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. [...]

Deep Dive on Senate Bill 2 & Its School Safety Measures

Senate Bill 2 of 2024, sponsored by Senator Max Wise, is what can be considered a continuation of the work he championed with the late Representative John “Bam” Carney in 2019 with the Kentucky School Safety and Resiliency Act. The work catalyzed by the tragedy at Marshall County High School in January 2018.  The challenges of ensuring the physical and emotional security for both our students and educational staff call for innovative and comprehensive solutions.  [...]

By |2024-03-13T11:59:18-04:00March 13th, 2024|Blog, Education, Health, Race Equity, Youth Justice|

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|

Statement on Passage of HB 11 by the Kentucky House

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – Kids won today in the Kentucky House when members supported passage of House Bill 11, sponsored by Representative Rebecca Raymer. As youth vaping continues to be a concern among Kentucky families and communities, this bill takes important steps to reduce youth access and limit initiation of addictive nicotine products. Provisions of this bill will provide a more [...]

By |2024-03-11T17:01:12-04:00March 11th, 2024|Education, Health, 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 [...]

Statement on Passage of HB 11 by the House Health Services Committee

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates Mallory Jones testifying on HB 11 in Frankfort LOUISVILLE, KY – “It is an adult responsibility to protect kids from the harmful effects of nicotine and keep harmful vaping products out of the hands of me and my peers. I live in a smaller town, and I am aware of multiple different places where my peers can purchase [...]

By |2024-03-08T11:44:37-05:00March 7th, 2024|Education, Health, News Room, Youth Justice|

Vaping in Kentucky: Protecting Youth Health Through T-21 Enforcement

In part by Yelena Bagdasaryan, Intern at Kentucky Youth Advocates  In recent years, the prevalence of youth vaping in Kentucky has surged, becoming a pressing issue for our youth that not only jeopardizes physical health but also poses significant risks to mental well-being. Nicotine use has been proven to amplify feelings of anxiety and depression. Students who use tobacco products (including e-cigarettes, cigarettes, cigars, and smokeless tobacco) are more likely to have lower grades. Young [...]

By |2024-03-05T13:13:29-05:00March 5th, 2024|Blog, Education, Health, Youth Justice|

Guest Post: Let’s Prevent Any More Students from Having a Story Similar to Mine

By Kotomi Yokokura Content Notice: This article contains information about sexual assault, sexual misconduct, and/or violence which may be upsetting to readers. Kotomi testifying on HB 275 to the House Education Committee on January 23, 2024. I was a teenager when the trust I placed in my teacher was manipulated for the educator’s own sexual pleasure. Four years after my experience with educator sexual misconduct and there are still days I am [...]

By |2024-03-08T13:21:54-05:00February 29th, 2024|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Education|

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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