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Former Foster Youth and Open Enrollment

2017 Open Enrollment Period for health insurance begins November 1, 2016!  Let’s make sure everyone who is eligible signs up for health insurance. Also beginning November 1st is National Adoption Month, and we must remember those children whom were never adopted. Compared to youth in permanent families, youth who age out of foster care have disproportionately high rates of serious physical, mental, and behavioral health issues. They are more likely to have health issues that [...]

By |2016-10-31T15:41:43-04:00October 31st, 2016|Blog, Health|
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Investing in What Works – For Kids, For Families and For Communities

Kentucky has seen substantial progress in the past couple of years on the number of youth locked up in Kentucky. As Justice Cabinet Secretary John Tilley shared in a recent interview, we’ve safely reduced the youth prison population by half by focusing on community-based services. This matters for kids, because research shows that adolescence is a time when children’s brains are still under construction and the architecture of the brain is being built. The trauma [...]

By |2016-10-27T20:52:47-04:00October 27th, 2016|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Youth Justice|
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How Does Kentucky Measure Up on Key Child Care Policies?

A new report examining statewide child care policies recognizes Kentucky as one of 31 states that has improved on key policies, yet finds that too many families nationwide are not receiving the help they need to thrive. The need for a better child care infrastructure to support working families is drawing attention from both presidential candidates, and there’s good reason. Simply put, child care helps children, families, and communities prosper. High quality child care gives [...]

By |2016-10-26T11:10:15-04:00October 26th, 2016|Blog, Economic Security, Education|
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Even With More Access to Care, Children Still Face Pressing Oral Health Needs

Kentucky Youth Advocates is excited to co-release a new study today in partnership with Delta Dental of Kentucky. The report Making Smiles Happen: 2016 Oral Health Study of Kentucky’s Youth presents findings of the first oral health surveillance study of Kentucky children in 15 years. The report was released today at the Interim Joint Committee on Health and Welfare in Frankfort, Kentucky. We extend gratitude and appreciation to Delta Dental of Kentucky for being the [...]

By |2016-10-19T11:33:15-04:00October 19th, 2016|Blog, Health|
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Using Data to Make a Difference

In the work that we do, it is imperative that we use data to inform our decisions and help children and their families access the resources they need. But with so many different tools and resources, it can be hard to find trusted information. That’s where the Data Center comes in. The Annie E. Casey Foundation’s KIDS COUNT Data Center contains thousands of child well-being indicators related to education, poverty, health, and youth risk factors. [...]

By |2016-10-18T09:58:32-04:00October 18th, 2016|Blog, Kids Count|
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Consistency, Communication, and Collaboration: Making School Resource Officers Work Best for Student Safety and Success

School Resource Officers (SRO), or law enforcement officers working in the school, were created to improve the safety of schools in response to school shootings. After years of being in place, we’ve learned what works for student safety and success, as well as pitfalls that create unintended consequences. This fall, the Juvenile Justice Oversight Council (JJOC) discussed ways Kentucky can improve the role of School Resource Officers in schools to address safety needs without unintended [...]

By |2016-10-13T13:45:26-04:00October 13th, 2016|Blog, Education, Youth Justice|
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Guest Post: Coping with Parental Incarceration

Photo Credit: Lafayierre Mitchell, YouthBuild Louisville student By Nikkia Rhodes and Judi Jennings This summer, Nikkia Rhodes and 10 more young people participated in a five-day Summer Art Camp held at YouthBuild Louisville for friends and families with incarcerated loved ones. The Special Project created the camp as a way to address the impacts of incarceration that the Annie E. Casey Foundation describes in a recent report, A Shared Sentence: The Devastating Toll [...]

By |2016-10-11T11:36:56-04:00October 11th, 2016|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety|
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Why are Kentucky’s Kids Continuing to Die from Abuse and Neglect?

Children should never be just numbers in a report. Especially when those numbers are about kids who have died or suffered serious injury as a result of abuse or neglect. Every child deserves to be safe from harm, yet the sad reality is that many kids are not. Last week the Department for Community Based Services (DCBS) released their annual report on child fatalities and near fatalities due to abuse and neglect. The report looks at several [...]

By |2016-10-06T14:19:32-04:00October 6th, 2016|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety|
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Transitioning from kynect to HealthCare.Gov: What We Know

As advocates for children and families in Kentucky, we know that all children need access to affordable health care to help make sure they stay healthy. We are watching the transition from kynect to the federal health care exchange (known as healthcare.gov) closely to understand what it means for Kentucky kids and families. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently sent a letter to Governor Bevin’s Administration in which they come to an [...]

By |2016-10-06T13:59:24-04:00October 6th, 2016|Blog, Health|
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Save the Date! 2017 Children’s Advocacy Day at the Capitol on February 9th

Join us for the 13th Annual Children’s Advocacy Day at the Capitol! Nearly 1,000 youth and adults attended Children’s Advocacy Day in 2016, and we need you to help pack the rotunda and ask elected officials to prioritize kids in the 2017 legislative session. Join us on February 9, 2017. Children’s Advocacy Day at the Capitol began in 2004 as an effort to unite advocates from across the state to raise their voices on behalf of [...]

By |2016-10-03T09:34:18-04:00October 3rd, 2016|Blog|
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