The Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services is responding after the Gallatin County Attorney raised questions about the actions of a state worker who responded to a Gallatin County school after two girls arrived with sig ns of suspected abuse.Investigators said that the girls, ages 6 and 8, arrived at school with significant bruising, including marks around their necks. Gallatin County Attorney Grant Axon said some of the injuries had been covered with makeup.School officials reported the suspected abuse and law enforcement was notified, according to Axon and court documents. But Axon said a Cabinet worker who responded to the school saw the girls' injuries and still directed that they be sent home.WATCH: Kentucky responds after investigator allegedly sent girls home despite abuse report. Kentucky responds after investigator allegedly sent girls home despite abuse report"Unfortunately, the worker that came out to investigate, although he witnessed all of the injuries, chose to order the children to return home to their abusers," Axon said.The narrative in the criminal complaint alleges the same thing.Axon said school officials objected. Investigators allege the girls arrived home roughly 30 minutes before deputies and were abused again during that window.After repeated requests from WCPO asking the Cabinet to respond to those allegations and to explain the state's handling of the report, the Cabinet for Health and Family Services responded Wednesday."Team Kentucky is committed to protecting the health and wellbeing of everyone across the commonwealth and treats any allegation of abuse with the highest level of seriousness and urgency," the statement read.The Cabinet did not directly address Axon's allegation that the worker directed the girls to be sent home.Instead, the agency cited Kentucky law, saying KRS 620.050 prohibits it from disclosing reports of suspected child abuse, neglect or dependency and information obtained during an investigation except to certain people and entities identified by law. Media organizations are not among them, the Cabinet said.The Cabinet for Health and Family Services also emphasized in its response that anyone with reasonable suspicion that a child may be experiencing abuse or neglect is required under Kentucky law to report it. Reports can be made to the cabinet at 877-597-2331 or 800-752-6200.How child abuse investigations workDarla Holleran, operations director at the Northern Kentucky Children's Advocacy Center, did not speak about the specifics of the Gallatin County case but explained how agencies generally work together after suspected abuse is reported.Kentucky law requires people with reasonable cause to believe a child is dependent, neglected or abused to report it. Holleran said schools are among the organizations that routinely make those reports.When a report meets the criteria for investigation by both law enforcement and the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Holleran said the agencies typically work together."I think it's critical that we're all, you know, doing the things that we need to do to play our part and making sure kids are safe," Holleran said.Children's advocacy centers can become another part of that process. The girls in the Gallatin County case underwent forensic interviews after they were taken to Cincinnati Children's Hospital, according to court records and prosecutors.Holleran said a forensic interview gives a child an opportunity to speak with a specially trained interviewer in a child-friendly setting. Investigators can observe that interview rather than requiring a child to repeatedly describe the alleged abuse to different agencies.The collaboration does not necessarily end with the interview."We're working as a team," Holleran said. "We also staff these cases each month to make sure nothing's falling through the cracks."Holleran said recognizing abuse is not always as straightforward as seeing a visible injury.Physical signs can include unexplained bruises or injuries, Holleran said. But adults should also pay attention to changes in a child's behavior including sudden changes in mood, eating or sleeping habits, withdrawing from people or activities, or behaving differently around a particular person.Some children, she said, may become more aggressive. Others may become unusually quiet or anxious. Changes at school can also be a warning sign.Holleran stressed that no single behavior necessarily proves a child is being abused. Instead, adults should pay attention when something appears different or concerning and report reasonable suspicions rather than trying to investigate themselves.Holleran said children may not immediately disclose what is happening to them, particularly when the person hurting them is someone they know or trust. The advocacy center notes that people who abuse children are often known to the child, which can include family members, friends or other trusted adults.Holleran said that dynamic can make it more difficult for children to recognize what is happening, talk about it or seek help. That is one reason, she said, adults should not wait for a child to explicitly disclose abuse before taking concerning signs seriously.Thousands of abuse reports, growing demand for advocacy servicesThe Gallatin County case comes as both state child protection agencies and the Northern Kentucky Children's Advocacy Center handle thousands of children and reports involving suspected abuse.Holleran told WCPO the Northern Kentucky Children's Advocacy Center has seen 1,175 new children so far this year and conducted more than 150 additional forensic interviews compared with the same period last year.She cautioned that those numbers do not necessarily mean child abuse itself is increasing."I don't know if I can say that child abuse is on the rise, but our numbers are on the rise," Holleran said.The center provides a coordinated response to suspected child abuse, including forensic interviews, medical examinations, mental health treatment and support for children and their families. It is also Kentucky's designated regional children's advocacy center for the Northern Kentucky Area Development District.The increased demand at the center comes alongside a significant volume of reports handled by Kentucky's child protection system.From Sept. 1, 2025, through Aug. 31, 2026, Kentucky recorded 83,724 Child Protection Services allegation intakes. Of those, 55,155 met the state's acceptance criteria for a CPS report. The state recorded 8,753 reports with a substantiated finding of child abuse or neglect, involving 16,176 unique children.In the Northern Bluegrass region, which includes Gallatin County, the Cabinet recorded 10,350 CPS allegation intakes during that same rolling 12-month period. Of the region's 6,773 reports that met acceptance criteria, 1,255 resulted in a substantiated finding of child abuse or neglect, involving 2,360 unique children.Among children in Northern Bluegrass reports with findings of substantiated abuse or services needed, 896 child-based counts involved physical abuse or the threat of physical abuse. Another 892 involved children between 6 and 10 years old the age range that includes the two girls in the Gallatin County case.The Cabinet cautions that those child-based figures are not necessarily counts of individual children because a child with multiple reports can be counted more than once.This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. ...read more read less