Kids cannot vote, but you can ensure that their voices are heard by engaging with candidates in local, state, and federal elections. The local, state, and federal leaders we elect determine policy that will impact our daily lives for what may be generations to come. But how often do we pause to consider–specifically–how our choices at the ballot box will impact us, and particularly young children who depend on us to make the right [...]
By Sarah Vanover and Valerie Frost While the first Benefit Cliffs Task Force meeting centered around what other states were doing to address the benefits cliff, as well as what resources were already available in Kentucky, the second meeting reviewed what happens to a family when they lose child care subsidy and the impact of child care to the Kentucky workforce. Kentucky Youth Advocates, in collaboration with Metro United Way and the Prichard Committee, presented [...]
Although the US Congress has now passed its Inflation Reduction Act, the bill did not include many of the family supports that were initially anticipated. The bill included affordable health care coverage; however, it left out essentials like affordable child care, extension of the child tax credit, and expanding paid family leave for new parents, kinship situations and foster youth. The need for accessible, affordable child care is growing every day, and child care owners [...]
For over 15 years advocates for kids gathered in Frankfort for Children’s Advocacy Day at the Capitol to fill the halls of the Capitol and ask their elected officials to step up for Kentucky kids. The critical mass of advocates in the Capitol building led to many policy wins and raising awareness of issues facing kids and their families. More recently, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we've transitioned to Children's Advocacy WEEK with a [...]
By Brittani Carlton, Intern at Kentucky Youth Advocates Thousands of young adults exit foster care, often without the preparation or support they need to succeed in adulthood. With limited resources and services, their paths can lead to homelessness, more trauma, and economic disadvantage. It is imperative to listen to the voices who have endured these experiences and traumas in order to provide advocacy that is relevant to the needs of the individuals in and aging [...]
Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org 502-895-8167 X122 Kentucky Ranks 37th in Child Well-Being with Too Many Children Suffering from Mental Health Pandemic Latest data show 16% of Kentucky kids face anxiety or depression, as effects of the coronavirus crisis linger, Annie E. Casey Foundation finds LOUISVILLE— The latest available data show that as the COVID-19 pandemic began impacting Kentucky and the rest of the nation, the Commonwealth was showing progress in some areas of child [...]
On Tuesday, July 26th, Kentucky’s Early Childhood Task Force met for the second time. The focus of this meeting was to review the impact that child care has on Kentucky’s business community. Sandy Nott, the Vice President of Administration from Toyota’s Georgetown plant, and Twila Burdette, the Director of Rockcastle Hospital’s Child Development Center, both spoke about how having child care for their employees is an incentive to attract new talent to their businesses. Ms. [...]
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates the cost of prescription opioid misuse in the United States is $78.5 billion a year, including health care, lost productivity, addiction treatment and criminal justice. In 2017, approximately 2.2 million children were directly affected by parental opioid use or their own use, and we know that Kentucky children have been particularly hard hit. There is a clear connection of adult and adolescent opioid use to childhood [...]
For many people, receiving a raise, promotion, or new job opportunity is something to celebrate. However, for families utilizing public benefits, a raise in wages can often be met with anxiety around what that raise will mean for their benefits and overall ability to provide for their families. The benefits cliff refers to the sudden decrease in public benefits that often occurs when recipients get a small increase in earnings. This cliff has consistently been [...]
Many of you advocated for the 2022 Blueprint for Kentucky's Children policy and budget priorities through legislative meetings, social media posts, attended Children’s Advocacy Week, called or emailed your legislators, and so much more throughout the 2022 legislative session. Your critical efforts paid off with legislative wins for children and positive investments in the state budget. Many new state laws go into effect 90 days after the last day of legislative session unless the bill [...]
