By: Rebecca Ghent, 2013-2014 KYA Intern Ever since I was a young girl I can remember a good portion of my family as smokers. It didn’t really bother me though. In fact, the idea of my grandpa out on the back porch relaxing with a cigarette was in some ways comforting to me as a young child. That was my grandpa at ease with the world. Fast forward fifteen years and the above description makes [...]
This guest post originally appeared as a Reader Letter in the Courier Journal. You can find it online here. Kentucky is jailing 50 percent fewer juveniles for non-criminal acts. This is progress but as the July 28 Courier-Journal article suggested, more needs to be done. Addressing the dynamics that drive children from school rather to it is why alternatives to detention work and detention does not. When trauma resulting in emotional pain in a child’s [...]
Medicaid managed care is in the news again – or did it ever really leave? State Auditor Adam Edelen released a report at the end of July on the three Medicaid managed care companies which began operating across the state (except for the areas in and around Louisville) in November 2011: Coventry Cares, Kentucky Spirit Health Plan, and WellCare. Tuesday, the Courier-Journal ran an editorial entitled simply: “Fix managed care”. The audit and the editorial [...]
A couple Kentucky Youth Advocates staff , including myself, had the opportunity to meet with members of Kentucky’s federal delegation last week while in Washington, DC for conferences. The visits came on the same day national partners released exciting new polling numbers showing broad support among voters for Congress to take action to increase investments in early childhood education to give young children a strong start. The new polling data made for good conversations with members [...]
The Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children is is beginning its 7th year. The Blueprint is a policy initiative supported by children’s advocates across the Commonwealth to improve the lives of children in Kentucky. The Blueprint aims to achieve safe and healthy families, a fair deal for working parents and a fair opportunity for every child in Kentucky. Responding to a challenge from legislators asking child advocates to speak with a common voice, children’s advocacy groups formed the Blueprint [...]
Thursday Aug 8, 2013 10:00 AM - 10:45 AM (Eastern Time) Click here to register for the webinar. This webinar is intended for health educators, healthcare employees and community members within the state of Kentucky who want to improve their understanding of and ability to talk to the public about the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), Health Benefit Exchanges, and Medicaid Expansion in Kentucky. By the end of the webinar, participants should be able to: Explain [...]
“There has been a steady refrain from those who have testified before us…that there has to be a better way.” That was a quote from Representative John Tilley, co-chair of the Unified Juvenile Code Task Force, in the Sunday Courier-Journal story on Kentucky’s use of incarceration of children for things such as skipping school and running away from home. The story highlights the progress made on this issue (the trend line is going in the [...]
This weekend, the Fancy Farm Picnic in Graves County is going to feature the best in beans and cornbread; BBQ; and, hot and biting partisan rhetoric. And you know, that is not such a bad tradition. In general, politicians and the crowd approach those rip-snorting stump speeches with vim, vigor and a certain tongue in cheek sense of humor. In other words, every once in awhile, some partisan ranting does the body politic good! However, [...]
The Kentucky General Assembly begins a special legislative session on August 19. While the state seems unable to find dollars for the youngest children in Kentucky, it ended its fiscal year with a $70.6 million surplus. We want to use this opportunity to let state legislators know that "It's raining on kids" and its time to "Fund Kids First" including restored funding to the Child Care Assistance Program and the Kinship Care Program. Since April 1, [...]
Kacey Musgraves is a new country music sensation. Her opening number, “Blowing Smoke” goes like: Between the lunch and dinner rush Kelly caught that out bound bus for Vegas. And we're all out here talkin trash, makin bets, Lips wrapped round our cigarettes. She always thought she was too good to be a waitress. We all say that we'll quit someday When our ship comes in we'll just sail away. But we're just blowin smoke. [...]
