A “one size fits all” approach works much better for some situations than others. A “one size fits all” hat with an adjustable strap, for example, could work for all. A “one size fits all” pair of shoes, on the other hand, wouldn’t work for most. And a “one size fits all” approach doesn’t work well in our youth justice system. Changes that have been implemented in recent months in juvenile court reflect that sentiment, and youth [...]
April is Child Abuse Prevention Month and Kentucky Youth Advocates is a proud partner of the Face It® Movement to End Child Abuse. The Face It Movement was conceived and created in 2012 as a response to the public outcry against the increasing number of child abuse deaths in the Commonwealth, and it officially launched in April 2013 as an initiative led by Kosair Charities®. Face It directly addresses the unacceptable incidences of child abuse [...]
The 2017 legislative session recently wrapped up, and kids and families won on several fronts. The General Assembly took action on a number of Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children legislative priorities ranging from supporting children who have to be removed from their home due to abuse and neglect to promoting work when people return home from incarceration – a critical piece for the many Kentucky children who have had a parent incarcerated. Advocates are celebrating several [...]
This post originally appeared as a blog on the Face It Movement to end child abuse website. By Erin Warmbier Being a parent is a lesson in “Things Not Going As Planned,” and also a lesson in “Being Humbled Around Complete Strangers.” When I think about times that I failed as a parent I honestly think “Boy! There are so many to choose from! Which one?” The time I was working the church nursery check-in [...]
This post originally appeared as an op-ed in the Courier Journal on March 29, 2017. By Jerry Ward Spring in Louisville means that more than simply horses run. A quick perusal of the local running calendar reveals over 20 marathons, mini-marathons and other kinds of long-distance races from April through June. We at Kosair Charities are running our own marathon. It is not the 26 miles, 385 yards that make up that classic race; instead, it is a [...]
By Alexandra Arachikavitz The General Assembly passed a bill that will allow youth to expunge additional juvenile records and help kids get back on track. When kids get back on track, we must help them be prepared to succeed in the future as adults. Their records should not hold them back from opportunities to learn by attending a college or trade school, get a good job, and contribute to their communities. During the 2016 legislative [...]
Children’s health is touched deeply and pervasively by where they live, learn, and play – long before they get to the doctor’s office or dentist’s chair. This week, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute released their annual County Health Rankings. This easy-to-use snapshot compares counties within states to show that where you live influences how well and how long you live. The local level data makes it clear that [...]
A bill to support one of the most vulnerable groups of children in Kentucky – children with an incarcerated parent – cleared its final hurdle this week. The Kentucky Senate concurred with changes made by the House, and SB 120, sponsored by Senator Whitney Westerfield, is now off to the Governor’s desk for signature. SB 120 emerged from the work of Governor Bevin’s Criminal Justice Policy Assessment Council that was created to identify policy solutions [...]
Throughout this legislative session we have celebrated many champions—legislators for sponsoring bills, Blueprint partners for spreading the word about kids’ issues, advocates for calling their elected officials on behalf of kids, and more—but another group of champions deserves our applause: the kids themselves. Young leaders have been vital throughout the legislative session in initiating legislation, communicating with decision-makers, and rallying for results. You will hear from the youth themselves in blogs in the coming weeks, [...]
A common principle exists in the medical field that physicians should “first, do no harm.” A new journal article by the American Academy of Pediatrics draws to light the need for that principle to be applied in the youth justice field as we hold youth accountable for the behavior that brings them into the youth justice system. The research has been clear for years that locking up youth can disrupt a child's development just as [...]
