Statement on Passage of House Bill 318 by House Judiciary Committee

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director, Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – An effective system of juvenile justice seeks two primary goals: public safety and rehabilitating youth who have broken the law, which is fundamental to public safety. A recent independent evaluation of changes to diversion practices in Kentucky found that policies resulting from Senate Bill 200 of 2014 has kept kids out of the system, and crucially, they did not return [...]

By |2022-03-09T15:24:43-05:00March 9th, 2022|News Room, Race Equity, Youth Justice|

Statement on House Bill 7 to Implement Public Assistance Reforms

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director, Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – As is the case in most omnibus pieces of legislation, House Bill 7 is a mixed bag. There are good elements for Kentucky kids, and there are also elements that are truly problematic for Kentucky families. Safety net programs, including Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, [...]

Statement on Passage of Senate Bill 151 by the Kentucky Senate

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director, Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – Today, we are joining many child hunger advocates, schools, and families in celebrating passage of Senate Bill 151 by the Kentucky Senate. The latest data show that nearly 273,000 eligible Kentucky kids are missing out on eating school breakfast, and, in many cases, it’s because they can’t get to school early enough due to long bus rides and other circumstances [...]

By |2022-02-25T09:52:34-05:00February 25th, 2022|Education, Health, News Room|

Kentucky Youth Advocates and Partners Awarded to Support the Thriving Families, Safer Children Effort

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org For immediate release: February 24, 2022 Kentucky Youth Advocates and Community Partners Awarded $140,000 by Prevent Child Abuse America and the Annie E. Casey Foundation to Support Child and Family Well-Being as Part of the Thriving Families, Safer Children Effort Louisville, KY — Kentucky Youth Advocates announced today a $140,000 grant from Prevent Child Abuse America® (PCA America) and the Annie E. Casey Foundation through the Thriving Families, Safer Children, Youth, [...]

By |2023-03-22T11:57:31-04:00February 24th, 2022|Child Welfare & Safety, News Room, Race Equity|

Statement on Passage of HB 174 by the Kentucky House

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director, Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – Today, we are celebrating unanimous passage of House Bill 174 by the Kentucky House of Representatives. HB 174, co-sponsored by Representatives McKenzie Cantrell and Kim Moser, will extend Medicaid eligibility for new mothers for up to 12 months postpartum so they can have continuous, uninterrupted access to health care. Despite the increased risk of postpartum death and illness, [...]

By |2022-02-18T09:32:24-05:00February 18th, 2022|Health, News Room, Race Equity|

Statement on Passage of Senate Bill 151 by the Senate Education Committee

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director, Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – Students who start their school day with a full belly are more likely to perform better on tests, attend more days of school, and graduate from high school – setting them on a path to become less likely to struggle with hunger as adults. By recognizing this connection between school breakfast and academic achievement, Kentucky is rethinking how [...]

By |2022-02-17T12:05:55-05:00February 17th, 2022|Education, Health, News Room, Race Equity|

Statement on Passage of Senate Bill 102 by the KY Senate

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director, Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – The Kentucky Senate has unanimously passed Senate Bill 102, sponsored by Senator Max Wise, to help ensure there is an adequate number of mental health providers in schools to serve students in need of supports. Schools play a critical role in providing a trauma-informed environment for children to learn and grow, including access to mental health supports. Over [...]

Statement on Passage of HB 174 by the House Health & Family Services Committee

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director, Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – Access to quality health care and coverage postpartum is not only critical to the health and well-being of the new mother, but also that of their newborn. We applaud the House Health and Family Services Committee for recognizing that imperative today with passage of House Bill 174, co-sponsored by Representative McKenzie Cantrell and House Health and Family Services [...]

By |2022-02-10T12:42:52-05:00February 10th, 2022|Health, News Room, Race Equity|

Statement on Passage of Senate Bill 102 by the Senate Education Committee

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director, Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – Senate Education Chairman Max Wise and the Kentucky General Assembly have a track record of pragmatically approaching the complex issue of safety of students in schools. In 2019, the School Safety and Resiliency Act thoughtfully balanced the well-being of students with their physical safety by prioritizing access to mental health services and promoting trauma-informed environments. During this time [...]

Statement on Passage of Senate Bill 97 by the Kentucky Senate

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org LOUISVILLE, KY – One child who has experienced abuse or neglect, is one child too many – and a child fatality or near fatality should never happen in the first place. Yet, in 2020, there were 22 fatalities and 53 near fatalities due to substantiated cases of abuse or neglect in Kentucky. As the Commonwealth continues to reform the child welfare system, a critical component that must be considered is following the [...]

By |2022-02-07T17:31:34-05:00February 7th, 2022|Child Welfare & Safety, News Room|
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