FacebookInstagramXYouTubeEmail

Let’s Smile About Oral Health Opportunities in Kentucky

The legislative session wrapped up in April and there are great opportunities to report for children’s oral health - on the state budget front, a piece of new legislation, and a new Governor’s initiative. We want to take a minute to highlight just one of the exciting wins for kids’ oral health during the 2014 legislative session. On April 9th the Governor signed into law SB 159. This bill allows a school district or a Head Start program to contract with a licensed, not-for-profit primary care [...]

By |2014-05-12T11:31:04-04:00May 12th, 2014|Blog, Health|
Read More

Kentucky Families Win with Signing of SB 176

In Kentucky, family values are more than just talk. That’s why more than 59,000 children are being raised by grandparents, aunts, uncles and other extended family members – also known as kinship care. Research shows that when children cannot live safely with their parents, they fare better with relatives than in foster care. Yet, Kentucky’s kinship families face economic, legal and emotional challenges. They need state leaders to remove unnecessary barriers and ensure they have [...]

By |2014-05-07T10:35:34-04:00May 7th, 2014|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety|
Read More

High Stakes Accountability – What Does it Really Mean?

I picked up my oldest granddaughter from school yesterday and when she got into the car, Rileigh emoted, “I feel so sorry for my teachers.  They are just a nervous wreck.  They are giving us pep talks; telling us we won’t have homework; and, seeing if a dance during school will make us work harder.”  What is going on with her teachers?  Why, it’s time for state assessment testing.  And teachers and principals know that [...]

By |2014-05-06T10:49:04-04:00May 6th, 2014|Blog, Education|
Read More

Calling All Photos of Kentucky Kids

Kentucky Youth Advocates is looking for photos of Kentucky kids to include in the 2014 Kentucky KIDS COUNT County Data Book and other Kentucky Youth Advocates publications. We know you all proudly share pictures of your kids and grandkids by carrying them in your wallet, on Instagram and on Facebook. Here’s a great chance to promote those great kids through Kentucky Youth Advocates’ materials. We need your photos by May 31 so please start sending them in. In order to use the photos, we [...]

By |2014-05-06T10:00:40-04:00May 6th, 2014|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Youth Justice|
Read More

Kentucky Kids the Winners in Session

This post originally appeared as an Op-Ed in The Courier Journal. You can view it online here.  Spring in Kentucky is animated by certain rituals. As the first Saturday in May approaches each year, we become experts on horses. Students begin to wonder about final report card grades. And the governor and General Assembly are graded as well. I recently was on KET's "Kentucky Tonight" and heard my fellow panelists give tough grades to the [...]

By |2014-05-05T08:50:19-04:00May 5th, 2014|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Youth Justice|
Read More

Kentucky is on the Right Track with Reforms in Justice Systems

PBS’ Frontline featured Kentucky in a show, Prison State, earlier this week. The reason for the attention came from both a sore spot and a source of pride. On the one hand it came because of “Kentucky uglies” – heavy use of incarceration for adults and jailing kids for things like skipping school. On the other hand national interest was spurred by the work undertaken in Kentucky to set us on a better path in the adult system with reforms championed by Representative John Tilley [...]

By |2014-05-01T15:09:10-04:00May 1st, 2014|Blog, Youth Justice|
Read More

Integrated Health Care Benefits Kentucky’s Children

We released a new issue brief today, Integrated Health Care Benefits Kentucky's Children, which examines the advantages of integrated health care as a way to improve the health of Kentucky's kids. In Kentucky, too many children struggle with poor health or have special health care needs. Kentucky’s health care system has undergone many changes in recent years. As these changes continue to be implemented, it is important for Kentucky to make sure all health needs of children are being met through improved [...]

By |2014-04-30T07:02:49-04:00April 30th, 2014|Blog, Health|
Read More

Signing of HB 157 a Moment to Celebrate

Political figures and child care leaders gathered.  Key players in the child welfare arena and doctors celebrated.  Citizen volunteers and policy wonks applauded as well.  Everyone came together today in Louisville to cheer on the ceremonial signing of HB 157 by the Governor. HB 157, sponsored by Representatives Addia Wuchner (R) and Susan Westrom (D), ensures doctors receive vital training to help them know the early signs of child abuse.  It is part of a mosaic of wins around the issue of child abuse.  The progress began almost two years ago when the Governor heard advocate calls and established – through Executive [...]

By |2014-04-29T17:48:04-04:00April 29th, 2014|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety|
Read More

KIDS COUNT Data Point of the Month: Children Receiving Public Assistance

Economic security means a family is able to meet financial needs in a way that promotes their children’s well-being by addressing their physical, emotional, and educational needs. All children deserve to have these needs met, yet many parents require temporary help to do so. Whether due to unemployment or underemployment triggered by the recent recession, low wages, or a family crisis, parents seek help in meeting their children’s basic needs from programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly called food stamps) or the Kentucky Transitional Assistance Program (KTAP, formerly called [...]

By |2014-04-29T13:39:49-04:00April 29th, 2014|Blog, Economic Security|
Read More

New KET Production Examines Raising Emotionally Healthy Children

We all want our children to grow up to be happy, secure, healthy adults. But how much do we know about how that actually happens? Research on brain development shows that positive early experiences are critical for long term mental and physical health. When young children do not receive proper nurturing, or they experience trauma or constant stress, it can have serious repercussions for their development. Dr. Terry Brooks appears in a new KET Special Report, Safe and [...]

By |2014-04-24T10:04:29-04:00April 24th, 2014|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Health|
Read More
Go to Top