The Kinship Caregivers’ Authorization Form in Action

Three weeks ago we posted the Caregiver’s Authorization Affidavit on our blog to help Kentucky kinship caregivers access health care and education for children. Once it was available to the public on our website, the form was electronically distributed statewide. The tool was developed to help relative caregivers easily create an affidavit on their own, without having to consult an attorney due to the financial implications that can have on the caregiver. Just days after the release of [...]

By |2014-11-20T09:51:55-05:00November 20th, 2014|Blog, Economic Security, Education, Health|

We Need a Two-Generation Approach to End Poverty

Yesterday, we joined the Annie E. Casey Foundation in releasing a new KIDS COUNT® policy report Creating Opportunity for Families:  A Two-Generation Approach. The report focuses on America’s 10 million low-income families with young children living below 200 percent of the federal poverty level. The report makes the case that a child’s success is tied to the family’s stability and well-being. The impact of poverty on children’s healthy development, educational attainment, future employment prospects, and financial security has [...]

By |2014-11-13T09:46:27-05:00November 13th, 2014|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Kids Count|

Medicaid Coverage for Youth Aging Out of Foster Care

Recently I had a conversation with a case worker who worked with foster care youth. She expressed her concerns about a young adult on her caseload who was about to age out of foster care. She shared that the child experienced significant trauma prior to being placed in the foster care system but had made miraculous improvements as a result of a loving foster family and access to physical and mental health services. “But, I’m [...]

By |2014-11-06T12:37:28-05:00November 6th, 2014|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Health|

Get Ready for 2015 at a Step Up for Kids Regional Conference!

The 2015 legislative session is almost here. Do you feel prepared to advocate for Kentucky's children beginning on January 6th? If you want to equip yourself with the knowledge and tools you need to help children have a voice in Frankfort, attend a Step Up for Kids regional conference! Child advocates and policymakers are gathering across Kentucky to learn about the 2015 Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children Agenda and prepare for the Annual Children’s Advocacy Day at [...]

November 4th is Nigh!

November mornings in Kentucky are as divisive as a UK/UL basketball game. On one day, as dawn breaks and the sun glistens effortlessly across the dew soaked bluegrass, you are reminded of the subtle beauty of life’s simple pleasures. Meanwhile, on the very next day, as the crisp air whirls dead leaves amidst a dense dreary haze, you instantly regret leaving the comforts of a warm bed. Regardless of what type of morning it is [...]

New Tool Available to Help Kentucky Kinship Caregivers Access Health Care and Education for Children

More than 59,000 children in Kentucky are being raised by grandparents and other relatives – known as kinship care. The majority of these kinship family arrangements are informal, and oftentimes relatives do not have legal custody or guardianship of the children. This can make it difficult when it comes time for kinship caregivers to enroll children in school or access educational services or health care for them. Often, relatives step in to help stabilize the situation [...]

By |2014-10-28T12:15:07-04:00October 28th, 2014|Blog, Economic Security, Education, Health|

National Report Shows Need for Continued Investments in Child Care Assistance for Kentucky Families

Yesterday, the National Women’s Law Center released the state-by-state report, Turning the Corner: State Child Care Assistance Policies 2014. The report examines five critical factors that determine the affordability, accessibility and quality of child care assistance for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Turning the Corner: State Child Care Assistance Policies 2014 compares data from February 2014 to data from February 2013 and 2001 on income eligibility, waiting lists for assistance, copayments required of [...]

By |2014-10-23T10:16:48-04:00October 23rd, 2014|Blog, Economic Security|

Congress and KCHIP

This post originally appeared as an Op-Ed in The Courier Journal. You can view it online here. As the November election nears, effective, bipartisan action in Congress can sometimes feel like a lofty and unattainable ideal. Political ads remind us several times a day of the divide amongst political parties. Yet, we have a strong example of a bipartisan policy that has been effective at delivering quality health insurance to children in the way states [...]

By |2014-10-20T10:59:42-04:00October 20th, 2014|Blog, Economic Security, Health|

Fall: A Season of Change, Hope, and Preparation

Why do people love fall so much? The changing leaves. Pumpkin flavored everything. Chilly air. And for me, time to pull out those scarves and boots. I’ve often wondered what the appeal of fall is and my best conclusion is that it brings a sense of change and hope. For us at Kentucky Youth Advocates, fall is a season where we start to prepare for the Kentucky legislative session that begins in January. We release [...]

2015 Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children: Let’s Make It Happen!

A couple weeks ago, I shared with my 2nd grade son that I was going to a strategic planning meeting to talk about how to make things better for the community. My son enthusiastically asked if he could go too. The idea of being a part of figuring out how to make things better for something he cared about excited him. I had to break the news to him that the meeting was during the [...]

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