Louisville Metro Committee Hears Child Abuse Mandated Reporting Briefing (June 17, 2026)
Louisville Metro Committee Holds Special Discussion on Child Abuse Mandated Reporting – June 17, 2026
The Equity, Community Affairs, Housing, Health, and Education Committee met on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, at 1:30 p.m. in Council Chambers/virtually. Vice Chair Stuart Benson called the meeting to order at 1:36 p.m., and a quorum was established with six members present. All members attended in Chambers except Chair Barbara Shanklin, who participated virtually. The committee heard a special discussion on child abuse mandated reporting from the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) and the Department for Community Based Services (DCBS). The meeting adjourned without objection at 2:40 p.m.
Special Discussion: Child Abuse Mandated Reporting (ID 26-0441)
- Billy Jenkins and Hollie Almon of CHFS presented on Kentucky's child abuse reporting and response process. The agenda listed Shawnte West and Crystal Wilder as participants, while the minutes and transcript identify Jenkins and Almon as presenters, with Hunter Knapp of DCBS also speaking.
- Jenkins explained that reports made to DCBS centralized intake are assigned an intake ID or web ID, allowing reporting sources to call back for follow-up information. Workers generally have three hours to process a report, and supervisors have three hours to review it before assignment to a team.
- The general child abuse hotline number provided was 1-800-372-2973. Jenkins also mentioned CHFS listens and that DCBS staff can be reached through their @ky.gov email addresses.
- Investigating social workers typically initiate contact face-to-face with the alleged victim, often at school, to obtain a more reliable account when the alleged perpetrator is not present. Workers also gather collateral information from people who may know the family.
- On physical discipline, Jenkins said state law does not prohibit all physical discipline, but the use of objects such as belts, extension cords, shoes, or switches crosses a line when they leave marks, bruises, or welts. He advised concerned citizens to report suspected abuse using a reasonable, prudent person standard.
- Jenkins addressed non-traditional placements, acknowledging that children have temporarily stayed in Louisville's LN building. He called the idea of children sleeping in the basement a myth, saying children were placed in converted conference rooms or visitation areas with cots, and later beds, televisions, dressers, and refrigerators. He described partnerships with the YMCA Safe Place and Home of the Innocents, noting placement length varies with each child's needs and can range from less than 24 hours to about 72 hours.
- Data shared during the discussion indicated that the Jefferson region received 24,440 referrals or reports to centralized intake between June 1, 2025, and May 31, 2026, excluding adult protective services.
Member Questions & Positions
- Councilman JP Lyninger raised the mandated reporter threshold and later spoke as a parent, stating that generations of study have found no positive outcomes from physical discipline. He urged the committee to focus on approaches that work for children rather than reactions driven by fear or anger.
- Councilwoman Tammy Hawkins praised DCBS and Christy Traxel's childcare office for meeting people where they are. She expressed concern that the reporting system may make parents afraid to discipline their children, asked what level of injury triggers investigation, and raised past reports of children staying in the LN building. After Jenkins' explanation, she acknowledged a better understanding and offered to meet to help fill placement gaps.
- Chair Barbara Shanklin voiced continued concern about young children being placed in an office building after removal from their families, suggesting alternatives such as Home of the Innocents or the children's hospital for temporary stays. She said she learned a lot but remains concerned about children's fear and isolation.
- Councilwoman Marilyn Parker asked whether DCBS tries to place children with relatives first, and Jenkins confirmed that relative and fictive kin placements are considered before removal and before non-traditional placements. Parker also asked about reporting online solicitation of children; Jenkins said reports could go to DCBS if the person is in a caretaking role and to LMPD or Kentucky State Police in stranger-danger situations.
- Vice Chair Benson reflected on children's vulnerability and the importance of supportive adults, and expressed appreciation for the presenters' work. He also mentioned community partner Southeast Christian in connection with foster care recruitment.
- Hunter Knapp, a DCBS supervisor in recruitment and certification, said there is a major need for foster and adoptive homes and kinship care support. He provided information sheets on becoming a foster parent and offered to speak with council members in more detail.
Key Outcomes
- No formal motion or vote was taken; the item was presented for discussion and information only.
- CHFS/DCBS offered tours of the non-traditional sleeping spaces in the LN building to interested council members or staff.
- DCBS provided foster parent recruitment materials and contact information for follow-up.
- The committee adjourned without objection at 2:40 p.m.
Meeting Transcript
There are many of our staff who go out in the community, and sometimes the address that we receive is not often the correct address, which kind of delays us getting to the child to be able to make that particular assessment of the child in the situation. And also include any person who is believed to be responsible for the abuse and neglect of the child, and the nature and extent and occurrence of the abuse and neglect. And try not to paraphrase or interpret any of the child's statements and provide as as much uh objective information as possible. A phone number, email address of the reporting source, is definitely helpful because we can always call the reporting source back if there's some information that we need to clarify, and so having the reporting sources uh name, phone number, contact information is definitely helpful from our perspective. What happens after a report is made to DCBS. Um after a report is made to us, um you usually can get follow-up information. Um because every report that is made to centralized intake is either assigned a intake ID or a web ID, and if the reporting source wants some follow-up information, they can also call centralized intake, and when they call centralized intake, they should provide uh the intake or web ID. And once a report is made to centralized intake, usually the social service worker whom the person speaks to or the referral source speaks to, they usually have three hours to process the report, and then they submit that particular report to their supervisor for review, but the supervisor also has three hours to review the information as well, and then that particular supervisor in centralized intake will assign their report to a team. Uh program slash sub program or same allegations as the original. Usually they are reaching out to get collateral information because the information that our collateral contacts provide, especially. And so how can we be notified if the case does not get accepted or picked up or doesn't meet criteria? We are bound by state law from disclosing any confidential information about any case that we receive, unless that person has a legitimate interest in the case itself. And so, but the after the report has been made, the referral source or any concerned citizen can always call centralized intake and take if that report has been accepted and who that report is assigned to and that particular social worker supervisor. Is where does the social worker usually meet with the child after the report is made? Usually we like to meet with our children at school. I mean, because the reason we like to meet with our children at school is because we can usually get a more believable story when the alleged perpetrator is not in the presence of the child. So a more reliable story. After a report is made under that particular question, how can a referral source best support a child? They can best support a child by referring the child if they have the means to do so to perhaps uh a therapist to to meet their behavioral mental health needs because child abuse is traumatic, and uh, whenever we're involved with a family, sometimes it could cause a child to have a lot of questions, and so referring a child to um a mental health professional uh is certainly something that can definitely uh help the child as uh that case to assess child safety. Um again, we'll review the history, we'll consult with the supervisors, we'll initiate the report based on the initiation time frame, we'll assess for safety, we'll utilize the evidence that is before us, and uh no two cases will be assessed the same because no two families are the same. The circumstances surrounding every family is unique and different, and so we approach each family based upon the allegations we have before us. And so if we're investigating allegations, what should someone expect afterwards? Um the social worker will usually initiate contact with the alleged victim because a referral is not initiated until contact face-to-face contact has been made with the alleged victim. And so we usually try to locate the alleged victim or victims, usually at school, at home, or another location that may be identified on the or a space to be able to meet with the child privately so that we can uh be able to make the child feel comfortable and allow the child to be able to disclose uh any information they may have about the allegations contained on the referral, and then afterwards, usually we advise all of our social workers to speak with uh collaterals who may be able to provide additional information. And so usually referral sources want to know how do they get in contact with someone or social worker in our agency who is working their case, and for general questions, there is the 1-800 number, the 1-800-372-2973 number. Also, we advise CHFS listens, and uh all of our social workers uh that work for DCBS are on global, and so like my email address is Billy.jinkins at ky.gov. Um, and so all of our social workers have that ky.gov email address, and uh CHFS listens is very good about getting back with uh citizens who contact about uh who reach out for contact about a particular referral, a particular case, or you can also reach out to our service region administrators. We have two in Jefferson, unlike the other regions, we have two service region administrators in Jefferson. We have uh Samantha Orther who's over operations, and we have Shantae West who is over community. And uh if someone desires again to know more about a report, I always advise calling centralized intake with that intake ID or that web ID. Centralized intake will usually be able to direct a concerned citizen or someone who has that web ID or intake ID to the social worker who is assigned to the case and the supervisor as well. However, if those two means don't work, because sometimes uh one of the the chief concerns that we receive is that uh the wait time on for centralized intake to speak to someone, and so someone can always again contact CHFS listens or the 1800 number that's on the screen. They are usually very timely in getting back with us to let us know that a citizen or a family member has a particular concern regarding a particular case, and so our agency is just one agency that uh has the responsibility of protecting children, however, um child protection is a community, it definitely is it's a community responsibility, it's a shared community responsibility, and again, we consider Louisville Metro as uh partners in that effort, and so uh child protection is a whole community's responsibility. Are there any questions? Yes, I figured there will be questions. Our first one, uh Councilman uh JP Linger, he's uh he's anxious to ask a question. Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you all for being here and the work that you do. Uh my question is uh, what is the level of observed behavior that triggers being a mandated reporter? For example, uh if I see physical discipline in public, is that something that I need to report the reasonable or prudent standard is typically the standard that we all typically utilize, and so any person, normal rational person, if you you know I don't want to give specific examples because if someone is using physical discipline, and if you are concerned about perhaps the way that physical discipline is being utilized, and you suspect that that child based upon the way the physical discipline is being utilized, then by all means call that information into the child abuse hotline or centralized intake. At the same time, we also understand that using physical disciplines is not necessarily something that is prohibited by state law. However, if you being a concerned citizen have concerns about the way in which physical discipline is being administered, um by all means again, contact centralized intake. All right, thank you. Next question is from Tammy allcast. Thank you. Thank you for being here today. Um I have a couple of questions, and then if I need to get back in the queue, um, I will. The first thing I want to say is I really really really want to commend the Department of Childcare. I want to say that Christy Traxel is amazing. Okay, and you can let another councilman Hawkins did state that.
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