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The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act and What it Means for Kentucky Kids

The federal Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) was first authorized by Congress in 1974 to establish universal standards for how kids are treated in the youth justice system. With a strong emphasis on supporting prevention-focused programs, rehabilitation, and reintegration while still holding kids accountable for their behaviors, the JJDPA quickly became recognized as one of the most significant laws for kids involved in the justice system. On December 11, 2018, after passing through [...]

By |2019-09-12T11:57:47-04:00September 12th, 2019|Blog, Youth Justice|
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5 Things to Know About the 2019 Census Test

The U.S. Census Bureau is currently conducting a test in preparation for the 2020 Census next year. Your household might be asked to participate in this test, or a participant may turn to you for more information about it. Here is what you should know about the 2019 Census Test: 1. This is just a test – the actual decennial census takes place in 2020. 2. 480,000 households are receiving a questionnaire – half will [...]

By |2019-07-29T12:28:01-04:00July 1st, 2019|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, Kids Count, Medicaid, Youth Justice|
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“Anything Can Be” Moment for Kentucky Kids

This post originally appeared as an op-ed in the Courier Journal and Kentucky Today on June 18, 2019.  By Terry Brooks, executive director Kentucky Youth Advocates Shel Silverstein, the late and wonderful children’s author, urges: “Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me... Anything can happen, child. Anything can be.” With the release of the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s 2019 [...]

By |2019-06-18T10:14:21-04:00June 18th, 2019|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, Kids Count, Youth Justice|
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Gavel Comes Down, Party Decorations Go Up: Cheers for Children Celebration on April 11th

As the gavel falls on the 2019 Kentucky General Assembly, party decorations are going up! Kentucky kids—and the committed advocates, caregivers, and volunteers who support those kids every day—have a lot to celebrate. On April 11th you can join the celebration at Cheers for Children, Kentucky Youth Advocates’ annual fundraiser where we ask for your support as the independent voice for Kentucky kids in Frankfort. (Check out a recap of last year’s event, including photos, [...]

By |2019-03-28T16:29:40-04:00March 28th, 2019|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, Youth Justice|
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Practicing Self-Care, Especially When You Love Your Job

Image from the New Social Worker® Social workers (and other helping professionals) often work in demanding contexts and help people process difficult situations. We’re expected to be keenly aware of the negative impact this work can have on our well-being and capacity for burnout. However, during my first years in the field, my understanding of self-care was synonymous with (and limited to) taking a bubble bath or getting a massage after a bad [...]

By |2019-03-12T13:30:01-04:00March 12th, 2019|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, Youth Justice|
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Apply for the National Juvenile Justice Network’s Youth Justice Leadership Institute

As Kentucky continues implementing the juvenile justice reforms passed in 2014 and seeks to build upon that work with additional policy changes during the 2019 Kentucky legislative session, it is imperative that the perspectives and input of people of color are sought and incorporated, as youth of color are over-represented throughout our youth justice system. The Youth Justice Leadership Institute is one opportunity to grow emerging advocates of color into strong leaders who can help fulfill that critical [...]

By |2019-02-28T17:26:06-05:00February 28th, 2019|Blog, Youth Justice|
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Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks on SB 20 Passing Senate Judiciary Committee

Contact: Mara Powell 502-895-8167 *122 mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates The youth justice system is often described as a maze with too many ways to get lost and too few ways to escape once youth are in. Kentucky has made strides in improving its youth justice system in recent years, but there are some practices still in use that we now know do not achieve the best outcomes [...]

By |2019-02-25T13:39:45-05:00February 25th, 2019|News Room, Youth Justice|
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15th Annual Children’s Advocacy Day at the Capitol: Advocates and Leaders say “Let’s Find Common Ground for Kids!”

For the past 15 years, Children’s Advocacy Day has grown from a small group of committed advocates with a big idea, to a huge group of advocates—and state leaders—with even bigger commitments to Kentucky kids. This week nearly 900 advocates, including more than 200 youth, came to Frankfort to ask their legislators to make kids the commonwealth’s top priority. Some of those advocates made long drives or brought newborn babies or courageously met with [...]

By |2019-03-01T16:51:51-05:00February 14th, 2019|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, Kids Count, Youth Justice|
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Governor Bevin and Other Elected Leaders Join Youth and Advocates for Children’s Advocacy Day at the Capitol

Contact: Mara Powell 502-895-8167 *122 mpowell@kyyouth.org Governor Bevin and Other Elected Leaders Join Nearly 800 Youth and Advocates for 15th Annual Children’s Advocacy Day at the Capitol Hundreds of Kentuckians from across the Commonwealth, including over 250 children and youth, are convening in Frankfort today for the 15th annual Children’s Advocacy Day at the Capitol. They are urging elected leaders to support the Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children, a unified agenda for child advocates across the state. “Today, [...]

By |2019-02-13T13:13:59-05:00February 13th, 2019|Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, News Room, Youth Justice|
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Celebrating Positive Trends in How Kentucky Responds to Youth Who Get in Trouble

Over the past ten years, Kentucky has made significant strides in how we respond to youth who commit status offenses. In 2008, behaviors like running away, skipping school, and acting out were routinely criminalized, with 1,951 youth being detained for status offenses, likely making the behaviors worse instead of addressing the root cause.  As Secretary John Tilley of the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet said in 2014, it’s “very negative and damaging for these children [...]

By |2019-02-04T15:19:33-05:00February 4th, 2019|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Youth Justice|
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