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Celebrating New Benefits for Child Care Employees

With the help of the American Rescue Plan funds, Kentucky will begin awarding child care subsidies for all employees that work in licensed and certified child care programs regardless of the role that they work, such as teachers, kitchen staff, etc. After a year of brainstorming how to best retain and attract child care employees and strengthen the child care infrastructure, Kentucky is establishing this categorical eligibility support for certified and licensed child care employees  [...]

By |2022-09-22T09:33:18-04:00September 22nd, 2022|Blog, Economic Security, Education|
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The Latest Trends in Child Poverty and Health Insurance

Last week, the U.S. Census Bureau released its annual data on poverty and health insurance. This annual release of single-year data follows the release of the national KIDS COUNT Data Book, both highlighting key indicators of child well-being. Because we know that what gets measured gets changed, below are key data takeaways from the Census Bureau’s release. The data reveals that 22.1% of Kentucky children lived in poverty in 2021, which is not significantly different [...]

By |2022-09-21T18:08:46-04:00September 21st, 2022|Blog, Economic Security, Health, Race Equity|
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Call to Action: Let’s Fund Justice!

What’s new at the federal level for justice related policies?  Recently Matt Cartwright, representative of Pennsylvania, presented a bill that would direct federal funding to areas of commerce, justice, science, and related agencies. In other words, this bill will help provide essential resources to advanced criminal justice. House Resolution 8256 has been read twice and referred to the Appropriations Committee but unfortunately, no further progress has been made. Sometime soon, we hope to see this [...]

By |2022-09-20T19:57:52-04:00September 20th, 2022|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Justice, Race Equity, Youth Justice|
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What do Kentucky’s young people want from their Governor?

Kentuckians will decide who they want for Governor in November of 2023 – whether that’s a second term for the current Governor Andy Beshear or his Republican opponent who will be chosen next May. While Kentucky kids cannot vote, they have a major stake in who gets chosen and what the Governor’s priorities will be. As we look ahead to the 2023 Governor’s race, we want to hear from young people directly about their hopes [...]

By |2022-09-26T11:18:13-04:00September 13th, 2022|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, Race Equity, Youth Justice|
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Making Kids Count in the 2022 Election

Kids cannot vote, but you can ensure that their voices are heard by engaging with candidates in local, state, and federal elections. The local, state, and federal leaders we elect determine policy that will impact our daily lives for what may be generations to come. But how often do we pause to consider–specifically–how our choices at the ballot box will impact us, and particularly young children who depend on us to make the right [...]

By |2022-09-09T09:51:58-04:00September 8th, 2022|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, Kids Count, Race Equity, Youth Justice|
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KIP Survey on Youth Substance Use, Mental Health, and School Safety

The Cabinet for Health and Family Services and REACH Evaluation recently released the results of the 2021 Kentucky Incentives for Prevention (KIP) survey, taken by 6th, 8th, 10th and 12th graders in 127 of Kentucky’s 173 school districts. Important note that Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) did not participate in the 2021 survey. The KIP survey is generally given every two years, on even numbered year, however due to the pandemic, the 2020 survey was delayed and administered [...]

By |2022-09-08T13:52:23-04:00September 8th, 2022|Blog, Education, Health, Race Equity|
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“Not considering the impacts of the child care benefits cliff affects parents like me.”

By Sarah Vanover and Valerie Frost While the first Benefit Cliffs Task Force meeting centered around what other states were doing to address the benefits cliff, as well as what resources were already available in Kentucky, the second meeting reviewed what happens to a family when they lose child care subsidy and the impact of child care to the Kentucky workforce. Kentucky Youth Advocates, in collaboration with Metro United Way and the Prichard Committee, presented [...]

By |2022-09-01T15:22:37-04:00September 1st, 2022|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Economic Security, Education|
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Reauthorizing the Child Care & Development Block Grant

Although the US Congress has now passed its Inflation Reduction Act, the bill did not include many of the family supports that were initially anticipated. The bill included affordable health care coverage; however, it left out essentials like affordable child care, extension of the child tax credit, and expanding paid family leave for new parents, kinship situations and foster youth.  The need for accessible, affordable child care is growing every day, and child care owners [...]

By |2022-08-29T16:35:38-04:00August 29th, 2022|Blog, Economic Security, Education|
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Bloom Community Spotlight: The Morton Center

To help prevent and mitigate childhood adversity, many on-the-ground community partners are hard at work providing needed resources and support to Kentucky kids and families. The Bloom Community Spotlight blog series highlights the important work being done by Bloom Kentucky community partners throughout the Commonwealth. By Priscilla McIntosh, The Morton Center, Inc. Louisville, KY Photo Credit: The Morton Center I have two children, 13 and 10-year-old daughters.  As a mom, the last two+ [...]

By |2022-08-29T13:57:56-04:00August 29th, 2022|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Child Welfare & Safety, Education, Health|
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The Power Lies with the Community

As a few Kentucky Youth Advocates staff gathered for a convening in Chattanooga, TN, we were incredibly animated by the work those across the U.S. are doing and have been doing to make the justice system more just. Organizations from 19 states gathered to share ideas, stories, and work already being done to end mass incarceration.  Since 1983, Kentucky has seen a 287% increase in the amount of individuals locked up. We’ve been seeing incarceration [...]

By |2022-08-25T12:34:19-04:00August 25th, 2022|Blog, Justice, Race Equity, Youth Justice|
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