We are currently in the homestretch of this year’s legislative session, and as Kentuckians that prioritize speaking up for our most vulnerable citizens, we already have some reasons to celebrate as well as reasons to remain hopeful that the session will result in important wins for kids. An important win for some of our youngest Kentuckians came in the form of the passage of House Bill 157. This bill requires training on the recognition and [...]
Check out the videos below of parents and child care providers that have felt the significant impacts of the Child Care Assistance Program cuts that began last year. The Child Care Assistance Program helps low-income parents maintain employment or further their education while their children are learning and being cared for in a safe environment. Because of the cuts, Kentucky now has the lowest eligibility level in the nation for parents to qualify for child [...]
Child abuse and neglect can have lifelong effects on a person well into adulthood including an increased risk of chronic physical and mental health issues. A child who grows up in a household that struggles with financial stability has poorer educational and health outcomes. So, how are those two issues related? A new study helps us continue connecting the dots between child maltreatment and income inequality. There is a significant association between an increase in [...]
The legislative session is moving along quickly and this week, a couple of good bills for kids made progress. We are excited about the movement of these bills and look forward to them continuing through the legislative process. Here’s a snapshot on what moved forward this week: SB 176 – Passed Senate Judiciary Committee (Kinship Caregiver Authorization Law) Today’s passage of SB 176 by the Senate Judiciary Committee is a true affirmation of the importance Kentuckians place [...]
A new KET series, kNOwMORE NONPROFITS, began airing an educational television series about what life would be like without nonprofits in November 2013. Throughout the month of February, the 8th episode in the series, "Nonprofits Keeping Kentucky Healthy," highlighted the Face It® Movement and 3 other nonprofits across the state that work to improve the health of Kentuckians. Kentucky Youth Advocates is a proud partner of Face It, a movement to end child abuse in Louisville by 2023. In the [...]
On Wednesday, March 12,2014, advocates from across the state, including Kentucky Youth Advocates, will be attending LIVE UNITED Day at the Capitol in Frankfort to speak out for and support United Way’s priorities including education, income, and health. United Way would specifically like advocates to encourage our legislators to restore funding for the Child Care Assistance Program in the state budget. The Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) helps low-income families access to quality child care [...]
Yesterday, Senator Harper Angel filed SB 176 to allow a relative caregiver to access key services for the children in their care when legal custody or guardianship is not feasible. We applaud her for her leadership on this important issue for kids and look forward to the bill moving forward through the Senate and House this session. Children across Kentucky are being denied access to education and health care solely because they are being raised [...]
Check out a great story by Dawne Gee from Wave 3 News on the rising number of grandparents raising grandchildren. Gee captures the stories of a number of grandparents and the challenges they face. She also interviews Kentucky Youth Advocates’ executive director, Terry Brooks who states: "It really does call on folks on lots of levels to begin to get our arms around the issue. To think about what those grandparents need in order to [...]
Yesterday, Terry appeared on One To One with Bill Goodman to discuss the 2014 Blueprint for Kentucky's Children and the status of kids and families in Kentucky. You can view the interview online here.
At the 10th Annual Children's Advocacy Day Rally, Representative John Tilley opened with a statement that the crowd wholeheartedly accepted. He said, "The most important issue facing this assembly is kids." You can hear the rest of Rep. Tilley's speech and the speeches of several other child advocates by watching the video of the rally on Kentucky Youth Advocates' YouTube page. While you're there, also check out the video from the KIDS COUNT Awards Ceremony. During [...]
