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About Patricia Tennen

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So far Patricia Tennen has created 48 blog entries.

Increasing Compensation is Key to Ensuring Child Care is Available for Kentucky Families

As we’ve shared throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the current public health crisis has shown that without child care, our families, our communities, and the economy cannot successfully function. And as many early childhood advocates and providers have continually shared, the pandemic has only exacerbated the challenges facing Kentucky’s child care workforce as a result of limited public investment. According to a survey conducted in late 2020, following mandated shutdown of child care centers to protect [...]

By |2021-09-02T14:29:52-04:00September 1st, 2021|Blog, Economic Security, Education|
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Kentucky Announces Plans to Bolster Child Care with Federal Relief Funds

The latest national KIDS COUNT Data Book co-released by Kentucky Youth Advocates and the Annie E. Casey Foundation data shows that Kentucky is moving in the wrong direction on 3- and 4-year-olds enrolled in school, with 60% of this age group not enrolled in school. Of those who are enrolled, we know that many children in Kentucky attend preschool through a licensed child care center, which serves a dual purpose of helping children get the [...]

By |2021-07-01T12:55:54-04:00July 1st, 2021|Blog, Economic Security, Education, Race Equity|
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Child Care: State Offers Some Limited Relief and Now It is Time for Congress to Act

On August 31st, Governor Beshear announced a number of measures intended to provide some relief to Kentucky’s child care providers and the kids and families who rely on them. Let’s be clear – there are no magic wands when it comes to the challenges presented by COVID-19 for the child care sector. The announcement represents a commendable and unenviable job of listening to providers, listening to families, and taking steps to prop up the fundamental, [...]

By |2020-09-10T15:17:30-04:00September 9th, 2020|Blog, Economic Security, Education|
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Looking for Child Care? Make Sure It’s Good for Your Kids.

This week, Governor Beshear announced a request to school districts to delay opening for in-person classes until the end of September. While many of us are accustomed to uncertainty these days, it put a new urgency on many parents to figure out viable child care options. Many families were anticipating schools reopening as an opportunity for kids to get the social interaction and educational support they have been missing for months on end, but let’s [...]

By |2020-08-26T16:51:52-04:00August 13th, 2020|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health|
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How Can We Better Serve Kids in Our Community? Start with the Data.

Our mantra at Kentucky Youth Advocates is “what gets measured gets changed.” That’s why we have collected data on the well-being of children through our KIDS COUNT Project for 30 years. We know that the first step to making positive change for kids is having a shared understanding, grounded in data of what the challenges are. When community leaders come together, these data serve as a powerful catalyst for action. Throughout 2018 and 2019, with [...]

By |2019-12-12T14:11:13-05:00December 12th, 2019|Blog, Kids Count|
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A Snapshot of Child Care in Kentucky

Last spring, Congress delivered an historic increase in funding for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) at a critical time for children and families in Kentucky. The Bevin Administration is utilizing the additional $42 million to cover identified gaps in access to high-quality child care, including increase provider payment rates, increase eligibility at re-certification so that parents do not suddenly lose child care assistance when they get a promotion or better paying job, remove [...]

By |2019-08-15T12:24:22-04:00August 15th, 2019|Blog, Economic Security, Education|
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Federal Child Care Investment is Paying Off in Kentucky

Last Spring, Congress delivered an historic increase in funding for child care assistance and the Bevin Administration quickly put the additional $42 million to good use including raising provider payment rates, easing how quickly families lose CCAP when they get raise or better paying job, and allowing enrollment in education/training to fulfill the 20-hour work requirement. Supporting access to affordable, quality and reliable child care is a win for young children, working parents, and our state economy. [...]

By |2019-05-28T14:42:48-04:00May 24th, 2019|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education|
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Celebrating and Sustaining Investments in Child Care in Kentucky

As spring approaches, there’s nothing more wonderful than finding the early blooms peaking their way through the hard, brown soil. They represent hope for warmth and growth to come. This March, we are starting to see early blooms peeking out from seeds planted by Congress and state leaders into Kentucky’s child care system. And we know beautiful growth is ahead! This calls for both celebration and continued attention to ensure that all working families in [...]

By |2019-03-06T15:13:06-05:00March 6th, 2019|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education|
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Five days, Five KIDS COUNT Community Conversations, Countless Lessons

To mark the release of our Kentucky KIDS COUNT 2018 County Data Book, we spent last week on the road, visiting five communities across the Commonwealth, including Louisville, Paducah, Glasgow, Manchester and Covington.  Our goals were two-fold. First, we wanted to introduce community leaders to the 100+ local data points available through the Kentucky KIDS COUNT Project that can give them a picture of how kids are faring in their counties. Secondly, we wanted [...]

By |2018-12-04T18:59:05-05:00December 4th, 2018|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Education, Health, Kids Count, Youth Justice|
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Back to School with Kentucky Kids

There has been some serious excitement in my house this week, as our daughters prepare for their first days of school. We’ve gone to school to deliver their bags of school supplies – crayons, markers, scissors, notebooks, and glue sticks. We’ve visited their classrooms and met their new teachers. We’ve picked out their first-day-of-school outfits and prepared their new backpacks. In our house, back to school is a pretty big deal. My first- and third-grader [...]

By |2018-08-15T10:33:01-04:00August 15th, 2018|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Education, Health|
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