OP-ED: Leave No One Behind – Anywhere, Anytime

This post originally appeared as an op-ed in the Courier Journal on November 11, 2021. By Dr. Terry Brooks Leave no one behind. That is a foundational ethical commitment of the U.S. military, even embedded in the Airman and Soldier Creeds. More recently, it is the clarion tag line of the United Nations’ Sustainability Initiative around poverty. It should become a nonnegotiable promise Kentucky makes to every one of our little boys and girls. But currently that [...]

By |2021-11-11T13:29:15-05:00November 11th, 2021|Blog, Economic Security, Kids Count, Race Equity|

October 2021 Update on the KY Commission on Race and Access to Opportunity

Read about the September meeting of the Commission on Race and Opportunity here.  The Commission on Race and Access to Opportunity held an October meeting featuring presentations from the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce and the Prichard Committee. These groups presented on topics ranging from the workforce and economic opportunity to education and discipline.  The Kentucky Chamber of Commerce’s presentation walked through the Chamber’s racial equity report that was released earlier this year, Achieving Equity to [...]

Launch of the 2021 Kentucky KIDS COUNT County Data Book

Kentucky Youth Advocates has launched the 31st edition of the Kentucky KIDS COUNT County Data Book! The 2021 County Data Book examines data disaggregated by race/ethnicity, the impacts of systemic racial injustice on children and families, and solutions to advance racial equity so that every child can thrive. The publication features the latest data on 17 measures of child well-being, showing whether outcomes for children across the commonwealth have improved, worsened, or stayed the same over a five-year period. [...]

2021 Kentucky KIDS COUNT County Data Book: A Look at Data Trends and Solutions to Advance Racial Equity in the Commonwealth

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org 2021 Kentucky KIDS COUNT County Data Book: A Look at Data Trends and Solutions to Advance Racial Equity in the Commonwealth Featuring the latest county-level data for key measures of child well-being Louisville, KY – Kentucky will be strongest when all children have their best chance to thrive. The 2021 Kentucky KIDS COUNT County Data Book examines data disaggregated by race/ethnicity, the impacts of systemic racial injustice on children and families, [...]

Mark Your Calendars: Children’s Advocacy Week January 18th-21st

For 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.   And then? COVID-19 forced the cancellation of in-person events across the globe, including the 2021 Children’s Advocacy Day. Kentucky kids needed advocates more than ever before, [...]

Bolstering the Early Childhood Workforce: Good for Kentucky Families, Child Care Centers, and Economy

In this week’s Advocate Virtual Forum, we covered one of this year’s hottest topics: compensation for early childhood educators. Panelists Laura Hogan with National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), Brenda Hagan with the Governor’s Office of Early Childhood, Jennifer Washburn with iKids Childhood Enrichment Center, and Kevin Fields with Louisville Central Community Centers discussed the challenge’s child care providers are facing, issues facing the early childhood workforce, and potential solutions to common workforce [...]

By |2021-10-14T14:53:29-04:00October 14th, 2021|Blog, Economic Security, Education|

The Impacts of the Child Tax Credit Now and in the Future

Check out our previous blog posts on the federal Child Tax Credit 2021 from May and June. Starting July 15th, over 1 million Kentucky families began receiving monthly payments through the expanded federal Child Tax Credit. This expanded Child Tax Credit is estimated to reduce childhood poverty by 49 percent in Kentucky and has already helped families across the Commonwealth fulfill their basic needs, such as putting food on the table.  Eligible families should see [...]

By |2021-10-07T15:18:02-04:00October 7th, 2021|Blog, Economic Security, Health|

September is Hunger Awareness Month and We Need Your Voice

As we continue to navigate the lasting impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, food insecurity remains a challenge that many Americans are facing. September is Hunger Awareness Month, offering a chance to reflect on the hunger rates among children and their families, and explore the opportunities for policy changes that will support all Americans in accessing healthy food for their families.   Throughout the pandemic, the U.S. Census Bureau has been collecting weekly data on food security through their Household [...]

By |2021-09-21T17:51:32-04:00September 21st, 2021|Blog, Economic Security, Health|

Statement on the Impact of the 2021 Kentucky General Assembly Special Session on Kids

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – Last week’s special session entered our minds and news feeds as quickly as it has now disappeared. Alongside the Beshear Administration and members of the General Assembly, we will continue to assess the results with an eye towards the 2022 legislative session and two-year state budget. As we shared in our initial statement on the special session, [...]

Recapping the 2021 Special Session & Impact on Kids

Last week’s special session entered our minds and news feeds as quickly as it has now disappeared. Alongside the Beshear Administration and members of the General Assembly, we will continue to assess the results with an eye for the 2022 legislative session and two-year state budget. As we shared in our statement on the special session, there is no group of Kentuckians that deserves decisive action more than our young people – and the good [...]

By |2021-09-21T11:55:20-04:00September 16th, 2021|Blog, Economic Security, Education, Health|
Go to Top