Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks on House Appropriations and Revenue Committee’s Proposed Subcommittee Budgets
Contact: Jessie Whitish 502-214-0303 jwhitish@kyyouth.org Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates We are encouraged by the House Appropriations and Revenue Committee's proposed Kentucky subcommittee budgets as they embrace a myriad of opportunities to improve the lives and futures of Kentucky kids and families. From revenue to expenditures, the overall proposals represent a courageous commitment to Kentucky kids. We applaud Chairman Rudy and all members of the committee and subcommittees for their thoughtful and thorough approach to these budgets. As with Governor Bevin's proposed budget, the greatest potential we heard today lies within child welfare funding. [...]
Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks on HB 1 Passing Kentucky House
Contact: Jessie Whitish 502-214-0303 jwhitish@kyyouth.org Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates Today the Kentucky House has taken a bold step forward in protecting Kentucky kids and putting those kids and families on a path to a brighter, safer, more caring future. We applaud the Kentucky House for prioritizing kids with HB 1, which sets forth a comprehensive plan for strengthening how Kentucky supports children impacted by abuse and neglect. This legislation reflects the efforts of the bipartisan House Working Group on Adoptions, led by co-chairs Representative David Meade and Representative Joni Jenkins, and their relentless [...]
Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks on SB 133 Passing Senate Health and Welfare Committee
Contact: Mara Powell 502-895-8167 *122 mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates Kentucky continues to be smart when it comes to the intersection of justice and families. When you think about the justice system in the Commonwealth, you have to think about the shared sentence of our children whose parents are incarcerated. After all, three of five inmates in Kentucky have children, including 71% of women in prison. Kentucky also has the second highest rate in the nation of children who’ve had a parent separated from them due to incarceration—a stressful and traumatic experience that [...]
Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks on HB 1 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 Reforming child welfare seemingly has been everyone’s chant for years in Frankfort. House Bill 1 is making that rhetoric into a reality. We applaud the House Health and Family Services Committee for their unanimous support of HB 1, which sets forth a comprehensive plan for strengthening how Kentucky supports children impacted by abuse and neglect. This legislation reflects the efforts of the House Working Group on Adoptions and the strong commitment to prioritize the well-being of children. It is especially encouraging to see [...]
Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks on CHFS Announcement to Pay Eligible Relative Caregivers Foster Care Payments
Contact: Mara Powell 502-895-8167 *122 mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates The Cabinet for Health and Family Services is moving forward with plans to make financial assistance payments to eligible relative and fictive kin caregivers of children placed in their home by the Cabinet after the October 2017 U.S. Supreme Court ruling. This announcement is profoundly good news for Kentucky kids and families. It certainly is aligned with Governor Matt Bevin’s broader positive budget focus on front-end supports for families, such as kinship care and family preservation. Given the urgency of kinship families’ needs, [...]
Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks on Passage of the Federal Budget Deal
Contact: Mara Powell 502-895-8167 *122 mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates We applaud Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for championing the bipartisan budget deal that makes critical investments in children’s health and well-being. This deal is a win for children and families in Kentucky and across the nation as it makes vital investments in child care assistance so parents with limited income can work, along with extending Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) funding for another four years, Maternal, Infant and Early Care Home Visiting (MIECHV) program for five years, and Community Health Center funding [...]
Minimizing the Impact of Parental Incarceration on Kentucky Children
Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org (o) 502-895-8167 *122 (c) 859-496-5524 JEFFERSONTOWN, KY – A new Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children issue brief released today by Kentucky Youth Advocates, Minimizing the Impact of Parental Incarceration on Children, shows three out of every five inmates in state custody have children, impacting approximately 32,700 Kentucky kids. The brief highlights the prevalence of parental incarceration in Kentucky, the impact it has on children, and the criminal justice policy changes that could hold parents accountable for their actions in ways that allow them to still care for their children. “Parental incarceration is a shared sentence, impacting the health and [...]
Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks on SB 69 Passing Senate Education Committee
Contact: Mara Powell 502-895-8167 *122 mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates Kentucky students deserve to learn and grow in a safe environment with effective educators committed to each student’s success. Today, the Senate Education Committee passed Senate Bill 69, which would ensure Kentucky students have educators who work effectively and safely with children by implementing a balanced process for reviewing cases when an educator is dismissed. The tribunal process, which is the process for educators who are dismissed to appeal that decision, has resulted in inconsistent results and, in a majority of cases, superintendent [...]
An Increased Tobacco Tax of at least $1 Would Prevent Teen Smoking
Contact: Mara Powell 502-895-8167 *122 mpowell@kyyouth.org FRANKFORT, KY – Across the commonwealth, tobacco takes a toll on the health of children, teens, and pregnant women and their babies. Seventeen percent of Kentucky high school students currently smoke—the 2nd highest rate in the nation—and 2,900 Kentucky kids become new daily smokers each year. However, viable solutions do exist to end tobacco use. Increasing Kentucky’s tobacco tax by at least $1 is a proven method to prevent teens from starting to smoke and supports a healthy future for Kentucky kids. “In a climate of tough budget decisions in Kentucky, an increased tobacco [...]
Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks on Congress’ Passage of CHIP Funding Extension
Contact: Mara Powell 502-895-8167 *122 mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates Tonight, many families across Kentucky can rest assured that their children’s health insurance is no longer in jeopardy. With the measure passed today by Congress, the bipartisan Children’s Health Insurance Program received a funding extension of six years. The extension of CHIP funding means that 93,000 Kentucky kids can stay up-to-date on their immunizations and wellness visits and have access to much needed dental care and mental health services. In the context of all the gridlock in Washington, we’re relieved to see action [...]