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Statement by Terry Brooks on Governor’s Kentucky Competes Tax Reform Plan

Governor Steve Beshear's Kentucky Competes tax reform plan is a step in the right direction for Kentucky kids and families. We wholeheartedly agree that in order to continue to move the Commonwealth forward in creating an educated and healthy workforce and helping families and children meet basic needs, we need to rethink our tax code. We were especially pleased to see the inclusion of a state Earned Income Tax Credit in the plan. We know [...]

By |2014-02-04T13:02:44-05:00February 4th, 2014|Economic Security, News Room|
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Statement by Terry Brooks on Release of Kindergarten Readiness Data

Today's data release about kindergarten readiness is good news for kids in the Commonwealth. The new kindergarten readiness screening tool will help our state assess where Kentucky kids stand and how to improve to ensure all kids are prepared for kindergarten. Given this week's KIDS COUNT release from the Annie E. Casey Foundation on early reading proficiency, kindergarten readiness is a clear predicate to increasing the level of reading and, especially, to closing the growing achievement gap [...]

By |2014-01-30T15:31:57-05:00January 30th, 2014|News Room|
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New Report Shows Majority of Kentucky Children Not Prepared for Future Success

Contact: Andrea Bennett 502-381-1176 abennett@kyyouth.org Jeffersontown, KY - A new KIDS COUNT® data snapshot, co-released today by the Annie E. Casey Foundation and Kentucky Youth Advocates, finds that a large majority of children in Kentucky are not reading proficiently by the time they reach fourth grade - a key predictor of a student’s future educational and economic success. While Kentucky has made progress in education, the state must accelerate improvement in reading proficiency to have enough skilled workers [...]

By |2014-01-28T00:01:16-05:00January 28th, 2014|News Room|
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Statement by Terry Brooks on Governor’s State of the Budget Address

Budgets always require tough choices, and tonight Steve Beshear built on his previous commitment to kids around health and high school graduation and became “the Children’s Governor” because of the choices he made, the priorities he established, and the values he exemplified. In what is arguably the most historic budget address for kids in the Commonwealth in decades, Governor Beshear laid out an agenda that is as smart as it is bold.  He tackled the [...]

By |2014-01-21T20:05:34-05:00January 21st, 2014|News Room|
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Children’s Advocacy Day Draws Hundreds to Frankfort

Jeffersontown, KY - Hundreds of Kentuckians of all ages from across the Commonwealth are convening in Frankfort today for the 10th annual Children's Advocacy Day at the Capitol. They are urging legislators to fund kids first in the next two year state budget and support the Blueprint for Kentucky's Children, a common agenda for child advocates across the state. "We are challenging legislators to stand up for kids," said Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates. [...]

By |2014-01-16T11:08:29-05:00January 16th, 2014|News Room|
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Statement in Response to the Governor’s 2014 State of the Commonwealth Address

It is altogether fitting and proper that a major piece of the Governor’s speech was about kids and families.  The Governor, in fact, took an important first step in protecting children from abuse - he is appropriately touted as a health reformer whose efforts work - and he and the First Lady were pivotal in raising the graduation rate. And much of the vision that he describes is truly aspirational for children.  Once again, his [...]

By |2014-01-07T20:33:03-05:00January 7th, 2014|News Room|
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New Report Outlines Need for Increased Supports for Kinship Families in Kentucky

Contact: Andrea Bennett abennett@kyyouth.org 502-381-1176 Jeffersontown, KY – The number of children being cared for by grandparents and other relatives - known as kinship care - has doubled over the past decade in Kentucky. Currently, 6 percent of all children in Kentucky are being raised by extended family members – one of the highest rates in the nation. Yet, despite this growing number of kinship families, Kentucky offers little support to kinship caregivers as they [...]

By |2013-12-30T07:00:12-05:00December 30th, 2013|News Room|
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Statement by Terry Brooks, Executive Director, on the Announcement of Kentucky’s $44 Million Race to the Top Grant

Contact: Andrea Bennett abennett@kyyouth.org 502-381-1176 Jeffersontown, KY - We join the Governor in celebrating the Race to the Top grant.  His Office of Early Childhood is an example of what focused attention can achieve.  At this moment of justifiable pride, it is also a time to challenge the Governor and legislative leaders to make the other part of the early childhood arena into a positive.  The cuts to child care and kinship care supports have to [...]

By |2013-12-19T16:50:24-05:00December 19th, 2013|Education, News Room|
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Statement by Terry Brooks, Executive Director, on the Release of Recommendations from the Unified Juvenile Code Task Force

Contact:  Andrea Bennett abennett@kyyouth.org 502-381-1176 Jeffersontown, KY - Today, the Unified Juvenile Code Task Force announced strong recommendations for changes to Kentucky's juvenile code. The recommendations reflect a commitment to Kentucky's children, to public safety and to using taxpayer dollars effectively to achieve better outcomes. We commend Representative John Tilley and Senator Whitney Westerfield for their bipartisan leadership in guiding the Task Force in a thorough analysis of the data and the status of Kentucky's juvenile [...]

By |2013-12-19T16:44:46-05:00December 19th, 2013|News Room, Youth Justice|
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New KIDS COUNT County Level Rankings on Child Well-Being Reveal Need for Smart Investments in KY Kids

Contact: Andrea Bennett abennett@kyyouth.org 502-381-1178 Jeffersontown, KY – The 2013 Kentucky KIDS COUNT County Data Book, released today by Kentucky Youth Advocates highlights the need for smart investments to ensure kids in all counties have the best opportunity to thrive in childhood and succeed as adults. This is the 23nd annual release of the Kentucky KIDS COUNT County Data Book, part of the Kentucky KIDS COUNT project. The KIDS COUNT project monitors progress for Kentucky's [...]

By |2013-12-10T00:00:48-05:00December 10th, 2013|News Room|
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