Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks on HB 11 Passing House Health and Family Services Committee
Contact: Mara Powell 502-895-8167 *122 mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates Kentucky is one step closer to ensuring a new generation of children and teens aren’t at risk of the harms of nicotine with today’s passage of House Bill 11, championed by Representative Kim Moser, Chair of the House Health and Family Services Committee. Though the commonwealth has seen the rate in teens smoking declining, we now need to tackle the boom in e-cigarette use, and this legislation seeks to do just that by enacting a tobacco- and e-cigarette-free school campus policies. The peak [...]
Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks on Congress Reauthorization of the Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention Act
Contact: Mara Powell 502-895-8167 *122 mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates We say it over and over again, “kids win when their leaders prioritize them.” And that couldn’t be truer as Congress reauthorized the Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) last week for the first time in over a decade. We applaud Leader Mitch McConnell for prioritizing what works for Kentucky kids and communities by moving this important piece of legislation in the Senate. We thank Senator Rand Paul for supporting JJDPA reauthorization and for his ongoing work for smarter, safer justice policies. We [...]
Kentucky Teens Say E-cig Use Rampant, Adults Unaware
Media Contacts: Mara Powell 502-895-8167 *122 mpowell@kyyouth.org Bonnie J. Hackbarth 877-326-2583 bhackbarth@healthy-ky.org LOUISVILLE, KY – A new infographic from the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky and Kentucky Youth Advocates highlights the surge in e-cigarette usage among teens seen across the commonwealth and the nation. While youth cigarette smoking in Kentucky has steadily declined, the growing popularity of e-cigarettes, known as vapes and Juuls, is putting a new generation of teens at risk of nicotine addiction. “Kentucky just can’t afford to addict another generation to tobacco products, and the fact that youth e-cig use is often a gateway to cigarette [...]
Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks on Federal Investment in the Child Care Assistance Program
Contact: Mara Powell 502-895-8167 *122 mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates Louisville, KY – Kentucky's Division of Child Care's plan to use the estimated $42 million in new federal funding for the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) exemplifies common sense solutions for Kentucky kids and families, workforce development, and local economies. CCAP provides a crucial support to working Kentucky families who are struggling to make ends meet. Among the plan announced, two aspects are particularly significant: First, the increased exit ramp to 200% of the federal poverty line (FPL) helps ensure parents aren't penalized for getting [...]
Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks on Federal Re-Approval of the Bevin Administration’s 1115 Medicaid Waiver
Contact: Mara Powell 502-895-8167 *122 mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates Louisville, KY – This summer, a federal judge halted implementation of the Bevin Administration's 1115 Medicaid Waiver to modify Kentucky's Medicaid Program, and today, the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued its re-approval. When it comes to this – or any policy – our question is always the same – "Is it good for kids?" And the key to this significant policy change's success or failure lies in its implementation. Kentucky HEALTH's initial rollout and ongoing management must be family-centric. That is [...]
2018 Kentucky KIDS COUNT County Data Book: A Holistic Look at Child Well-Being
Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org 502-895-8167 *122 Louisville, KY – The 2018 Kentucky KIDS COUNT County Data Book offers the latest data on 17 measures of child well-being, showing whether outcomes for children across the commonwealth have improved, worsened, or stayed the same over a five-year period. Detailed data is available for every Kentucky county at www.kyyouth.org/kentucky-kids-count/. "Core to our mission, we believe that children of every background and in every part of Kentucky deserve all the tools and opportunities that we as a commonwealth can provide. This book serves as an annual report card for how we are meeting that charge for all of our [...]
New Data Shows Increasing Number of Kentucky Children Living with Relative Caregivers
Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org 502-895-8167 *122 Louisville, KY – New data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows that Kentucky continues to have the highest rate in the nation of children in the care of relatives. In 2016-2018, nine percent of Kentucky children were being raised by a relative, which is more than double the national rate of four percent. “When Kentucky children cannot remain safely with their parents – due to parental substance abuse or incarceration, military deployment or death of a parent, or experiencing child maltreatment – grandparents, aunts, and uncles across the commonwealth are stepping up to provide a safe [...]
New Report Focuses on Building Opportunities for Kentucky’s Young Adult Parents and Their Children to Thrive
Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org 502-895-8167 *122 New Report Focuses on Building Opportunities for Kentucky’s Young Adult Parents and Their Children to Thrive Louisville, KY – There are 50,000 Kentucky young adult parents facing a unique set of challenges and opportunities to help their families thrive, according to the latest KIDS COUNT® policy report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Opening Doors for Young Parents. With the right support, all parents — regardless of their age, income, or education — can create a stable environment for their children while also adding to a stronger Kentucky workforce. “The report in many ways confirms our common-sense [...]
New Data Reveals Improvements in Kentucky’s Child Poverty Rates
Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org 502-895-8167 *122 Louisville, KY – New data released today by the U.S Census Bureau reveals that 22.4 percent of Kentucky children lived in poverty in 2017, a drop from the 2016 estimate of 25.0 percent. Child poverty in Kentucky has finally returned to a level not seen since before the Great Recession. “We must note the progress that has been made on reducing the rate of Kentucky children living in poverty, yet we can’t stop until each of the 222,906 children’s families earn enough to put food on the table and provide safe and stable housing. We know [...]
Kentucky Remains Top Ten State in the Nation for Health Coverage
Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org 502-895-8167 *122 Kentucky Remains Top Ten State in the Nation for Health Coverage Louisville, KY – New health insurance data released today by the U.S. Census Bureau revealed that the percent of people with health insurance (of all ages) in Kentucky increased from 85.7 percent in 2013 to 94.6 percent in 2017. Kentucky continues to have the 8th highest rate among states of people with health insurance. The one-year estimates from the American Community Survey revealed that 96.2 percent of Kentucky children under 19 had health insurance in 2017, compared with 93.6 percent in 2013. This [...]