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This week on our Advocate Virtual Forum, we discuss how we can best support youth who are LGBTQ+, especially as many of them are at risk of facing certain challenges, including homelessness, trafficking, mental health needs, and more. Thank you to our panelists: Rick Wurth, Chief Executive Officer of Children’s Home of Northern Kentucky, and Eltuan Dawson, youth advocate and board member of Sweet Evening Breeze. Thank you to Aetna Better Health of Kentucky [...]
This post from the Kentucky Oral Health Coalition originally appeared as an op-ed in the Herald Leader, Kentucky Health News, and Northern Kentucky Tribune in July 2021. By Dr. Stephanie Poynter and Linda Poynter, PHRDH, BHS Like many Kentuckians, we are eager for a summer of “back-to-normal” activities – backyard BBQs with neighbors, family trips to our favorite state parks, and evenings at the county fair. One big “back-to-normal” activity for families across the Commonwealth this summer is reviewing that ever-growing back-to-school checklist. As a dentist and dental [...]
This week on our Advocate Virtual Forum, we discuss opportunity youth--young people ages 16 to 24 who are neither employed nor in school--including new research, policy recommendations, and program developments across the state. Thank you to our panelists: Kate Arthur, Community and Youth Services Director at Brighton Center; Dawn Carson, Street Outreach Supervisor at the Brighton Center; Roan Head, youth leader; and Darryl Young, Executive Director of the Coalition Supporting Young Adults. [...]
This week on our Advocate Virtual Forum, we discuss updates relating to child nutrition and access to food, including summer EBT, federal investments, and more. Thank you to our panelists: Karena Cash, Advocacy Coordinator with Feeding Kentucky; Leigh Dixon, Community Support Advisor Kentucky Department for Community-Based Services; and Michael Halligan, CEO of God’s Pantry Food Bank and Chair of Feeding America’s Federal Policy Advisory Board.Families can text "food" to 877-877 to identify summer meals in [...]
This week on our Advocate Virtual forum, we discuss the 2021 national KIDS COUNT Data Book, which was recently co-released by the Annie E. Casey Foundation and Kentucky Youth Advocates. We review Kentucky data included in the book and discuss federal and state recommendations to improve child well-being and ensure an equitable and expansive recovery from the pandemic. View the Kentucky State Data Profile Sheet (Spanish), and read our press release. View the slideshow presentation featured [...]
This post was originally featured on the blog of the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Image courtesy of AECF If you are a parent or caregiver who has filed taxes before, you may already be familiar with the child tax credit, which most parents claim on their annual income tax return. For years, it has provided an after-the-fact credit for families with children. What’s new is that beginning in July 2021, for most parents, [...]
Kentucky was showing measurable, though slow, progress on family economic well-being and child health coverage immediately before the COVID-19 pandemic but was falling short on curbing youth obesity and having 3- and 4-year-olds in early childhood programs, according to the 2021 KIDS COUNT® Data Book, a 50-state report published today by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. “Though the Commonwealth made progress on a number of indicators of child well-being between 2010 and 2019, rankings show [...]
CONTACT: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Kentucky Progress on Child and Family Well-Being Jeopardized by Pandemic Data Across 50 States Show Continued Challenges, But Hopes for Recovery Remain, Annie E. Casey Foundation Finds LOUISVILLE, KY – Kentucky was showing measurable, though slow, progress on family economic well-being and child health coverage immediately before the COVID-19 pandemic but was falling short on curbing youth obesity and having 3- and 4-year-olds in early childhood programs, according to the 2021 KIDS COUNT® [...]
This week on our Advocate Virtual Forum, we discuss young children with special needs, including early identification of special needs and how communities, service providers, and policymakers can support these kids and their families. A special thank you to our panelists: Ivy Alexander, Executive Director of CHFS Office for Children with Special Health Care Needs; Judith Bradley, Founder of Jack Be Nimble; and Kristen Williams, Executive Director of Play Cousins Collective. Learn more about [...]
By Nikky Patel, Intern at Kentucky Youth Advocates In the past year, many Americans have experienced a lack of access to healthy food and, although food insecurity is not a new issue, we have vividly felt its effect throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the federal government and Congressional leaders have been responsive to this issue and continue to apply lessons learned throughout the pandemic to take action that will address hunger and food insecurity in [...]
