Courage & Community - Dr. Nancy Weaver

There once was a farmer working in his field by the river. He heard a voice calling for help and turned to see a child drowning in the river. The farmer swam out to rescue the child and pulled her safely to shore, but as he caught his breath, he heard another cry. As he swam to this second child, he saw that there were more and more children drifting down the river. He got his friends and neighbors from the nearby village, and together they worked for hours to pull children from the river.

Eventually the farmer stood up, left the group, and began walking upstream. His friends called to him to ask why he was leaving them, and he replied, “Somebody has to go upstream and find out why so many kids keep falling into the river.”

We all know that Kentucky has been one of the worst states in rates of child abuse for several years in a row. This is not just a great social crisis, but it is a significant problem economically as well. The CDC states that Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) like child abuse and neglect result in higher health care costs for businesses in addition to lost work time and poor mental health which impacts quality of work. Depression alone is estimated to be the cause of 200 million lost workdays each year. Closer to home, a study in Tennessee has estimated that ACEs result in an annual cost of $5.2 billion because of increased medical costs and absenteeism.

There are many great agencies and groups in our region who work tirelessly and skillfully to provide treatment for these children and their families. Family Enrichment Center is a local non-profit agency that is trying to go upstream, seeking to understand why families struggle and taking steps to help before abuse occurs. We exist to empower families and prevent child abuse. We seek to accomplish this by providing education, social support, crisis intervention and a safe environment for children and their families.

The good news is that we can each do small things that make a huge difference. Research has shown that children who have positive childhood experiences, like being able to talk to their family about their feelings, feeling supported by friends, and having non-parent adults who take a genuine interest in them, are statistically more likely to have good emotional and mental health in adulthood.

We believe that everyone can make a difference by offering support and building relationships with the people around them. Individuals can know the names of children in your neighborhood to help them feel important or offer an encouraging word to the stressed out parent at the grocery store. Businesses can help to reduce stress by connecting an employee with needed resources or simply offering a listening ear. Kerrick Bachert has chosen to provide financial support to Family Enrichment Center, saying “Kerrick Bachert has been a longtime supporter of the FEC mission and its commitment to serving children and parents to help prevent child abuse in our community. We know that our contribution to FEC is a sound investment that will yield great results for children and families in our community.”

Child abuse is a huge problem with both social and economic implications. There is not one person or agency that can do everything to address it, but everybody can do something. We hope to encourage everyone to find their something, and by working together, we will create a happier, healthier, and safer community.