Since 2020, FRIENDS National Center for CBCAP has convened the Prevention Mindset Institute (PMI). The PMI consists of 2 cohorts of a total of 11 states. State teams are typically the CBCAP lead, a member representing the child protection system, a parent leader and a community partner. The state teams join with national partners from the Alliance of Children’s Trust Funds, Action4Child Protection, Mining for Gold LLC, the Prevention Institute, and prevention advocate Alex Morales. Together, they embark on a mission to revolutionize the landscape of child and family welfare, steering the focus toward proactive prevention.

In this episode, FRIENDS National Parent Advisory Council (PAC) members Paula Bibb-Samuels and Michael Cupeles talk with Margaret Perkins, from the Kentucky Division of Prevention and Community Well-Being of the
Department for Community-Based Services and Valerie Lebanion, a parent leader in Kentucky’s Community Collaborations for Children initiative and a FRIENDS PAC member.

Margaret, Valerie, and our hosts discuss Kentucky’s prevention mindset shift including unraveling the story of Kentucky’s bold move – a revision of their neglect statute. Why? To ensure that poverty is not misconstrued as child neglect.

The episode concludes with FRIENDS PAC members Joanne Hodgeman, Matthew Porter and David Armstrong joining the conversation.

Hosts

Paula Bibbs-Samuels, FRIENDS National Parent Advisory Council Member

Michael Cupeles, FRIENDS National Parent Advisory Council Member

Participants

Margaret Perkins, Primary Prevention Branch Manager, Division of Prevention and Community Well-Being, Kentucky Department for Community Based Services

Valerie Lebanion, State Parent Leader for the Kentucky Community Collaborations for Children