kosair for Kids, Elected Officials, and Community Partners in the Face It Movement Recognize October 4 as TEN-4 Day 2024

This October 4th, the Kosair for Kids® Face It® Movement is once again bringing awareness to the critically important TEN-4-FACESp Bruising Rule, the decision tool to recognize concerning bruising on babies and young children, and emphasizing the importance of training adults on recognizing, reporting, and preventing child abuse. 

"Kosair for Kids is on a mission to ensure that every child grows up healthy, joyful, and able to live life to the fullest. Through the Face It Movement, our nearly 170 community-based partners are equipping caring adults with the tools and resources to keep kids safe and prevent child abuse – and TEN-4 Day and the bruising rule are a key component of that work. Understanding the red flags of child abuse, especially on babies, can make all the difference in getting a child and family connected to services and ensuring that maltreatment does not escalate," said Barry Dunn, president and CEO of Kosair for Kids. 

Kentucky has nearly double the national rate of substantiated child victims of abuse under age one. The TEN-4-FACESp Bruising Rule is an easy-to-remember tool that outlines high-risk bruising on young children, especially on babies four months or younger, that is concerning and should considered as red flags for abuse. Check out the resource and watch a video at faceitabuse.org/ten4rule/. 

On Friday, at the annual event to recognize TEN-4 Day and statewide efforts to prevent and end child abuse in the Commonwealth, participants heard remarks from Dr. Melissa Currie, one of Kentucky’s Child Abuse Pediatricians, and Tamara Brown, the HANDS Program Director in Jefferson County. Both offered their unique perspectives on the need to understand the bruising rule as well as to understand the role supporting parents of young children plays in preventing tragedies.

“Too many Kentucky babies and young children are victims of abusive head trauma each year – but there are action steps we can all take. Medical teams, educators, and other professionals who work with families can learn the signs of physical abuse, such as the critical TEN-4-FACES-P bruising rule, to prevent these potentially deadly injuries. Know the signs, know how to make a report, and know when a caregiver may need a little extra support – that’s how we can make a real difference in outcomes for these young children,” said Dr. Melissa Currie, Child Abuse Pediatrician and Chief of the Kosair for Kids Division of Pediatric Forensic Medicine at the University of Louisville School of Medicine. 

The HANDS program is a free, voluntary in-home visitation program available to all new and expectant parents across the state of Kentucky, offering weekly home visits using an evidenced-based curriculum and activities that focus on helping babies to reach developmental milestones and parents to develop skills, resources, and confidence to stimulate babies’ optimal development. Tamara Brown, HANDS Program Director at Family & Children's Place shared: "The mission of HANDS is developmental delay prevention. Innately, focusing on healthy development is abuse prevention because educating and supporting parents about development repudiates some of the risk factors for child abuse, and ultimately because abused children will not develop on a healthy trajectory." 

In addition to trainings and recognition events, the Face It Movement is proud to partner with the following elected leaders who proclaimed Friday, October 4th as TEN-4 Awareness Day 2024:

Governor Andy Beshear

Auditor of Public Accounts Allison Ball

Boone County Judge/Executive Gary W. Moore

Bowling Green Mayor Todd Alcott and Warren County Officials

Campbell County Judge/Executive Steve Pendery

Daviess County Judge/Executive Charlie Castlen

Estill County Judge/Executive Donnie Watson

Florence Mayor Julie Aubuchon

Floyd County Judge/Executive Robbie Williams

Harlan County Judge/Executive Dan Mosley

Harrison County Judge/Executive Jason Marshall

Jackson County Judge/Executive Shane Gabbard

Johnson County Judge/Executive Mark Mckenzie

Kenton County Judge/Executive Kris Knochelmann

Knott County Judge/Executive Jeff Dobson

Lee County Judge/Executive Steve Mays

Leslie County Judge/Executive William Lewis

Letcher County Judge/Executive terry Adams

Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton

Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg

Magoffin County Judge/Executive Matthew Wireman

Martin County Judge/Executive Dr. Lon Lafferty

Paintsville Mayor Bill M. Runyon

Paris Mayor John A. Plummer

Perry County Judge/Executive Scott Alexander

Pike County Judge/Executive Ray Jones II

Powell County Judge/Executive Edward Barnes

Prestonsburg Mayor Rick Hughes

Richmond Mayor Robert R. Blythe

Rowan County Judge/Executive Harry Clark

Winchester Mayor JoEllen Reed

Wolfe County Judge/Executive Raymond Banks

We thank Family Enrichment Center, Family Nurturing Center, and Mountain Comprehensive Care Center for their support in securing local proclamations. Additionally, with partners at Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago and Mass General Brigham in Boston, efforts have spread across the nation with TEN-4 Day 2024 being recognized by the Governors in Arkansas, Massachusetts, Montana, Nevada, and Tennessee.  

The Face It Movement and Kentucky's child abuse pediatricians and experts at the University of Kentucky and University of Louisville train community members in honor of TEN-4 Day each year around October 4th. Over 350 social workers, health and oral health professionals, educators, first responders, and other concerned adults registered to be trained on the TEN-4-FACES-P Bruising Rule and Pediatric Abusive Head Trauma, among other child abuse prevention and recognition techniques.

"Keeping kids safe is an adult responsibility – professionals, parents, neighbors, elected leaders, and other caring community members. Kentucky has made progress in reducing child maltreatment rates, but there is still work to be done. We are so thankful to our community partners and elected leaders for recognizing TEN-4 Day 2024 to bring awareness to the signs of abuse and to promote understanding when parents may be struggling and need some extra support," said Dr. Shannon Moody, Chief Policy & Strategy Officer of Kentucky Youth Advocates. 

The Face It Movement and its nearly 170 community partners located across the Commonwealth are committed to ensuring parents and caregivers, along with others in the community, have the tools and knowledge needed to recognize child maltreatment and to support families so abuse can be prevented from ever happening.

View the brochure on the TEN-4-FACES-P Bruising Rule at faceitabuse.org/ten4rule/. If you suspect child abuse, make a report to Child Protective Services at 1-877-KYSAFE1.