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About Karena Cash

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So far Karena Cash has created 39 blog entries.

Understanding the Impacts of Free School Meals

This week is National School Lunch Week, which recognizes the importance of the National School Lunch Program. In Fiscal Year 2019, the National School Lunch Program served almost 82 million meals to approximately 515,000 Kentucky students.  With over 1 in 6 Kentucky kids being food insecure, many Kentucky students rely on the meals served through this program to ensure they have consistent access to food. Research further shows that Kentucky students rely on school meals [...]

By |2022-10-12T16:20:15-04:00October 12th, 2022|Blog, Economic Security, Education, Health|
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Much Needed Updates Proposed for KTAP

Access to cash is essential for families to handle everyday expenses and endure emergencies. It is especially important for very low income families who may not have the resources and savings needed when big purchases and unplanned expenses arise, such as a broken bone, car repairs, or school supplies. The Kentucky Transitional Assistance Program (KTAP) is a vital support for families living below the Federal Poverty Line, providing this cash support alongside the training and [...]

By |2023-02-14T09:48:39-05:00September 28th, 2022|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Economic Security|
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The Latest Trends in Child Poverty and Health Insurance

Last week, the U.S. Census Bureau released its annual data on poverty and health insurance. This annual release of single-year data follows the release of the national KIDS COUNT Data Book, both highlighting key indicators of child well-being. Because we know that what gets measured gets changed, below are key data takeaways from the Census Bureau’s release. The data reveals that 22.1% of Kentucky children lived in poverty in 2021, which is not significantly different [...]

By |2022-09-21T18:08:46-04:00September 21st, 2022|Blog, Economic Security, Health, Race Equity|
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A Look at the New Benefits Cliff Task Force

For many people, receiving a raise, promotion, or new job opportunity is something to celebrate. However, for families utilizing public benefits, a raise in wages can often be met with anxiety around what that raise will mean for their benefits and overall ability to provide for their families.  The benefits cliff refers to the sudden decrease in public benefits that often occurs when recipients get a small increase in earnings. This cliff has consistently been [...]

By |2022-07-21T12:48:43-04:00July 21st, 2022|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Economic Security, Medicaid|
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Keep Kids Fed Act

At the start of the pandemic, Congress acted quickly to ensure schools and nonprofits had the tools and flexibilities needed to keep kids fed. Waivers like the congregate feeding waiver have allowed schools in rural Kentucky to deliver meals directly to kids, while higher reimbursement rates have helped schools and child care centers weather staffing and supply chain challenges.  Last week, Congress once again acted quickly to ensure that these flexibilities and higher reimbursements were [...]

By |2022-06-30T16:58:48-04:00June 30th, 2022|Blog, Economic Security, Health|
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Infant Formula Shortage – Updates and Resources

Babies have special nutritional needs, and many parents across Kentucky rely on baby formula to meet these needs. The baby formula shortage has caused significant stress for Kentucky’s newest parent, especially parents whose babies rely on specialty formulas.  To address this crisis, state and federal lawmakers have taken several steps to help increase the supply of formula:  The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has begun to import baby formula from other countries into the [...]

By |2022-06-16T12:15:42-04:00June 16th, 2022|Blog, Health|
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Filling the Summer Meal Gap for Families

Summer should be a stress free time where kids get to relax. However, for nearly 1 in 5 kids across the Commonwealth summer is often the hungriest time of the year. The loss of free school meals and rising grocery costs means that families spend more on groceries in the summer, stretching already tight budgets and leaving kids at risk of missing meals.  To help fill this summer meal gap, there are several programs available to [...]

By |2022-06-09T13:44:01-04:00June 9th, 2022|Blog, Economic Security, Education, Health|
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Updates on K-TAP & the Kentucky WORKS Program

Every parent knows that raising kids can be expensive, and access to cash is essential to help families thrive and weather emergencies. The Kentucky Transitional Assistance Program (K-TAP) provides cash support to low-income Kentucky families alongside the training and education necessary to get a better job.   New research shows that children whose parents receive cash support, like the support provided through K-TAP, were more likely to have faster brain activity. Faster brain activity is associated [...]

By |2022-05-18T16:59:49-04:00May 18th, 2022|Blog, Economic Security|
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Update: P-EBT for 2021-22 School Year

View this blog post for an update on 2022-2023 Pandemic-EBT supports for Kentucky students. Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) has been one of the most vital supports for children and families throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, providing grocery money to families who would have usually received free and reduced school meals. We are excited to share that Kentucky has received final federal approval for P-EBT benefits for the 2021-2022 school year. This round of benefits will be [...]

By |2023-07-12T11:49:25-04:00May 3rd, 2022|Blog, Economic Security, Education|
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Child Care Assistance Program FAQ for Kentucky Families

Child care is essential for Kentucky families to thrive. With annual costs reaching up to $11,000, however, families across Kentucky are struggling to pay for child care. The Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) helps eligible families pay for child care, providing vital support to families with young children. Despite how vital the program is, very few eligible families are participating in the program and applying for and participating in the program can be confusing. With [...]

By |2022-09-21T18:36:53-04:00April 27th, 2022|Blog, Economic Security, Education|
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