Protect Gains in Child Well-Being with an Accurate 2020 Census Count

Kentucky ranks 37th in the nation in overall child well-being, according to the 2018 KIDS COUNT® Data Book, released today by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The Data Book tells us some good news for Kentucky kids, as most of the data trends in health, economic well-being, education, and family and community show continued progress. But, without an accurate count of all Kentucky kids in 2020, we risk leaving money on the table that could be used [...]

2018 KIDS COUNT Data Book Reveals Improved Child Outcomes and Continued Areas of Need in Kentucky

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org 502-895-8167 *122 2018 KIDS COUNT Data Book Reveals Improved Child Outcomes and Continued Areas of Need in Kentucky Accurate count in 2020 census critical to sustaining progress Louisville, KY – Kentucky ranks 37th in the nation in overall child well-being, according to the 2018 KIDS COUNT® Data Book, released today by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Kentucky’s standing is due in part to progress in family economic well-being, child health coverage, teen births, and parental [...]

Five Minutes, Your Feedback, and Brighter Futures for Kentucky Kids

We at Kentucky Youth Advocates believe that Kentucky can become the best place in America to be young and that we should settle for nothing less. Over the past several legislative sessions, the Kentucky General Assembly and state government have taken significant steps to improve the lives of children in the Commonwealth, and we are excited about those wins for kids. Yet, we still have a long way to go until all children in Kentucky [...]

My 5 Go-To Strategies for a Successful Summer Break Transition

This post was originally featured as a Kosair Charities® Face It Movement® to End Child Abuse parent blog. School’s out for the summer which means it’s time to stock up on extra food and toilet paper! Here are a few tips that help me transition to summer breaks: 1.Activities– I try to plan weekly activities well in advance by looking for local kid-friendly events in our area and talking to friends about day camps, playdates, days [...]

By |2018-08-01T12:25:52-04:00June 6th, 2018|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Education, Health|

Informational Guide to Kentucky HEALTH

In January the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) approved the Bevin Administration’s 1115 Medicaid Waiver to modify Kentucky’s Medicaid program for the next five years, known as Kentucky HEALTH. We at Kentucky Youth Advocates believe Kentucky HEALTH’s initial rollout and ongoing implementation must be family-centric. Parents’ health coverage is vitally important to children’s health coverage, and if parents are going to maintain coverage to improve health outcomes for themselves and their children, [...]

By |2018-08-01T12:27:14-04:00May 31st, 2018|Blog, Health, Medicaid|

Guest Post: Helping Young People in Foster Care Heal From Trauma and Build Resilience

Originally posted by the Annie E. Casey Foundation on their blog. Photo provided by the Annie E. Casey Foundation Growing up is hard to do, and the period from adolescence to early adulthood can be tumultuous even under the best circumstances. For young people whose lives have been disrupted by foster care, the challenges of becoming an adult are amplified. The conditions that have led them to foster care — and being in foster care — [...]

By |2018-08-01T12:28:37-04:00May 24th, 2018|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Health|

Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks on CHFS Leadership Announcement

Contact: Mara Powell 502-895-8167 *122 mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates Today, the Governor named Adam Meier as Secretary of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) and Kristi Putnam as a Deputy Secretary. As the Cabinet that most impacts the lives of Kentucky children and families, CHFS leadership plays a critical role in protecting children from abuse and neglect, promoting health and access to health care, and [...]

By |2018-05-17T14:37:39-04:00May 17th, 2018|Child Welfare & Safety, Health, News Room|

Protecting Girls who have Experienced Abuse: Stopping the Pipeline to Prison

By Cortney Downs, Kentucky Youth Advocates intern Violence against women and girls is nothing new.  Statistics show that females between the ages of 16 and 24 experience dating violence at rates three times higher than the national average, and more than 80% of all sexual assault victims under the age of 18 are girls.  What is often overlooked is that many of these girls fall into something called the abuse to prison pipeline; where the [...]

Bipartisan Wins: An Oxymoron that Works for Kids

This post originally appeared as an op-ed in the Northern Kentucky Tribune and Kentucky Today. “Bipartisan wins” in Frankfort seems like an oxymoron on the same level as “jumbo shrimp” and “bittersweet.” When reflecting on the recent legislative session, it would be easy to think of 2018 only as the year of placards and protests, accusations and apologies, parliamentary finagles and partisan politics. Yet, when it comes to Kentucky’s kids impacted by abuse or neglect, 2018 [...]

By |2018-04-27T09:12:22-04:00April 26th, 2018|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Health, Justice|

Two Kentucky Communities Strengthen Smoke-free Ordinance

All children deserve to breathe clean air and be healthy, yet many Kentucky children live in a community that does not offer them strong protections from secondhand tobacco smoke in indoor public places. Exposure to secondhand smoke is also harmful to pregnant women and their babies, as it increases risk for poor birth outcomes. The science is clear that there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke. There is good news! Two Kentucky [...]

By |2018-04-19T13:29:11-04:00April 19th, 2018|Blog, Health|
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