Terry Brooks sits down with Kentucky Senate Minority Floor Leader Morgan McGarvey to discuss the upcoming 2020 legislative session, developing the biennial state budget, and prioritizing issues impacting kids.
November is National Adoption month, which makes the Program Review and Investigations Committee report on Kentucky’s foster care and adoption system very timely. In May 2016, the Program Review and Investigations Committee voted to initiate a study of Kentucky’s foster care system. The Committee’s Legislative Research Commission (LRC) staff looked at relevant statutes and regulations, evaluated agency procedures and practices, and made recommendations for improvement. What the Committee found was informative and important as the [...]
In 2018, the Kentucky legislature will be crafting the next state budget for the upcoming two years. While pension reform plans have been the major topic of discussion recently, Kentucky is also facing potential budget cuts that pose a real threat to adequate funding for our schools and supports for students. As we look for what our students need, the primary school funding formula - or SEEK funding - needs protected from any budget cuts. [...]
Contact: Mara Powell 502-895-8167 *122 mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates Today, the U.S. House passed the Championing Healthy Kids Act to extend funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program for five years. We thank the House of Representatives for taking action on this critical five-year CHIP funding extension and moving the bill forward. However, we are concerned with how this bill proposes to finance the funding extension for [...]
Thirty-one days have passed since the September 30th deadline for Congress to extend funding for the successful Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Child advocates across Kentucky and the nation are deeply concerned by Congress’ inaction on ensuring millions of children do not lose their health coverage. Kentucky’s version of the program, KCHIP, has been instrumental in lowering the number of uninsured children by providing affordable health insurance for children with working parents who are struggling [...]
By Clarissa Mobley, Kentucky Youth Advocates intern Crafting a family budget can be tough, especially when there are more monthly expenses than money coming in. Sometimes it comes down to buying groceries or paying the electricity bill on time. It may also mean having to take a second job to bring in more income. Similarly, crafting a state budget is about tough choices and setting priorities, especially in the face of drastic budget cuts. Kentucky [...]
The 2018 open enrollment period for health insurance begins November 1, 2017 and goes through December 15th. Let’s make sure everyone who is eligible signs up for the health insurance they need to stay healthy. National Adoption Month also begins November 1st, and we must remember those children who were never adopted. Compared to youth in permanent families, youth who age out of foster care have disproportionately high rates of serious physical, mental, and behavioral health [...]
By Cortney Downs, Kentucky Youth Advocates intern On Halloween, kids everywhere excitedly dressed up as their favorite cartoon characters before going trick-or-treating and devouring tons of candy and other sugary treats. For many kids, it’s a day they look forward to all year long! But with sugary treats comes the increased risk of cavities and tooth decay, the single most common childhood disease in the United States. As a result, November 1st has been designated [...]
By Carli Mosby, Kentucky Youth Advocates intern Even with the special session to address pension reform expected soon, legislators are looking ahead to the legislative session that will include the crafting and passing of a two-year state budget. As many Kentucky families know firsthand, budgets can be tough. Ensuring that money coming in will cover the necessary costs of life can, at times, be difficult and stressful. Kinship caregivers who have willingly stepped up to [...]
All Kentucky kids deserve a path to a successful and productive adulthood. The reality is, however, that the zip code in which children live, the amount of money their family earns, and the color of their skin are pervasive and powerful influences on the childhood they will have and the future they can embrace. Today, the Annie E. Casey Foundation released the 2017 Race for Results report, which features index scores calculated from 12 key [...]
