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Statement on the Governor and the House State Budget Proposals

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – In Kentucky, we are used to arguing about dollars and cents in budgets that are restrictive, limited, and far too scarce – and that is tough work. This year, we are learning that arguing about dollars and cents in a budget that has unprecedented one-time federal dollars is also tough work. The needs of Kentucky’s kids simply [...]

By |2022-01-17T10:22:11-05:00January 14th, 2022|Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Medicaid, News Room, Race Equity|
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2022 State Budget Checklist for Kentucky Kids

It’s week two of Kentucky’s 60-day legislative session! The end of week 1 unveiled a budget proposed by the Kentucky House of Representatives, which signals the fast-track nature of the 2022 budget process. This week, the Governor outlined his budget proposals for pre-K-12 education and health care.  As the week continues, we will hear the remaining components of the Governor’s budget proposal during his budget address on Thursday, January 13 at 7:00 PM ET, as [...]

By |2022-01-14T11:35:33-05:00January 10th, 2022|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Medicaid, Race Equity|
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November 2021 Update on the KY Commission on Race and Access to Opportunity

Read about the October meeting of the Commission on Race and Opportunity here.  At the last meeting of 2021 for the Commission on Race and Access to Opportunity, Kentucky Youth Advocates (KYA) was given the opportunity to testify around the 2021 Kentucky KIDS COUNT County Data Book and solutions to advance racial equity in the Commonwealth. We highlighted two policy arenas – Health and Family and Community - that we hope can move legislative and community leaders from simply reading data on a [...]

By |2021-12-09T15:52:21-05:00December 9th, 2021|Blog, Economic Security, Health, Medicaid, Race Equity, Youth Justice|
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2021 Kentucky KIDS COUNT County Data Book: A Look at Data Trends and Solutions to Advance Racial Equity in the Commonwealth

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org 2021 Kentucky KIDS COUNT County Data Book: A Look at Data Trends and Solutions to Advance Racial Equity in the Commonwealth Featuring the latest county-level data for key measures of child well-being Louisville, KY – Kentucky will be strongest when all children have their best chance to thrive. The 2021 Kentucky KIDS COUNT County Data Book examines data disaggregated by race/ethnicity, the impacts of systemic racial injustice on children and families, [...]

By |2021-11-10T13:50:01-05:00November 10th, 2021|Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, Kids Count, Medicaid, News Room, Race Equity, Youth Justice|
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It’s Open Enrollment Season!

It’s open enrollment season, and kynect is back to help Kentuckians find affordable healthcare plans! Kynect is Kentucky’s state-based healthcare and family support marketplace, where Kentuckians can browse for affordable health insurance plans and apply for family support programs, such as child care, health care, and food assistance.  Kentuckians can enroll in health coverage through kynect between November 1, 2021 and January 15, 2022; however, families have been able to browse available plans since October [...]

By |2021-11-01T10:37:49-04:00November 1st, 2021|Blog, Health, Medicaid|
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COVID-19 Vaccinations & Kentucky Kids

Updated June 20, 2022 We've made a big step towards ending the pandemic with vaccines now available to protect adults and youth against COVID-19, now including young children. Kentucky's approximately one million kids look forward to the day when they can more safely spend time with friends, travel with their families, attend school in person, and enjoy their communities. To protect children from COVID-19 and potential variants, the American Academy of Pediatrics provided a checklist for parents and caregivers [...]

By |2022-06-20T09:37:37-04:00June 23rd, 2021|Blog, Health, Medicaid, Race Equity|
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Health Coverage Update for Families

Among the provisions in the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) to provide COVID-19 relief is reduced-cost health care coverage for uninsured and current enrollees of the federal health insurance marketplace. Research explicitly tells us that there is a link between parent’s coverage and their children’s coverage, which means as more parents receive coverage and care, so will their kids. An estimated 7,100 Kentuckians with income below 150% of the federal poverty level are newly [...]

By |2021-06-09T09:22:14-04:00June 9th, 2021|Blog, Health, Medicaid|
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Thank You: Wins for Kids in the 2021 General Assembly

The final gavel sounded on the 2021 General Assembly this week! This year, the Governor and the Kentucky General Assembly were tasked with crafting a continuation budget, addressing the systemic injustices that impact our children and families of color, advancing policies to address the COVID-19 pandemic, and other policy priorities that would be good for the communities they represent and the Commonwealth. If we take a second to reflect, that’s a heavy lift in a [...]

By |2021-04-15T16:57:00-04:00March 31st, 2021|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, Medicaid, Race Equity, Youth Justice|
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Statement on Final Budget Passage by the Kentucky General Assembly

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – From the start, the 2021 state budget process was filled with perplexing complexities. One, because the Governor and Kentucky General Assembly were tasked with crafting a continuation budget due to timing constraints brought on by the pandemic during the 2020 legislative session. Two, leaders were faced with tough decisions as Kentucky embraces the ongoing ripple effects of [...]

By |2021-03-31T15:07:13-04:00March 31st, 2021|Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, Medicaid, News Room, Race Equity|
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Guest Post: Prioritizing Oral Health Sets Kids Up for a Healthier, Brighter Future

This post originally appeared as an op-ed in the Herald Leader February 25, 2021. By Dr. Stephanie Poynter It is no secret that Kentucky has historically had a poor reputation when it comes to our dental health. In a recent study ranking states with the best and worst dental health, the Commonwealth ranked 41st in the nation in indicators of dental wellness. We have among the lowest dentists per capita, highest sugar-sweetened beverages consumption, and highest [...]

By |2021-02-25T15:49:52-05:00February 25th, 2021|Blog, Health, Medicaid|
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