https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W42iiCcFbxE I JUST LOVE THAT VIDEO. It is usually among those selected when pundits choose the “greatest sports quotes of all time.” And, of course, Herm Edwards – a coach with a losing record – is now one of the experts on ESPN. I believe – at my core – that we “play to win the game FOR KIDS.” Nice tries. Pyrrhic victories. Rationalizations at failure. Those phrases leave me cold. It does kids [...]
Policy debates about incarceration rarely focus on the impact on children. Yet, we know that when a parent is in jail or prison, it creates an unstable environment for kids that can have lasting effects like poverty, changes in living situations, and mental and emotional health issues. A new KIDS COUNT® policy report, A Shared Sentence: The Devastating Toll of Parental Incarceration on Kids, Families and Communities, estimates 135,000 children in Kentucky have had a parent incarcerated, according [...]
This post originally appeared as an op-ed in the Courier-Journal on February 13, 2016. Read it online here. Budgets – be they for a family, a business or a state – are a statement about values and priorities. What do you invest in and what don’t you? That alone makes building Kentucky’s biennial budget a tough proposition. Add to that the fiscal constraints that confront Gov. Bevin and legislative leaders, and you have an even tougher proposition. And yet, I [...]
On Tuesday, Governor Bevin delivered his first State of the Commonwealth Budget Address to a joint session of the Kentucky House and Senate. Governor Bevin focused his remarks on themes such as making Kentucky the best version of itself, the need to deal with debt facing our state, and taking care of Kentucky’s most vulnerable citizens. While any assessment of Governor Bevin’s budget proposal Tuesday evening will require more time to ensure accuracy and understanding, there [...]
Jeffersontown, KY - While any assessment of Governor Bevin's budget proposal this evening will require more time to ensure accuracy and understanding, there are a remarkable number of "bright spots" for Kentucky's kids and families. As an example, a specific "bright spot" is around the First Lady's initiative around child advocacy centers. What more vulnerable citizen can there be than an abused child? Additionally, the increase in the numbers of social workers, the emphasis on reduced case [...]
This post originally appeared as an op-ed in the Courier-Journal on January 13, 2016. Read it online here. My wife and I share over a half century working in public schools. I am a graduate of a Kentucky public school, as are our three sons. And Judy and I are glad that all five of our grandkids are public school students. In other words, I come at educational issues with a clear public school bias. However, I must admit [...]
Every Kentucky kid needs a family and safe place to call home. Sadly, an increasing number of Kentucky children are at risk of finding themselves without a safe place to call home, as the number of Kentucky children in out-of-home care due to abuse or neglect grew by 19 percent from 2010 to 2014. If we want children who have experienced abuse or neglect to thrive, we need a quality continuum of care that gives [...]
1990. Nelson Mandela was released from jail. The Berlin Wall fell. Operation Desert Shield began in response to Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait. Microsoft released Windows. The first web page was posted on this new concept called the world-wide web. Fox aired a new type of programming called The Simpsons. Home Alone was setting the box office on fire. And Kentucky Youth Advocates released the first ever Kentucky KIDS COUNT County Data Book. Since 1990, [...]
When children have health care coverage, they are able to get the preventive care they need to stay healthy and show up for school ready to learn. It also means their families can afford to take them to the doctor when they are sick, so they don’t wind up having to rely on more expensive hospital care if they get sicker. A new report by Georgetown University’s Center for Children and Families and Kentucky Youth [...]
New data released today by the U.S. Census Bureau revealed that more than one in every four Kentucky children live in poverty. The American Community Survey 1-year 2014 estimate showed 26.2 percent of Kentucky children lived in poverty, which was not a significant change from the 2013 estimate. However, the percent of Kentucky children living in poverty remains higher than when the recession began in 2008 (23.5 percent). "According to Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director [...]
