Statement on KY House Passage of HB 318 to Roll Back Successful Juvenile Justice Reforms
Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director, Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – The Kentucky House has built a solid legacy of supporting kids. Whether it is around child welfare reform, K-12 accountability, budget investments, or trauma-informed care, the House is always there for our children. That is why its passage of House Bill 318 is so confusing and so disappointing. Kentucky Youth Advocates fully supports the need to ensure public safety and to hold youth accountable for violent felony offenses. However, HB 318 rolls back the important progress made from the historic bi-cameral, bipartisan efforts of Senate Bill 200 [...]
Statement on the Senate State Budget Proposal
Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – What's the old aphorism? "When the rubber hits the road." In Frankfort, the rubber really hits the road around our leaders’ true priorities when that state budget gets crafted. And now is that time, as the Senate and House come together for the budget Conference Committee. There are abundant reasons for optimism when it comes to supporting kids, but we also have to be realistic in knowing that there is ambiguity at play. Our lawmakers have built a track record of policy [...]
Statement on Passage of House Bill 318 by House Judiciary Committee
Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director, Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – An effective system of juvenile justice seeks two primary goals: public safety and rehabilitating youth who have broken the law, which is fundamental to public safety. A recent independent evaluation of changes to diversion practices in Kentucky found that policies resulting from Senate Bill 200 of 2014 has kept kids out of the system, and crucially, they did not return to the system with other charges. Kentucky has made significant and effective strides in reducing the number of children introduced to the juvenile justice system [...]
Statement on House Bill 7 to Implement Public Assistance Reforms
Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director, Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – As is the case in most omnibus pieces of legislation, House Bill 7 is a mixed bag. There are good elements for Kentucky kids, and there are also elements that are truly problematic for Kentucky families. Safety net programs, including Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), and Kentucky Transitional Assistance Program (K-TAP), play a critical role in making sure families struggling to make ends meet can have [...]
Statement on Passage of Senate Bill 151 by the Kentucky Senate
Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director, Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – Today, we are joining many child hunger advocates, schools, and families in celebrating passage of Senate Bill 151 by the Kentucky Senate. The latest data show that nearly 273,000 eligible Kentucky kids are missing out on eating school breakfast, and, in many cases, it’s because they can’t get to school early enough due to long bus rides and other circumstances out of their control. SB 151, sponsored by Senator Jason Howell, clarifies the current law to simply give school districts the option to serve students [...]
Kentucky Youth Advocates and Partners Awarded to Support the Thriving Families, Safer Children Effort
Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org For immediate release: February 24, 2022 Kentucky Youth Advocates and Community Partners Awarded $140,000 by Prevent Child Abuse America and the Annie E. Casey Foundation to Support Child and Family Well-Being as Part of the Thriving Families, Safer Children Effort Louisville, KY — Kentucky Youth Advocates announced today a $140,000 grant from Prevent Child Abuse America® (PCA America) and the Annie E. Casey Foundation through the Thriving Families, Safer Children, Youth, Family and Community Partnership Grants to support our work focused on child and family well-being through a lens of prevention and equity. A total of [...]
Statement on Passage of HB 174 by the Kentucky House
Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director, Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – Today, we are celebrating unanimous passage of House Bill 174 by the Kentucky House of Representatives. HB 174, co-sponsored by Representatives McKenzie Cantrell and Kim Moser, will extend Medicaid eligibility for new mothers for up to 12 months postpartum so they can have continuous, uninterrupted access to health care. Despite the increased risk of postpartum death and illness, nearly half of women do not receive routine care after birth, regardless of whether or not they experienced complications during pregnancy. HB 174 is good [...]
Statement on Passage of Senate Bill 151 by the Senate Education Committee
Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director, Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – Students who start their school day with a full belly are more likely to perform better on tests, attend more days of school, and graduate from high school – setting them on a path to become less likely to struggle with hunger as adults. By recognizing this connection between school breakfast and academic achievement, Kentucky is rethinking how and where school breakfast is served with passage of Senate Bill 151 by the Senate Education Committee. This important measure will clarify the current law [...]
Statement on Passage of Senate Bill 102 by the KY Senate
Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director, Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – The Kentucky Senate has unanimously passed Senate Bill 102, sponsored by Senator Max Wise, to help ensure there is an adequate number of mental health providers in schools to serve students in need of supports. Schools play a critical role in providing a trauma-informed environment for children to learn and grow, including access to mental health supports. Over one in five Kentucky children have experienced at least two Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), such as experiencing violence, being separated from a parent due to incarceration, [...]
Statement on Passage of HB 174 by the House Health & Family Services Committee
Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director, Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – Access to quality health care and coverage postpartum is not only critical to the health and well-being of the new mother, but also that of their newborn. We applaud the House Health and Family Services Committee for recognizing that imperative today with passage of House Bill 174, co-sponsored by Representative McKenzie Cantrell and House Health and Family Services Committee Chair Kim Moser. Postpartum is a vulnerable time for new mothers and their baby, and this is especially true for women on Medicaid, many [...]