Blog – Page 162 – Kentucky Youth Advocates

Opportunities for Physical Activity Abound with Shared-Use

New Study Shows Kentucky Schools and Community Agencies often Collaborate to Share Facilities Jeffersontown, KY – Schools across Kentucky have opened their facilities to their communities during non-school hours for many years, allowing people of all ages to use their gymnasiums, tracks, cafeterias, and athletic fields for recreation. This practice, known as “shared-use,” not only saves cost, it deepens school and community connections and expands opportunities for physical activity. According to a new study, Sharing School [...]

By Andrea Bennett|2012-05-09T09:02:56-04:00May 9th, 2012|Blog, Health|

A 2011 Kentucky KIDS COUNT County Data Book Highlight: Teen Births

All newborns need a strong start in life, and fare best when their mothers are healthy and have a strong social support network, sufficient financial resources, and access to education. Yet, many teen mothers lack these critical fundamentals. Babies of teen mothers are more likely to be born prematurely, have a low-weight birth, experience health problems and developmental delays, and die before their first birthday. These children are also more likely to struggle academically, drop [...]

By Paul Colwell|2012-05-08T09:29:43-04:00May 8th, 2012|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Education, Health|

New oral health coalition expected to spur changes in state

For the past 30 years, Dr. Fred Howard of Harlan has been seating patients in his blue dental chair and telling them to open up. When they do, he’s seen all kinds of scenarios, from toddlers whose teeth are already rotten from sucking on bottle filled with soft drinks to 20-year-old adults with no teeth at all. On some occasions, children walk in with such a severe abscess in their mouth their eyes are swollen [...]

By admin|2012-05-07T11:07:16-04:00May 7th, 2012|Blog, Health|

Lessons for Next Year: Reflections on the 2012 Legislative Session

Spring in Kentucky is a time filled with an array of annual rituals. If it’s spring in the Commonwealth, you just know that all of John Calapari’s starters will leave for the NBA and that the Cats will re-load with another bumper crop of recruits. You know that the Cards’ Spring game on the gridiron will kick off hope for the fall (Hey, my Cards are a football school!). And then there is that horse [...]

By Terry Brooks|2012-05-03T09:34:42-04:00May 3rd, 2012|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Youth Justice|

Wins for Kids during the 2012 Kentucky General Assembly

Kentucky Youth Advocates celebrates the following as wins for Kentucky kids in the 2012 General Assembly. $21 million to reduce social worker caseloads – In response to the high rates of child deaths due to abuse and neglect in Kentucky, Governor Beshear proposed a $21 million increase over the next two years to hire 300 additional state social workers. The final budget passed by the Kentucky General Assembly retained this funding, so new social workers [...]

By admin|2012-05-02T11:09:22-04:00May 2nd, 2012|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Health, Youth Justice|

Kentucky Youth Advocates celebrates the following as wins for Kentucky kids in the 2012 General Assembly.

$21 million to reduce social worker caseloads – In response to the high rates of child deaths due to abuse and neglect in Kentucky, Governor Beshear proposed a $21 million increase over the next two years to hire 300 additional state social workers. The final budget passed by the Kentucky General Assembly retained this funding, so new social workers will soon be hired to reduce caseloads and more effectively work to reduce child deaths and [...]

By admin|2012-05-02T09:24:09-04:00May 2nd, 2012|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Education|

“We Are All in This Together”

There has been a lot of buzz, both positive and negative, in the child advocacy world following the publication of the Esquire article, The War Against Youth, by Stephen Marche. I responded in a blog post with my thoughts on how the youngest generation faces tougher hurdles to succeed as adults and why investments in kids are more important than ever. Generations United also responded to the article, concerned that generations were being pitted against one [...]

By Katie Carter|2012-04-26T09:44:35-04:00April 26th, 2012|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Health|

A 2011 Kentucky KIDS COUNT County Data Book Highlight: Low Birthweight Babies

All newborn babies need to start life healthy to ensure proper growth and development. Unfortunately, some babies face increased risk for health and developmental challenges due to being born at a low birthweight (weighing less than 5 lbs. 8 oz.). Serious health problems for low birthweight babies can include developmental and intellectual disabilities, cerebral palsy, and vision and hearing loss. Sadly, low birthweight babies are 25 times more likely than those born at normal weights [...]

By Paul Colwell|2012-04-26T09:41:08-04:00April 26th, 2012|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Health|

New County-Level Economic Well-Being Data Available on the KIDS COUNT Data Center

New economic well-being data has been posted to the KIDS COUNT Data Center, including the average monthly number of children receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits (formerly called food stamps), assistance from the Kentucky Transitional Assistance Program (KTAP) , and those ages 0 – 5 served by the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC). These new data reflect the lingering effects of the recession through 2011. The average monthly number [...]

By Katie Carter|2012-04-19T09:56:38-04:00April 19th, 2012|Blog, Economic Security, Health, Youth Justice|

A State Earned Income Tax Credit Would Have Helped Thousands on Tax Day

Have you filed your taxes yet? I certainly hope so – as we were reminded in countless news stories and in tv commercials that April 15 (or this year, the 17th since the 15th fell on a Sunday) was the due date for taxes. As I worked through my forms, and submitted them online, I kept reflecting on the fact that I was doing my part. My taxes fund infrastructure, programs, and services that almost [...]

By Katie Carter|2012-04-19T09:53:00-04:00April 19th, 2012|Blog, Economic Security|