For over 15 years advocates for kids gathered in Frankfort for Children’s Advocacy Day at the Capitol to fill the halls of the Capitol and ask their elected officials to step up for Kentucky kids. The critical mass of advocates in the Capitol building led to many policy wins and raising awareness of issues facing kids and their families. More recently, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we've transitioned to Children's Advocacy WEEK with a [...]
Kentucky Youth Advocates is looking for photos of Kentucky kids to include in the 2022 Kentucky KIDS COUNT County Data Book and other Kentucky Youth Advocates publications. We know you all proudly share pictures of your kids and grandkids by hanging them on your refrigerator and posting them on social media. Here’s your chance to promote those cute kids through Kentucky Youth Advocates’ materials. We need your photos by August 1st so please start sending them in today! In [...]
Norma Hatfield, president of the Kinship Families Families Coalition, and Dr. David Weisenhorn with the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Offices discuss a series of workshops offered to grandparents or other relatives and fictive kin raising children – known as PASTA, or Parenting A Second Time Around. Check out the details and video playlist below for more information on this resources for kinship families. Connect with your local Extension office to access the PASTA [...]
The 2022 Kentucky General Assembly has wrapped up Day 58 of the 60-day legislative session and there are many key Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children wins to already celebrate. These priority bills have passed the Kentucky House and Senate and have been delivered to the Governor: Senate Bill 8 to strengthen points of the child welfare system, from child maltreatment prevention to investigation to healing and out-of-home care – signed by the Governor! Senate Bill 97 [...]
Children's Advocacy Week is (almost) here! As we shared in our recent update, due to an increasing number of COVID cases, all events happening January 18-21 will now be virtual. Review this checklist to help you make the most of Children's Advocacy Week: Sign up to receive email updates throughout the virtual advocacy week View and download the Children's Advocacy Week app Review the schedule of virtual events and add to your personal schedule via [...]
Other Legislative Item Senate Bill 36 Require Health Disparity Impact Reviews Summary SB 36 would require the Legislative Research Commission to identify any bill, amendment, or committee sub that may result in a health disparity impact, require the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to carry out a health disparity review, if necessary, and require other state agencies to provide requested information for review. Status SB 36 is sponsored by [...]
Kentucky kids, show us your art and talents! Children’s Advocacy Week 2022 is coming up this month! While we have continued to replace in-person advocacy events with virtual ones, there are a couple of things we are still missing: art and musical performances from Kentucky kids! In the past, Kentucky kids have performed during the Children’s Advocacy Day Rally for Kentucky Kids and created art to hang in the tunnel between the Capitol and Annex [...]
The Kentucky General Assembly reconvenes in Frankfort on Tuesday, January 4th. Check out these 7 ways advocates can prepare for the kick off of the 2022 legislative session: Sign up to receive the latest updates on Children's Advocacy Week coming up on January 18-21 Register to attend the Children's Advocacy Week Virtual Prep Session on Wednesday, January 12th from 10:00-11:00 AM ET as we discuss how to make the most of the advocacy week and updates [...]
Kentucky Youth Advocates has launched the 31st edition of the Kentucky KIDS COUNT County Data Book! The 2021 County Data Book examines data disaggregated by race/ethnicity, the impacts of systemic racial injustice on children and families, and solutions to advance racial equity so that every child can thrive. The publication features the latest data on 17 measures of child well-being, showing whether outcomes for children across the commonwealth have improved, worsened, or stayed the same over a five-year period. [...]
Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – The easy path as we approach this special session is to devolve to conventional thinking – that the pandemic and Kentucky’s recovery efforts are too polarizing and too complex for thoughtful and direct solutions. Yet, we attest a hope that the special session can be a landmark moment when the General Assembly and the Governor come together for [...]
