Statement on Passage of Senate Bill 148 by the House Health and Family Services Committee
Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org LOUISVILLE, KY – Senate Bill 148, sponsored by Senator Danny Carroll, advanced closer to its final passage today with approval by the House Health and Family Services Committee. SB 148 will begin to simplify the planning and zoning process for home-based small businesses that offer a regulated child care option to up to six unrelated children in their community. This measure is an important step to strengthen local options for families seeking home-based family child care. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought to light the critical role of quality, affordable child care for families, communities, and the [...]
Statement on Passage of House Bill 472 by the Kentucky House
Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org LOUISVILLE, KY – The Kentucky House of Representatives emphasized their commitment to prioritizing survivors of child abuse with today’s passage of House Bill 472, sponsored by Representative Lynn Bechler. “With around one-third of all child sexual assault victims being under the age of 12, many children lack the capacity to understand what has happened to them and articulate it. By empowering survivors of childhood sexual abuse through HB 472, their voice will be heard and their perpetrator can be held accountable,” said Keith Inman, president of Kosair Charities, which founded and supports [...]
Statement on Passage of House Bill 472 by the House Judiciary Committee
Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org LOUISVILLE, KY – Today, the House Judiciary Committee demonstrated their support for survivors of childhood sexual abuse with passage of House Bill 472, sponsored by Representative Lynn Bechler. “The data tells us that one in four girls and one in thirteen boys will experience sexual abuse at some point in their childhood, and there are numerous, complex reasons that some children don’t disclose their abuse right away. HB 472 gives survivors of childhood sexual abuse the opportunity to have their voice heard and for their perpetrator to be held accountable,” said Terry Brooks, [...]
Statement on Passage of Senate Bill 36 by the House Judiciary Committee
Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – With today’s passage of Senate Bill 36 by the House Judiciary Committee, Kentucky is one step closer to a more 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, sponsored by Senator Whitney Westerfield, seeks to expand court discretion when determining the transfer of youth to adult court for certain offenses. This pragmatic measure will allow for speedier trials, more cost-effective and developmentally appropriate [...]
Statement on Passage of Senate Bill 148 by the Kentucky Senate
Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – Today, the Kentucky Senate passed Senate Bill 148, sponsored by Senator Danny Carroll, as an important step to strengthen local options for families seeking regulated home-based family child care. Kentucky has experienced a dramatic decline in the number of family child care home providers over the last decade, often due to burdensome planning and zoning requirements on in-home businesses. SB 148 will begin to simplify the planning and zoning process for these home-based small businesses to offer a regulated child care option [...]
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 adult court for certain offenses – a pragmatic move that will allow for speedier trials, more cost-effective and developmentally appropriate responses, and better access to [...]
Statement on Passage of Senate Bill 148 by the Senate Health and Welfare
Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – Now more than ever, we know that parents rely on safe, affordable child care to be able to work. Even before the pandemic, Kentucky parents lacked child care options, especially families of color and those in rural parts of the state. Today, the Senate Health and Welfare Committee passed Senate Bill 148, sponsored by Senator Danny Carroll, as an important first step to strengthen local options for families seeking child care within regulated home-based family child care. Kentucky has experienced a dramatic [...]
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 have grown in recent years. An efficient and effective juvenile justice system holds kids accountable, helps them grow up to become contributing members of their [...]
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, and many others unite to ask our state leaders to make Kentucky children a priority during the 2021 legislative session. As the commonwealth works to [...]
Local Jail Populations in Kentucky on the Rise Again, State Prison Population Declines Level Off, as COVID Spreads Throughout the Prison System
Media Contact: Abby Silverman 978-273-3875 asilverman@sloweymcmanus.com LOCAL JAIL POPULATIONS IN KENTUCKY ON THE RISE AGAIN, STATE PRISON POPULATION DECLINES LEVEL OFF, AS COVID SPREADS THROUGHOUT THE PRISON SYSTEM Vera Institute of Justice “People in Jail and Prison In 2020” Report Documents Efforts to Contain Covid Outbreaks Curtailed by Recent Rebound in Jail Populations Frankfort, KY (January 27, 2021) - Kentucky jail and prison population declined dramatically in 2020, but local jail populations began to rebound in the second half of the year, while the decline in state prison populations slowed, a report by the Vera Institute of Justice revealed. The [...]