Juvenile Code Task Force leaders jump in to finding solutions

The beginning of summer often means a slowing of pace – schools let out for summer break, summer vacations bring added challenge to meeting scheduling, and the long days keep kids and parents out late in summer activities. While the summer pace may be taking hold throughout Kentucky, the Unified Juvenile Code Task Force met for the first time last week and showed no signs of adapting a leisurely pace. Under the guidance of co-chairs [...]

By |2013-06-12T14:03:48-04:00June 12th, 2013|Blog, Youth Justice|

A Sure-Fire Bet for Kentucky Kids

When it comes to March Madness, I think I am an expert.  I look at every rating system known to mankind.  I compare offensive and defensive efficiencies of each team.  I analyze the relative strength of every conference.  And the result?  Well, all four granddaughters beat me (and the two youngest are only three years old!) but I did edge out my four year old grandson in our family bracketology contest!  When it comes to [...]

Do You Believe in Miracles?

Which of these are more likely to happen: Mitch McConnell donning his best tux for the private screening of Ashley Judd’s new movie; John Calapari sporting his new gear celebrating the Cards’ smashing NCAA championship run; or Senior officials from the Kentucky Department of Education and the Jefferson County Schools agreeing with Kentucky Youth Advocates on alternative programs? Until a couple of weeks ago, I actually thought the first two scenarios were more likely! On [...]

By |2013-04-29T11:16:41-04:00April 29th, 2013|Blog, Education, Health, Youth Justice|

KIDS COUNT Data Center Version 2.0 Coming Soon!

We hope that you have been using the KIDS COUNT Data Center to see how the children in your county and state are faring on hundreds of indicators of child well-being. If you have used the Data Center, then you know that it not only gives you the opportunity to view data for a wide range of indicators of economic security, education, health, safety and risky behaviors, but it also gives you the ability to [...]

General Assembly Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children Wrap-Up Part II: The Unleashed Version

To view Part I of this post, click here. My birthday is December 25.  That makes birthday traditions and Christmas customs mingle together a bit.  But one birthday tradition leaps out.  It arrives every December in a large Styrofoam box packed with lots of dry ice.  And at the bottom of that crate sit – like precious jewels – artisan made bratwursts!  When my wife and one of our good friends were on a trip [...]

General Assembly Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children Wrap-Up Part I: The Objective Version

Tomorrow Terry Brooks, our executive director, will talk on our blog about how kids fared in Kentucky’s General Assembly this year. While I assume everyone will want to read that version, I wanted to provide a slightly more boring, but objective version of what happened in 2013 for kids in our legislature. Kentucky Youth Advocates is part of the Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children which is a collaborative of multiple child serving partners from across Kentucky [...]

The Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences Doesn’t End in Childhood

What happens when the kids we label as ‘at-risk’ for maltreatment grow up? They become at-risk adults and the research on these adults paints an unfortunate picture of what happens when you grow up in an environment exposed to those risks. It’s becoming increasingly apparent that the negative impact of child maltreatment doesn’t end in childhood. An infographic was released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Veto Violence initiative this past year. The [...]

Annual Rankings Show Where Kentucky Counties do well and Opportunities for Improvement

Health does not exist in a vacuum. Health is impacted by more than having health insurance and going to the doctor. The County Health Rankings and Roadmaps project, a partnership between the University of Wisconsin and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, understands this. They work to understand what’s making people sick or healthy and then figure out what communities can do to impact that. According to the newest annual rankings released today, Oldham County has [...]

Now is the Time for Kentucky to Pass Human Trafficking Legislation

The following post first appeared as a Reader Letter in the Courier Journal on March 6, 2013 here. Note: Human trafficking legislation sailed through the House but needs help passing the Senate.  Human trafficking is a very real problem in Kentucky, and our legislature is poised to pass safe harbor legislation to combat this horrific crime. We cannot let this opportunity pass us by. So what is the scope of human trafficking in Kentucky and why is safe [...]

By |2013-03-06T11:52:13-05:00March 6th, 2013|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Youth Justice|

Youth Incarceration on the Decline: Kentucky Still Confining Too Many Youth for Behaviors that Aren’t a Risk to Public Safety

The national rate of locking up young people in trouble with the law dropped by more than 40 percent over a 15-year period, with no decreases in public safety, according to a new report released by the Annie E. Casey Foundation today. The KIDS COUNT Data Snapshot indicates that the number of young people in correctional facilities in the United States on a single day fell to 70,792 in 2010, from a high of 107,637 [...]

By |2013-02-27T12:46:33-05:00February 27th, 2013|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Youth Justice|
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