Announcing the Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children 2021 Policy Priorities

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Announcing the Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children 2021 Policy Priorities Louisville, KY – Today, Kentucky Youth Advocates and partners from across the commonwealth are launching the Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children’s 2021 policy and budget priorities. The Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children is a coalition of non-profit, public, and private organizations that stands on three pillars: thriving communities launch strong families, strong families launch successful kids, and successful kids launch a prosperous future for [...]

OP-ED: Remote Learning Exposes Deep Digital Divide Hurting Kids Across Kentucky

This post originally appeared as an op-ed in the Courier Journal November 19, 2020. By Dr. Kish Cumi Price and Alicia Sells One of the longest-lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic may be the loss of education opportunities for children across our commonwealth. While undertaken for the public health of our communities, school closures and shifts to remote learning have presented numerous, ongoing challenges for students. These range from loss of face-to-face interactions with teachers and peers, [...]

By |2020-11-23T14:09:20-05:00November 23rd, 2020|Blog, Education, Kids Count, Race Equity|

OP-ED: Let’s Flip the Destiny for Kentucky Kids

This post originally appeared as an op-ed in the Courier Journal November 19, 2020.  Jyoti Arora in You Came Like Hope asserts, “it takes only a moment for the destiny to flip over.” The haunting message emanating from the 2020 Kentucky KIDS COUNT County Data Book is that far too many boys and girls in the Commonwealth had their destiny flip the moment they were born. Because of the zip code in which they live. Because of [...]

2020 Kentucky KIDS COUNT County Data Book: A Look at the Impacts of the “Dual Pandemics” on Kentucky Children and Families

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org   2020 Kentucky KIDS COUNT County Data Book: A Look at the Impacts of the “Dual Pandemics” on Kentucky Children and Families Featuring the latest county-level data for key measure of child well-being Louisville, KY – The 2020 Kentucky KIDS COUNT County Data Book examines the impacts of the dual pandemics of COVID-19 and systemic racial injustice on children and families with data disaggregated by race/ethnicity. The 30th edition of this [...]

Understanding Trauma and Practicing Self-Care to Build Resiliency

By Emily Burden and Kayce Dallas, MSSW interns at Kentucky Youth Advocates Trauma has no boundaries. A baby who grew up with domestic violence in their home has experienced a traumatic event. A child who has been sexually abused has experienced a traumatic event. A youth who survived a severe hurricane has experienced a traumatic event. Because trauma can impact anyone, it is important that we approach individuals with a trauma-informed care lens. It's also important [...]

By |2020-10-23T11:03:23-04:00October 22nd, 2020|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Education|

Congress, “Pay Attention to the Road” and Invest in Kids NOW!

The actress Andie MacDowell observes what we all know. She suggests, “We've become such a multitasking society that just paying attention to the road doesn't seem to be that important anymore. I have to remind my kids all the time that that's what you're supposed to be doing in the car.” MacDowell’s assertion is surely true when it comes to parents and paying attention to the road of home life. In this pandemic, working remotely, [...]

By |2020-10-01T14:15:25-04:00September 30th, 2020|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health|

Good News! Pandemic-EBT Benefits Have Been Extended

February 26, 2021 update: find the latest P-EBT information in this post. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, food security continues to be a top priority for many Kentucky families. Last school year, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) approved Pandemic-EBT to allow families of Kentucky students to receive money for groceries to replace meals missed at school due to distance learning during the pandemic. The USDA has now approved Kentucky to provide Pandemic-EBT to students [...]

By |2021-02-26T16:00:25-05:00September 28th, 2020|Blog, Education, Health|

Statement on Bill Filing to Enact Paid Family Leave for State Employees

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates The word “unicorn” is more than those one-horned flying horses my granddaughter loves, more than the term applied to start-up tech companies that boomed in 1990s, and more than unicorn quarterback Lamar Jackson – it is anything that is rare and valuable. Today we joined diverse community partners in an announcement about a unicorn of a public policy proposal – [...]

Save the Dates: Children’s Advocacy Week at the Capitol February 1st-5th

For 16 years advocates for kids have gathered in Frankfort for Children’s Advocacy Day at the Capitol. On Children’s Advocacy Day, advocates fill the halls of the Capitol and ask their elected officials to step up for Kentucky kids—leading to many policy wins and building awareness of issues facing kids and their families. Children’s Advocacy Day is critical to building a brighter future for Kentucky kids. Amidst COVID-19, the strains on families, communities, and the [...]

Child Care: State Offers Some Limited Relief and Now It is Time for Congress to Act

On August 31st, Governor Beshear announced a number of measures intended to provide some relief to Kentucky’s child care providers and the kids and families who rely on them. Let’s be clear – there are no magic wands when it comes to the challenges presented by COVID-19 for the child care sector. The announcement represents a commendable and unenviable job of listening to providers, listening to families, and taking steps to prop up the fundamental, [...]

By |2020-09-10T15:17:30-04:00September 9th, 2020|Blog, Economic Security, Education|
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