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Statement on Passage of Senate Bill 36 by the Kentucky Senate

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – With the Kentucky Senate’s passage of Senate Bill 36 today, Senator Whitney Westerfield once again is championing an efficient and effective juvenile justice system that holds kids accountable, helps them grow up to become contributing members of their community, and increases public safety. SB 36 seeks to expand court discretion when determining the transfer of youth to [...]

By |2021-02-11T17:07:33-05:00February 11th, 2021|News Room, Youth Justice|
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Statement on Passage of Senate Bill 36 by the Senate Judiciary Committee

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – Kentucky has been a leader in juvenile justice system reforms in many ways, but there are some practices still in use that we now know do not achieve the best outcomes for kids or communities. And, despite those recent reforms, youth of color continue to be overrepresented in the youth justice system at all points, and the disparities [...]

By |2021-02-04T10:27:49-05:00February 4th, 2021|News Room, Youth Justice|
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Gov. Beshear and Leadership from the Kentucky House and Senate Join Hundreds of Youth and Advocates for Virtual Rally for Kentucky Kids

CONTACT: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Louisville, KY – Hundreds of youth advocates from across Kentucky are virtually convening this week for Children’s Advocacy Week. They are urging elected leaders to support the Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children, a unified agenda for child advocates across the state. Today, in place of the gathering in the Capitol Rotunda, advocates and state leaders tuned into the first virtual Rally for Kentucky Kids. "Today, youth, social workers, faith leaders, teachers, pediatricians, child care providers, community leaders, [...]

By |2021-02-02T11:01:06-05:00February 2nd, 2021|Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, News Room, Race Equity, Youth Justice|
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Children’s Advocacy Week is Here! 3 Action Steps for You

It’s time, advocates! Children’s Advocacy Week is upon us. Given the COVID-19 pandemic and momentum to address systemic racism in Kentucky, your advocacy is more important than ever. Here are three action steps you need to take during—and in preparation for—Children’s Advocacy Week: 1. Check out the Children’s Advocacy Week schedule and build your personal schedule in our new app. Monday, February 1 11 AM EST – Kick-Off Event with comments from Senator David Givens 12 PM [...]

By |2021-01-29T11:05:14-05:00January 28th, 2021|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, Youth Justice|
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The 2021 Kentucky General Assembly is Underway!

The 2021 General Assembly is underway! With Part 1 of the legislative session under our belt, many child advocates, partners, and citizens across the Commonwealth experienced a glimpse of a revised schedule, new safety measures in place, flow of committee and chamber meetings, continued budget proposal, and, of course, new legislators. With so many new and moving pieces it can be daunting to keep track, which is why we’ve drafted a quick reference for advocates! [...]

By |2021-01-14T18:34:45-05:00January 13th, 2021|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, Youth Justice|
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Statement on Governor Beshear’s 2021 State of the Commonwealth and Budget Address

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – As Governor Andy Beshear shared during tonight’s State of the Commonwealth address, this state budget proposal gives Kentucky families a life preserver in the immediate and is a catalyst to creating a post-pandemic commonwealth where all kids can thrive.  We are pleased to see that this budget embraces commitments that our legislative leaders and Governor share when [...]

By |2021-01-07T20:47:19-05:00January 7th, 2021|Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, Medicaid, News Room, Race Equity, Youth Justice|
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Children’s Advocacy Week: What You Need to Know (For Now)

Advocates, get ready! Children’s Advocacy Week is only six weeks away. While we are still sorting out final details based on legislators’ availability and whether or not we will allowed into the Capitol to film portions of the virtual events, here is what we do know: All Children’s Advocacy Week events will be virtual Each day will include a featured event (such as the Rally for Kentucky Kids), a Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children information session [...]

By |2020-12-15T12:21:58-05:00December 15th, 2020|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, Youth Justice|
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Advancing Racial Equity in the 2021 Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children

Earlier this week, Kentucky Youth Advocates and our partners across the state announced the release of the 2021 Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children state policy and budget priorities.  As our commonwealth works to overcome the “dual pandemics” of COVID-19 and systemic racism, the Blueprint’s common voice and common vision—that of a brighter future for Kentucky kids and their families—are more important than ever.   All priorities on the 2021 policy agenda all meet three criteria: grounded in data, have some expectation of feasibility in the 2021 [...]

By |2020-12-10T17:43:49-05:00December 10th, 2020|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, Race Equity, Youth Justice|
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Announcing the Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children 2021 Policy Priorities

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Announcing the Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children 2021 Policy Priorities Louisville, KY – Today, Kentucky Youth Advocates and partners from across the commonwealth are launching the Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children’s 2021 policy and budget priorities. The Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children is a coalition of non-profit, public, and private organizations that stands on three pillars: thriving communities launch strong families, strong families launch successful kids, and successful kids launch a prosperous future for [...]

By |2020-12-10T17:42:29-05:00December 9th, 2020|Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, News Room, Race Equity, Youth Justice|
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OP-ED: Let’s Flip the Destiny for Kentucky Kids

This post originally appeared as an op-ed in the Courier Journal November 19, 2020.  Jyoti Arora in You Came Like Hope asserts, “it takes only a moment for the destiny to flip over.” The haunting message emanating from the 2020 Kentucky KIDS COUNT County Data Book is that far too many boys and girls in the Commonwealth had their destiny flip the moment they were born. Because of the zip code in which they live. Because of [...]

By |2020-11-19T17:29:24-05:00November 19th, 2020|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, Kids Count, Race Equity, Youth Justice|
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