March 20th UPDATE: SB 200 passed the Kentucky Senate on March 20 - two days after we posted this blog. It now moves to the Kentucky House for consideration. We are excited about the progress of this bill for Kentucky kids and families. Read our full statement about the passage of SB 200 in the Senate here. A bill has started moving through the legislative process to reform juvenile justice in meaningful ways for kids, [...]
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 [...]
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, 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.
This blog post originally appeared as an op-ed in the Herald Leader. You can view it online here. It's only February, but I am already filling out NCAA tournament brackets. I've already begun my serious study of 2014 bracketology. Warren Buffett, in an effort to advertise Quicken Loans, has laid out $1 billion to anyone who accurately predicts all 67 games in this year's tourney. I know, it is a long shot, but that is [...]
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 [...]
Want to stay up to date on the progress of the 2014 Blueprint for Kentucky's Children priorities? We will be updating our "Legislative Updates" page each week during the 2014 General Assembly session. Click the "Legislative Updates" badge on the right hand side of our homepage at kyyouth.org. You can also go directly there by clicking here.
Budgets always require tough choices, and on Tuesday, Governor Beshear built on his previous commitment to kids around health and high school graduation and became “the Children’s Governor” because of the choices he made, the priorities he established, and the values he exemplified. In what is arguably the most historic budget address for kids in the Commonwealth in decades, Governor Beshear laid out an agenda that is as smart as it is bold. He tackled [...]
The 10th Children’s Advocacy Day saw hundreds of children’s champions invade Frankfort today to join voices in calling for our leaders to make Kentucky the best place in America to be young. You could not be in the Rotunda for the 10AM Rally or there for the 1PM KIDS COUNT briefing and award ceremony and not sense the power of that collective force. I am so thankful for the many partners and sponsors that brought [...]
Hundreds of child advocates from across Kentucky are in Frankfort today, January 16, 2014 for Children's Advocacy Day at the Capitol. They are urging legislators to fund kids first in the next two year state budget and to support the Blueprint for Kentucky's Children, a common agenda supported by child advocates across the state. Over the next few weeks, there will be several ways you can take action on important children's issues such as child [...]
