Unless you live off the grid, it was difficult not to notice all of national attention paid to Kentucky last week – Danville, Kentucky in particular. The Vice Presidential debate brought hundreds of reporters from around the world to Danville for one evening. Things were a buzz around Kentucky Youth Advocates as well. It was a busy week for us hosting the 2012 Step Up for Kids Conference on Monday, working with the Heart of [...]
In anticipation of the Vice Presidential Debate scheduled for October 11 in Danville, Kentucky at Centre College, youth and youth supporters from across the state are planning a Step Up for Kids Rally for October 10 on the Courthouse Lawn. Their hope is to draw the public’s attention to the importance of encouraging policy makers, including Vice Presidential hopefuls, to make children a national priority. The young people are also urging the Vice Presidential Debate [...]
Following the Step Up for Kids Conference on Monday, October 8, attendees and others from the public are invited to a free evening with the arts from 5:00-7:00 PM, to enjoy performances from talented Kentucky youth in the Sunfish Tumblers Bluegrass Band and the Safiyyah Dance Company. Also, the Colors of Life national photography exhibit, which is built on the premise that art can open people’s hearts and minds to the crisis facing America’s children, [...]
Less than one week from today is the 2012 Step Up for Kids Conference in Louisville, KY. National experts on children’s issues – ranging from health, to child welfare, to juvenile justice – will join child advocates and community leaders to discuss the latest research, best practices, and solutions that can improve outcomes for Kentucky children. Cabinet Secretaries J. Michael Brown, Audrey Haynes, and Joe Meyer will talk about what’s happening on the ground in [...]
Have you heard? Kentucky has a little event happening on Thursday, October 11. Joe Biden and Paul Ryan are coming to Centre College in Danville for the only Vice-Presidential Debate in the country. KYA is working with partners to hold a Step Up for Kids rally on Wednesday, October 10. What is so exciting about this event is that it is being planned by local youth. Check out this article in the Advocate-Messenger for information [...]
How would you answer this question? “Have there been times in the past 12 months when you did not have enough money to buy food that you or your family needed?” Gallup asked this question of people throughout the country and 18% of Kentuckians did not have enough money for the food they or their families needed. Eighteen percent. That is almost one in five Kentuckians who could not afford a basic necessity. Before Congress [...]
Kentucky stands as one of the bottom fifteen states in the nation for overall child well-being with a rank of 35, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s 2012 KIDS COUNT Data Book, released today. Kentucky children have experienced setbacks due to financial instability, but have made gains in the education and health areas. The 2012 Data Book features an updated child well-being index that provides an even more robust and comprehensive portrait of how [...]
I’m envisioning the days leading up to September 3, 2012 when – I predict — U of L will have simply clobbered the Cats in the first gridiron clash of the season. What are both coaching staffs and players doing? Film analysis. What went well and what went wrong in past games? What improvements can be made in practice schemes, starting lineups and play selection? In other words, both schools are trying to improve their [...]
What comes to mind when you think of kin? Family dinners… birthday parties… camping trips… and vacations to grandma and grandpa’s? For more than 60,000 kids in Kentucky, kin means living with a relative or family friend for safety and security because their parents cannot raise them, according to a new KIDS COUNT® report by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Stepping Up for Kids: What Government and Communities Should Do to Support Kinship Families. That’s 6 [...]
New housing data has been posted to the KIDS COUNT Data Center, including the percent of renters unable to afford Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom unit and the hourly wage a renter would need to earn so that no more than 30 percent of their income goes toward housing costs for a 2-bedroom unit. These new data reflect the growing need for safe and affordable rental housing for families, which has been exacerbated by [...]
