Patricia Tennen, Author at Kentucky Youth Advocates

Idle Teens and Young Adults: the Number of Disconnected Youth in Kentucky Jumped 49% Since 2000

Idle Teens and Young Adults: the Number of Disconnected Youth in Kentucky Jumped 49% Since 2000

Jeffersontown, KY – Nearly 6.5 million teens and young adults in the U.S., including 110,000 in Kentucky, are not enrolled in school and not employed, even part-time. These youth are veering toward a path of chronic underemployment as adults and are failing to gain the skills employers need in the 21st century, according to a new KIDS COUNT report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Many of these young people ages 16-24 face numerous obstacles, [...]

By Patricia Tennen|2012-12-03T15:22:38-05:00December 3rd, 2012|News Room|

Child Poverty in Kentucky Remains High

Child Poverty in Kentucky Remains High

More than One in Four Children Living in Poverty, and Median Household Income Falling Jeffersontown, KY – More than one in four children in Kentucky are now living in poverty, according to new Census Bureau data from the American Community Survey, released today. Child poverty in Kentucky increased to 27.4 percent in 2011 from 23.5 percent in 2008 just when the recession started, bringing the total number of children who live in families with incomes [...]

By Patricia Tennen|2012-11-26T09:27:03-05:00November 26th, 2012|News Room|

Ask the Candidates to #TalkPoverty

The political conventions are over and election season is about to ratchet up one more notch with the upcoming presidential and vice presidential debates, starting next month. Kentucky will be front and center on October 11 when Joe Biden and Paul Ryan face off at Centre College. The big question at hand for Kentucky Youth Advocates and our partners across the state is, will the candidates address children’s issues? With new data showing us that [...]

By Patricia Tennen|2012-09-27T12:32:51-04:00September 27th, 2012|Blog, Economic Security|

New Child Poverty Data – We Can Do Better

Fresh evidence is in to remind us of the uncomfortable fact that too many children in Kentucky are growing up in poverty, putting them and our commonwealth at a serious disadvantage. According to new Census Bureau data from the American Community Survey released today, over 1 in 4 children in Kentucky live in families with incomes below $22,350 a year for a family of four. Research shows that, on average, families need an income of [...]

By Patricia Tennen|2012-09-20T11:00:14-04:00September 20th, 2012|Blog, Economic Security|

Reclaiming Futures in Kentucky

Reclaiming Futures in Kentucky

Applying a Proven Framework to Respond Effectively to Status Offenses Jeffersontown, KY - As communities across the Commonwealth recognize the need for a new way to respond to youth who have been sent to court for status offenses, Kentucky Youth Advocates (KYA) releases, Reclaiming Futures in Kentucky: Applying a proven framework for an effective community and judicial response to status offenses and other complex needs of youth in rural and urban settings. KYA and the [...]

By Patricia Tennen|2012-08-25T21:53:11-04:00August 25th, 2012|News Room|

Vote for Kids, Kentucky!

Children can’t vote or contribute to campaigns, but the issues that impact their lives will be decided by the choices we make this coming Tuesday when we head to the polls. Right now, children in Kentucky face a mountain of challenges: Kentucky leads the nation in the number of child deaths from abuse and neglect, places 6th in child poverty, and places 3rd in child obesity. Over the past three weeks we have used this [...]

By Patricia Tennen|2011-11-03T12:24:26-04:00November 3rd, 2011|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health|

National Breastfeeding Awareness Week – Kentucky Needs Improvement

Experts agree that breastfeeding provides the best nutrition for infants and is associated with numerous positive outcomes for both babies and mothers. Yet, Kentucky has the 5th lowest rate in the nation of babies who were ever breastfed at just over half (57.8%) of Kentucky children born in 2008. We have actually made progress from two years ago when we were second to last, however there is still plenty of room for improvement. What’s the [...]

By Patricia Tennen|2011-08-02T10:25:18-04:00August 2nd, 2011|Blog, Health|

Hold Kids Harmless: Sign-On Letter to President and Congressional Leadership

Kentucky Youth Advocates recently signed on to the following letter from the First Focus Campaign for Children, asking President Obama and Congressional Leadership to keep children safe when finalizing a deal to raise the debt ceiling. Simply put, cuts to the children’s budget hurts kids, and only makes a dent in the deficit. We are looking for Kentucky organizations who are also interested in adding their name to the letter! Dear Mr. President and Congressional [...]

By Patricia Tennen|2011-07-28T10:35:53-04:00July 28th, 2011|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Youth Justice|

Success Starts with Reading

Success Starts with Reading

Reading by the End of Third Grade Declared a National Priority Jeffersontown, KY – Sixty-four percent of Kentucky children in public schools are not proficient in reading, compared to 67 percent nationwide, according to the 2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The Annie E. Casey Foundation and a range of partners are focusing attention on the critical importance of achieving grade-level reading proficiency for all children by the end of third grade. The ability [...]

By Patricia Tennen|2010-05-18T10:05:57-04:00May 18th, 2010|News Room|

About Patricia Tennen