Justice Archives - Kentucky Youth Advocates

Five Minutes, Your Feedback, and Brighter Futures for Kentucky Kids

Five Minutes, Your Feedback, and Brighter Futures for Kentucky Kids

We at Kentucky Youth Advocates believe that Kentucky can become the best place in America to be young and that we should settle for nothing less. Over the past several legislative sessions, the Kentucky General Assembly and state government have taken significant steps to improve the lives of children in the Commonwealth, and we are excited about those wins for kids. Yet, we still have a long way to go until all children in Kentucky [...]

By Jessie Whitish| 2018-06-14T10:11:49+00:00 June 14th, 2018|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, Youth Justice|

Bipartisan Wins: An Oxymoron that Works for Kids

Bipartisan Wins: An Oxymoron that Works for Kids

This post originally appeared as an op-ed in the Northern Kentucky Tribune and Kentucky Today. “Bipartisan wins” in Frankfort seems like an oxymoron on the same level as “jumbo shrimp” and “bittersweet.” When reflecting on the recent legislative session, it would be easy to think of 2018 only as the year of placards and protests, accusations and apologies, parliamentary finagles and partisan politics. Yet, when it comes to Kentucky’s kids impacted by abuse or neglect, 2018 [...]

By Terry Brooks| 2018-04-27T09:12:22+00:00 April 26th, 2018|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Health, Justice|

Newly Signed SB 133 Will Minimize the Shared Sentence of Parental Incarceration on Babies

Newly Signed SB 133 Will Minimize the Shared Sentence of Parental Incarceration on Babies

By Clarissa Mobley, Kentucky Youth Advocates intern As Dr. Terry Brooks stated following the final passage of Senate Bill 133, “all children deserve a strong start in life.” Allowing access to drug treatment for a pregnant woman who is incarcerated prioritizes the health and safety of the unborn child. SB 133, sponsored by Senator Julie Raque Adams and signed into law this week by the Governor, is a step in the right direction to ensure [...]

By Kentucky Youth Advocates| 2018-04-12T13:25:33+00:00 April 12th, 2018|Blog, Justice|

Because of Advocates Like You: Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children 2018 Policy Wins

Because of Advocates Like You: Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children 2018 Policy Wins

When it comes to the Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children policy priorities, kids won in Frankfort during the 2018 legislative session. Because of advocates like you, the following Blueprint priorities are awaiting the Governor’s signature: HB 1. Every child deserves a family, and House Bill 1—sponsored by Representatives David Meade and Joni Jenkins—upholds that ideal by strengthening supports to help keep families together safely and, when that’s not possible, addressing timelines for adoption cases so that [...]

By Jessie Whitish| 2018-04-04T11:29:07+00:00 April 4th, 2018|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice|

Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks on KY House and Senate Passing the Budget

Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks on KY House and Senate Passing the Budget

Contact: Mara Powell 502-895-8167 *122 mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates In the best of times, crafting a budget is a complicated and difficult challenge. In these times of fiscal constraints, growing needs, and a less than certain economic future, crafting a budget is about making the toughest of decisions. As we think about the proposed budget and Kentucky’s kids, and given the tight budget constraints, it is important [...]

By Mara Powell| 2018-04-02T20:40:19+00:00 April 2nd, 2018|Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, News Room|

Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks on SB 137 Passing Kentucky House

Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks on SB 137 Passing Kentucky House

Contact: Mara Powell 502-895-8167 *122 mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates Children rely on the adults in their lives to keep them safe. A bill to allow information that a child shares with a trustworthy adult to be considered for testimony in court moved one step closer to being signed into law today with its passage in the full Kentucky House. We applaud the Kentucky House for their continued [...]

By Mara Powell| 2018-03-29T11:00:09+00:00 March 29th, 2018|Child Welfare & Safety, Justice, News Room|

Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks on SB 133 Passing Kentucky House

Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks on SB 133 Passing Kentucky House

Contact: Mara Powell 502-895-8167 *122 mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates All children deserve a strong start in life, and Senate Bill 133, championed by Senator Julie Raque Adams, makes the health of Kentucky kids a priority even before birth. We applaud the Kentucky House for prioritizing the future health, safety, and overall well-being of the unborn children affected by substance use by supporting pregnant inmates seeking treatment with [...]

By Mara Powell| 2018-03-29T10:51:59+00:00 March 29th, 2018|Health, Justice, News Room|

New Moms, New Opportunities

New Moms, New Opportunities

By Jennifer Hancock, President and CEO of Volunteers of America Mid-States When Emilee’s nine-month old son is restless or crying, he hears a familiar song. “Who built the ark? Noah did.” Noah likes to hear his name, so he usually smiles and calms down. That an adorable baby boy enjoys hearing a song with his name in it might not be so unusual. What makes this familiar song special is that it is often sung [...]

By Kentucky Youth Advocates| 2018-03-29T20:40:12+00:00 March 28th, 2018|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Health, Justice|

Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks on SB 137 Passing House Judiciary Committee

Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks on SB 137 Passing House Judiciary Committee

Contact: Mara Powell 502-895-8167 *122 mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates When adults are held accountable in the court system, we keep kids safer now from abuse and prevent future abuse from occurring. We applaud the House Judiciary Committee for passing Senate Bill 137, which addresses abuse and protects future victims by giving judges the option to allow testimony from a trustworthy adult to whom a child has disclosed [...]

By Mara Powell| 2018-03-22T11:30:13+00:00 March 22nd, 2018|Child Welfare & Safety, Justice, News Room|

Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks on SB 133 Passing House Judiciary Committee

Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks on SB 133 Passing House Judiciary Committee

Contact: Mara Powell 502-895-8167 *122 mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates Three out of five inmates in Kentucky have children, including 71% of women in custody, and we cannot think about parental incarceration without acknowledging the shared sentence it has on so many children. We applaud Senator Julie Raque Adams for championing Senate Bill 133, which takes strong steps to improve outcomes of pregnant inmates and their babies and [...]

By Mara Powell| 2018-03-21T13:21:38+00:00 March 21st, 2018|Justice, News Room|

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