New Data Show Youth Incarcerations for Misbehavior High In Kentucky, but Declining Community Alternatives Cheaper and Better for Public Safety than Jail Jeffersontown, KY – Kentucky has one of the highest rates of any state in the nation of putting kids in jail for things like running away or missing school, yet the trend is moving to fewer youth incarcerated, according to an updated report, Ending the Use of Incarceration for Status Offenses in Kentucky, [...]

Opportunities for Physical Activity Abound with Shared-Use New Study Shows Kentucky Schools and Community Agencies Often Collaborate to Share Facilities Jeffersontown, KY – Schools across Kentucky have opened their facilities to their communities during non-school hours for many years, allowing people of all ages to use their gymnasiums, tracks, cafeterias, and athletic fields for recreation. This practice, known as “shared-use,” not only saves cost, it deepens school and community connections and expands opportunities for physical [...]

A New report shows a state EITC would help families and local businesses at very little cost Jeffersontown, KY –Thousands of Kentucky families and communities could see immediate and long term benefits, at very little cost to the state, if policymakers implemented a state Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), according to a new issue brief from Kentucky Youth Advocates. The issue brief, A State Earned Income Tax Credit Would Help Kentucky Families and Local Economies, [...]

As Managed Care Transition Continues, Ongoing Issues are Cause for Concern In November 2011, Kentucky Medicaid changed the way it operates its Medicaid program by expanding managed care coverage to all areas of the state. Medicaid contracted with three new managed care organizations (MCOs) to coordinate health care for most Medicaid members. The new MCOs are: CoventryCares of Kentucky, Kentucky Spirit Health Plan and WellCare of Kentucky. This change did not affect members in Jefferson [...]

Policymakers Need to Consider Children and Families While Transitioning to Managed Care   Statement by Lacey McNary, Deputy Director of Kentucky Youth Advocates “Governor Beshear announced today that four companies were awarded contracts through the expansion of Medicaid Managed Care. While it is difficult to know the outcomes of this major transition in the state health care system, one thing is clear: state officials must actively educate families so they are knowledgeable about the changes in [...]

Analysis: Federal Tax Filers in Kentucky’s Top 5 Percent Will Get Tax Cut 10 Times Bigger than Bottom 60 Percent if Tax Cuts Continue: Deficit Will Double On Tenth Anniversary of Tax Cuts Enacted Under Bush Administration, Citizens for Tax Justice and Kentucky Youth Advocates Release Kentucky and Federal Fact Sheets with 2013 Projections Jeffersontown, KY – As Congress and the President debate whether and on what conditions to raise the debt ceiling, America will [...]

Over 2,500 Organizations Across the Country Have Signed a Letter Addressed to Congress Jeffersontown, KY - More than 2,500 national, state, and local organizations joined in a letter sent to Congress today to urge Members to oppose proposals that cut or dismantle the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly food stamps). The letter, circulated by the National Anti-Hunger Organizations (NAHO), is being delivered to every member of Congress and the White House. The letter includes [...]