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Thank You: Wins for Kids in the 2021 General Assembly

The final gavel sounded on the 2021 General Assembly this week! This year, the Governor and the Kentucky General Assembly were tasked with crafting a continuation budget, addressing the systemic injustices that impact our children and families of color, advancing policies to address the COVID-19 pandemic, and other policy priorities that would be good for the communities they represent and the Commonwealth. If we take a second to reflect, that’s a heavy lift in a [...]

By |2021-04-15T16:57:00-04:00March 31st, 2021|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, Medicaid, Race Equity, Youth Justice|
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Statement on Final Budget Passage by the Kentucky General Assembly

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – From the start, the 2021 state budget process was filled with perplexing complexities. One, because the Governor and Kentucky General Assembly were tasked with crafting a continuation budget due to timing constraints brought on by the pandemic during the 2020 legislative session. Two, leaders were faced with tough decisions as Kentucky embraces the ongoing ripple effects of [...]

By |2021-03-31T15:07:13-04:00March 31st, 2021|Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, Medicaid, News Room, Race Equity|
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Guest Post: Prioritizing Oral Health Sets Kids Up for a Healthier, Brighter Future

This post originally appeared as an op-ed in the Herald Leader February 25, 2021. By Dr. Stephanie Poynter It is no secret that Kentucky has historically had a poor reputation when it comes to our dental health. In a recent study ranking states with the best and worst dental health, the Commonwealth ranked 41st in the nation in indicators of dental wellness. We have among the lowest dentists per capita, highest sugar-sweetened beverages consumption, and highest [...]

By |2021-02-25T15:49:52-05:00February 25th, 2021|Blog, Health, Medicaid|
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OP-ED: Synergy Can Be a Game Changer in Frankfort for Kentucky Kids

This post originally appeared as an op-ed in The Courier Journal on January 15, 2021. Oxpeckers and zebras. Oxpeckers are small African birds which count on zebras as their key nutritional sources, eating the ticks that cluster on zebras. And zebras? Well, they depend on oxpeckers as pest control agents. The oxpeckers also make a hissing sound whenever they sense a threat, acting as the zebras’ early warning security system to escape to safer locales [...]

By |2021-01-15T13:26:08-05:00January 15th, 2021|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, Medicaid, Race Equity|
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Updates on 2021 Medicaid Changes for Kentucky Kids and Families

Updated February 3, 2021 January 1st marked the start of new Medicaid plans for 2021. This year, there are several changes and updates to the Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) providing health, oral health, and behavioral health coverage for Kentuckians.  A new MCO, United Healthcare, has been approved and began providing coverage in 2021. Any new Medicaid members who did not select an MCO have been automatically assigned to United Healthcare. United Healthcare has also been [...]

By |2021-02-03T11:33:36-05:00January 14th, 2021|Blog, Health, Medicaid|
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2021 State Budget Update and Call to Action

The legislature has been in session since January 5th and during this time the Governor has shared his budget proposal and the Kentucky House of Representatives filed a continuation version of the budget to expedite the process within this short legislative session. A continuation budget is exactly what it sounds like – how can we maintain, or continue, the state budget that was developed in 2020 into 2021. The Kentucky House and Senate have both [...]

By |2021-01-14T18:40:16-05:00January 14th, 2021|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, Medicaid, Race Equity|
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Statement on Kentucky Senate Passage of State Budget Proposal

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – As the Kentucky General Assembly concludes part one of this short legislative session, the Senate has passed the continuation budget proposal. While the process is advancing swiftly, we are encouraged that this action means leaders in the House and Senate and the Governor can begin negotiations that will ultimately lead to that priority and value proposal that supports [...]

By |2021-01-13T15:26:17-05:00January 13th, 2021|Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, Medicaid, News Room, Race Equity|
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Statement on Kentucky House State Budget Proposal

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – Today’s passage of the state budget proposed by the Kentucky House signals the fast-track nature of the 2021 budget process. As it unfolds, we are encouraged to see a clear focus on Kentucky’s kids and families in the immediate and as our commonwealth addresses the deep impacts of the pandemic. As the state budget discussions continue, Kentucky kids [...]

By |2021-01-11T21:18:14-05:00January 11th, 2021|Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, Medicaid, News Room, Race Equity|
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Statement on Governor Beshear’s 2021 State of the Commonwealth and Budget Address

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – As Governor Andy Beshear shared during tonight’s State of the Commonwealth address, this state budget proposal gives Kentucky families a life preserver in the immediate and is a catalyst to creating a post-pandemic commonwealth where all kids can thrive.  We are pleased to see that this budget embraces commitments that our legislative leaders and Governor share when [...]

By |2021-01-07T20:47:19-05:00January 7th, 2021|Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, Medicaid, News Room, Race Equity, Youth Justice|
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Open Enrollment 2021 is Here!

The 2021 open enrollment period for health insurance began November 2, 2020 and goes through December 15th. Let’s make sure everyone who is eligible signs up for the health insurance they need to stay healthy. Medicaid and the Kentucky Children’s Health Insurance Program (KCHIP) provides free or low-cost health coverage to low-income Kentucky families, pregnant women, and children in foster care. This coverage will provide Kentuckians the access to receive routine health care services and [...]

By |2020-11-12T08:57:14-05:00November 4th, 2020|Blog, Health, Medicaid|
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