Statement on Passage of HB 377 by the Senate Education Committee

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – With today’s unanimous passage of House Bill 377 by the Senate Education Committee, Kentucky is one step closer to strengthening the student-teacher pipeline and the future of the K-12 workforce. In many ways, an investment in our teacher workforce is an investment in the current and future students across our Commonwealth. HB 377, sponsored by Representative Kim [...]

Statement on Final Passage of HB 561

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – This week, the Kentucky Senate ensured final passage of Representative Samara Heavrin’s House Bill 561 – an important measure that takes steps to strengthen Kentucky’s vulnerable child care infrastructure. By permanently establishing the Employee Child Care Assistance Partnership (ECCAP) and creating the Certified Child Care Community Designation Program, HB 561 has the potential to support a strong local [...]

By |2024-03-22T14:51:27-04:00March 22nd, 2024|Economic Security, Education, News Room|

Statement on Passage of SB 151 by the Kentucky House

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – Thousands of Kentucky’s kinship and fictive kin families flat out won today with the final passage of Senate Bill 151, championed by Senator Julie Raque Adams, by the Kentucky House. Just as these caregivers step up at a moment’s notice to provide a safe space for their young loved ones to grow and heal, our General Assembly has [...]

Kentuckians: We Need Your Input on Tools Needed to Address Opioid Use in Your Community

By Andrew Alvey, Intern at Kentucky Youth Advocates As Bloom Kentucky has detailed, the opioid crisis has significantly impacted all of Kentucky’s communities. In 2020, Kentucky had the third-highest age-adjusted drug overdose fatality rate in the United States. This statistic shows the urgency with which we must come together to create opportunities for healing and resilience. With support from the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission, Kentucky Youth Advocates is leading a project to collect [...]

Blooming in your Backyard: Harnessing Opioid Settlement Funds for Local Impact

Updated April 29, 2024 Grab your toolbox (reference from prior blog) because we are READY to add more tools! Bloom Kentucky hosted a webinar on Wednesday, April 24th – Blooming in your Backyard: Harnessing Opioid Settlement Funds for Local Impact! Co-hosted with the Kentucky Association of County Counties’ (KACo) Lauren Carr, Opioid Settlement Advisor, this webinar put a spotlight on the power of local action in the battle against the opioid crisis. Gain insight [...]

Statement on KY Senate 2024 State Budget Proposal

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – With passage of the biennial state budget proposal by both the Kentucky House and Senate, House Bill 6 as amended will now head into conference committee for negotiations on a final proposal to send to the Governor’s desk. As is often said about budgets – they are more than dollars and cents, they are a value proposition. [...]

Statement on Passage of HB 561 by the Senate Families & Children Committee

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – Representative Samara Heavrin continues to champion strengthening Kentucky’s child care infrastructure alongside Senator Danny Carroll – and that was evident today with the unanimous passage of House Bill 561 by the Senate Families & Children Committee. HB 561 permanently establishes the Employee Child Care Assistance Partnership (ECCAP) and creates the Certified Child Care Community Designation Program – [...]

By |2024-03-12T12:46:47-04:00March 12th, 2024|Economic Security, Education, News Room|

Slam Dunks for Child Nutrition

If you asked most Kentuckians what March is about, you would probably hear something along the lines of basketball or winning their March Madness bracket. However, there is a lesser-known reason to celebrate in March: National Nutrition Month.  Access to healthy foods is essential for a child to learn, grow, and thrive, yet almost one in six Kentucky kids are experiencing hunger. Many of these children rely on meals served through government programs, such as [...]

By |2024-03-11T11:33:29-04:00March 11th, 2024|Blog, Economic Security, Education, Health|

Statement on Passage of HB 377 by the Kentucky House

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – Recruit, retain, quality, qualified. These foci of a strong workforce – especially among our K-12 educator workforce – means a stronger Commonwealth for our kids. We know that the greatest impact on learning for students is having a well-trained educator in the classroom. With Kentucky’s shortage of teachers, it is time to invest in the recruitment and [...]

Deep Dive into the Horizons Act and What It Means for Early Childhood Education

As Kentucky approaches the end of the federal fiscal year in September 2024, a potential child care crisis is looming for the entire state. Child care providers have already stopped receiving the sustainability payments that were allowing centers and family child care homes to increase staff wages while still paying their fixed expenses. With the sustainability payments over, child care programs are making tough decisions on whether to reduce wages, increase tuition, or close their [...]

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