Blog – Page 163 – Kentucky Youth Advocates

Action Alert: Potential Cuts to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

The US Senate Agriculture Committee is poised to release its farm bill over the next several days and we need to make sure that their bill protects and strengthens critical hunger-relief programs. People all across Kentucky are struggling to put food on the table. With unemployment expected to remain above 8 percent this year and long-term unemployment still at record highs, programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Temporary Emergency Food Assistance [...]

By admin|2012-04-18T10:00:30-04:00April 18th, 2012|Blog, Economic Security|

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

Healthy growth and development in children begins before birth. In fact, the most important predictor of a child’s survival and health is the length of gestation. Babies born preterm (before 37 weeks of pregnancy) face a higher risk of long-term disabilities, including intellectual and developmental disabilities, cerebral palsy, lung problems, and vision and hearing loss. After watching the number of preterm births in Kentucky increase for more than a decade, preliminary data suggest the Commonwealth’s [...]

By Paul Colwell|2012-04-12T10:06:08-04:00April 12th, 2012|Blog, Economic Security, Health|

Community Meeting: Ending the School-to-Prison Pipeline

Students who are disciplined through suspensions or expulsion don’t just miss valuable instructional time during their time away from the classroom. It also perpetuates their academic failures and can even lead to withdrawal from school altogether. Research indicates there is a correlation between high suspension rates, increased achievement gaps, drop-out rates and even entrance to the juvenile justice system. So, instead of disciplining our children in school by pulling them from the classroom, let’s turn [...]

By admin|2012-04-11T10:13:23-04:00April 11th, 2012|Blog, Education, Youth Justice|

Ten Year Campaign to End Child Abuse

Kosair Charities, Kentucky Youth Advocates and several other organizations that provide services to victims of abuse will be launching a ten-year campaign to end child abuse and neglect. That announcement was made last Thursday at Family & Children’s Place’s Annual Child Abuse Prevention Month rally at Louisville Slugger Field. In 2013, Kosair Charities will celebrate its 90th anniversary, and they hope to eradicate child abuse throughout the region before celebrating their centennial in 2023. During [...]

By admin|2012-04-11T10:09:36-04:00April 11th, 2012|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety|

The War Against Youth

I don’t make a habit of reading Esquire. It’s a magazine for men and I don’t fit their demographic. Still, this fascinating article in the April issue, “The War Against Youth,” by Stephen Marche, came through my work email by way of a couple different sources (both men), and caught my attention. As a relatively young person (under 30) in the child advocacy world, this article had implications both for my work and for my [...]

By Katie Carter|2012-04-05T10:15:13-04:00April 5th, 2012|Blog, Economic Security|

County Health Ranking and Roadmaps: Measuring our Health and Mapping our Prosperity

I often find myself visiting local communities for health related meetings where, despite the specific topic, discussions almost always center around one basic question, “How can we improve the health of our community?” The topics range from obesity to oral health to Medicaid managed care but in general, these communities are working to improve overall health outcomes in their community. I usually end up asking myself two questions when in those meetings: 1) Where does [...]

By Andrea Bennett|2012-04-03T10:24:59-04:00April 3rd, 2012|Blog, Economic Security, Health|

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|2012-04-02T11:22:08-04:00April 2nd, 2012|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety|

You Can Make a Difference During Child Abuse Prevention Month

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month – a time to pause and remember the effects that child abuse has on our most precious citizens, to recognize the impact it has on all of us, and to commit to doing our part to eliminate it. According to state child protective services, more than 17,000 Kentucky children were victims of abuse or neglect in 2011. But, we know that that number is actually higher. Not all [...]

By admin|2012-03-29T09:21:51-04:00March 29th, 2012|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety|

Become a Member of the Kentucky Oral Health Coalition

On Wednesday, March 7, 2012 over 70 dental professionals, public health professionals, local coalition members, advocates, policymakers, educators, and others gathered in Frankfort, Kentucky for the launch of the Kentucky Oral Health Coalition. The meeting was packed with networking among diverse stakeholders, discussions on coalition priorities, and excitement for next steps. The mission of the Kentucky Oral Health Coalition is to “Improve the oral health of all people of Kentucky” and the vision is that [...]

By admin|2012-03-28T11:08:02-04:00March 28th, 2012|Blog, Health|

Action Alert: Last Week of the Legislative Session, Make a Call for Kentucky’s Kids

Like us, you have probably been encouraged to see state leaders begin to take action to address child fatalities due to abuse and neglect. But time is running out, and no bills to address the issue have passed the legislature yet. The following three child welfare related bills have a final shot at passage this session, and legislators need to hear from you. With one three minute phone call TODAY, you can leave a message [...]

By admin|2012-03-26T10:35:16-04:00March 26th, 2012|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety|