Contact: Andrea Bennett 502-381-1176 abennett@kyyouth.org Statement by Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates We applaud the House today for passing SB 60, sponsored by Senator Whitney Westerfield, to better protect child victims of repeated abuse. Children often find it difficult to remember specific details of each incident of abuse, yet they can recount the abuse that occurred. This bill would accommodate a child’s more generalized testimony when a tragedy of repeated abuse occurs, [...]

Contact: Andrea Bennett 502-381-1176 abennett@kyyouth.org Statement by Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates Today the House Health and Welfare committee passed House Bill 475, sponsored by Representative Rita Smart, which ensures the safety of children in two settings children often find themselves. The first includes being in the care of a babysitter. Parents need ways to ensure that their child is safe with the person caring for them in their home. Having the ability [...]

Contact: Andrea Bennett 502-381-1176 abennett@kyyouth.org Statement by Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates Our youth justice system works best when youth are held accountable for actions and also have a chance to get back on track to becoming productive adults. Today, we applaud the steps of Senator Whitney Westerfield and the Senate Judiciary Committee for passing SB 294 out of committee to help youth who messed up be able to succeed as adults. [...]

Contact: Andrea Bennett 502-381-1176 abennett@kyyouth.org Statement by Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates We applaud the Senate Judiciary Committee for passing HB 40 to allow expungement for certain low-level felonies. We also thank Representative Darryl Owens for sponsoring the bill. We especially appreciate the work of President Stivers and Senator Westerfield for their work on language that will help the bill move forward this year. Approximately 13 percent of Kentucky children have lived [...]

Contact: Andrea Bennett 502-381-1176 abennett@kyyouth.org Statement by Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates We thank Senator Whitney Westerfield for bringing forward SB 270 with the goal of utilizing data to promote equitable treatment of our youth of color. SB 270 ensures that all systems who care for our youth - education, child welfare, and youth justice - will collect and report race, age, and gender specific data across these systems.  Much work has [...]