The area near the state capitol looks a little different.

This first day of April, you'll see hundreds of pinwheels in the capital's English garden.

It's a beautiful sight, but it's a reminder of a grim reality.

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, and the annual planting of the pinwheels is kind of a rite of passage, if you will, to mark the entry of April as Child Abuse Prevention Month.

Just think about how far we've come.

This year, I was proud to sign legislation creating harsher penalties penalties for sextortion, a crime becoming more common with online predators.

We all know that we're legally required to report child abuse.

But this year, I also signed a bill that requires school coaches to report abuse, neglect and other concerns.

And I signed another one that requires more online platforms to be subject to subpoena so that we can get the evidence we need to put these predators behind bars.

And also, this year, we announced the Upstream Academy with Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky.

This program will train at least one person from each county to prevent and recognize child abuse.

And then that person is going to turn around and train 50 more people.

I am pleased to announce the launch of a new outreach campaign entitled 120 counties in 120 days.

Premise is quite simple we want to we prevent child abuse.

Kentucky wants to visit each of our 120 counties in 120 days.

It's a lofty goal, but our children need us.

Count on us, depend upon us, and need us to do this.

We want to work with our partners, longstanding and new, to ensure that families are aware of resources they can access in their communities.

We are grateful to WellCare of Kentucky.

WellCare has generously donated $50,000 to jump start this effort.

Child abuse and neglect make too big of an impact on too many children and too many families.

I know I don't have to explain to all of you here today.

Evidence clearly shows that a child's early experiences, whether those negative or positive, lay the groundwork for the path for the rest of their life.

Kids raised in safe and stable environments with the relationships that make them feel nurtured, cared for, are far more likely to grow up healthy, both mentally and physically.

They are far better socially to do better in school, more prepared to become adults who make a positive and nurturing impact on the kids that they ultimately have in their own lives.

That's the cycle we're here to support.

All of us are responsible for child abuse and neglect prevention as possible.

Hope is possible if we work together as community leaders, family members, mentors, spiritual leaders.

We have the ability and responsibility to listen, connect, and support.

That's why we partnered with Peacock for almost a decade now, and we're continuing our work at this year's Jewel just mentioned helping them spread the word across 100 or 120 counties across the state of Kentucky.

The pinwheel has become a symbol of child abuse prevention because it symbolizes playfulness and joy.