For most Kentuckians, March brings up thoughts of basketball and brackets. For our school nutrition professionals and students, however, March is the home of National Nutrition Month. The USDA school nutrition programs, like the National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs, are a slam dunk for Kentucky kids, ensuring they have access to at least two meals a day during the school year. With over 1 in 6 Kentucky kids not having enough to [...]
Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – As the ramifications of Senate Bill 150 with pieces of House Bill 470 in an amendment are dissected, reasonable folks from across the political spectrum agree on several tenets. First, this is not a Kentucky measure – the genesis of this measure springs from a national agenda of fearmongering. Secondly, gender affirming care is not about a [...]
Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – Senate Bill 65 in its final form took a much needed and long-awaited rate increase for dental providers and left it steeped in ambiguity. It rips newly added access to critical dental services for some 900,000 vulnerable Kentuckians. And it will ensure that the Commonwealth continues to languish as one of the top five worst states for oral health in [...]
Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – With passage by the Kentucky House today, Senate Bill 135 has received its final passage before it heads to the Governor’s desk for signature – good news for new parents and their babies. In Kentucky, over 90% of maternal deaths are considered preventable and more than 25% have mental health conditions as a contributing factor. State data [...]
Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – Today's vote by the Senate Families & Children Committee to advance House Bill 470 with Senator Max Wise’s committee substitute is a sad reminder of the trajectory of the General Assembly when it comes to kids and mental health this legislative session. Only a few years ago, Senate Bill 1 of 2019 – architected by Senator Wise himself [...]
Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – Today, we’re celebrating as the House Families & Children Committee passes Senate Bill 135 to strengthen mental health supports postpartum. Maternal health and well-being play a key role in the healthy development of a child at every stage. As SB 135 advances to the House floor for final consideration, the Commonwealth is one step closer to ensuring new [...]
Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – Today was a seminal moment in the Kentucky House. The question at hand: Is the House committed to all of Kentucky's kids or just some of Kentucky's kids? We are appreciative of the "NO" votes on HB 470 from the House Democratic caucus members to be sure. And a special thanks is merited for those House Republicans who also [...]
If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988. Everyone has had struggles over the past few years, but kids have been hit especially hard. During the pandemic, life was upended for them, and it has furthered the increase in mental health concerns among children and youth. For instance, in 2020, 15.9% of children and teens struggled with anxiety or depression, and in 2022, as many [...]
As we welcome Spring and warmer weather, we also see the end of a Public Health Emergency (PHE) declared in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. This declaration brought with it several changes to public benefit programs – including Medicaid and the Kentucky Children’s Health Insurance Program (KCHIP). One of the biggest changes for those with Medicaid and CHIP coverage was continuous enrollment – this means that for more than 3 years, individuals have [...]
Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – Parents need to be healthy, have access to the care and services they need, and have the necessary resources to meet basic needs throughout their pregnancy, birth, and after welcoming a new child. And the reality is, at least 1 in 8 women experience postpartum depression, which impacts the growth and development of their baby, too. Effectively [...]
