Statement on HB 40 Passing Senate Judiciary Committee
Contact: Andrea Bennett 502-381-1176 abennett@kyyouth.org Statement by Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates We applaud the Senate Judiciary Committee for passing HB 40 to allow expungement for certain low-level felonies. We also thank Representative Darryl Owens for sponsoring the bill. We especially appreciate the work of President Stivers and Senator Westerfield for their work on language that will help the bill move forward this year. Approximately 13 percent of Kentucky children have lived with a parent or guardian who has served time in jail or prison - the highest rate in the nation. For this group of children, [...]
Statement on CCAP in House Budget
Contact: Andrea Bennett 502-381-1176 abennett@kyyouth.org Statement by Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates Given tough budget economic times, there are several needs children and families face on a daily basis, and we know the state budget impacts children in a number of ways. However, one of greatest needs is ensuring parents have opportunities to work in order to provide for their families. The Child Care Assistance Program is one of the key ways to ensure low-income working parents have access to affordable, quality child care. We applaud the House for including funding to provide CCAP to more families [...]
Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks on SB 270 Passing Senate Judiciary Committee
Contact: Andrea Bennett 502-381-1176 abennett@kyyouth.org Statement by Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates We thank Senator Whitney Westerfield for bringing forward SB 270 with the goal of utilizing data to promote equitable treatment of our youth of color. SB 270 ensures that all systems who care for our youth - education, child welfare, and youth justice - will collect and report race, age, and gender specific data across these systems. Much work has already begun within these state agencies who serve children to facilitate awareness of disparate treatment for youth of color. SB 270 will formalize the process [...]
Statement on SB 194 to Close the Gap in Child Abuse and Neglect Checks for Public School Personnel Passing Senate Education Committee
Contact: Andrea Bennett 502-381-1176 abennett@kyyouth.org Statement by Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates Kentucky children deserve the safest environment in which to learn. SB 194 strengthens the safety of children at public schools. While public schools already conduct criminal background checks, many substantiated cases of child abuse and neglect are not prosecuted criminally for a variety of reasons. SB 194 brings public schools in line with what child care and child caring agencies are already required to do, which is to conduct a Child Abuse and Neglect Check with the Cabinet for Health and Family Services for new [...]
Statement on SB 40 to Create Pilot for Open Courts Passing KY Senate
Contact: Andrea Bennett 502-381-1176 abennett@kyyouth.org Statement by Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates Transparency can be an important aspect of child welfare and court systems but it must result in better outcomes for children and the system as a whole. We applaud Senator Julie Raque Adams for sponsoring SB 40 to create a pilot project to open courts in child welfare cases. This is an opportunity to start small and evaluate the impact on children to identify future steps. It allows the public to learn about the challenges of the system and work to improve it. It also [...]
Statement on SB 1 to Reform KY’s Public Education System Passing the Senate
Contact: Andrea Bennett 502-381-1176 abennett@kyyouth.org Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates Some 2 out of 3 Kentucky 4th graders do not meet national standards for reading, and 7 out of 10 Kentucky 8th graders do not meet national standards in math. Those kind of results highlight the need for a fundamental reform of public education in the Commonwealth. SB 1 delivers that fundamental reform. SB 1 places a priority on learning rather than testing. SB 1 ensures that the learning drives testing rather than testing driving the rhythms of Kentucky's classrooms. SB 1 places a priority [...]
Statement on SB 40 to Create Pilot for Open Courts Passing Senate Judiciary Committee
Contact: Andrea Bennett 502-381-1176 abennett@kyyouth.org Statement by Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates When it comes to the child welfare and court systems, transparency has merit, but it must result in better outcomes for the children affected. That's why we support SB 40, sponsored by Senator Julie Raque Adams to create a pilot project to open courts in child welfare cases. This is an opportunity to start small and learn from that opening chapter. It gives us a chance to evaluate the impact on children whether positive or negative. It allows the public to learn about the challenges [...]
Statement on Governor Bevin’s Budget Address
Jeffersontown, KY - While any assessment of Governor Bevin's budget proposal this evening will require more time to ensure accuracy and understanding, there are a remarkable number of "bright spots" for Kentucky's kids and families. As an example, a specific "bright spot" is around the First Lady's initiative around child advocacy centers. What more vulnerable citizen can there be than an abused child? Additionally, the increase in the numbers of social workers, the emphasis on reduced case loads, and the improved level of support for frontline workers will make a significant and positive impact on families in crisis. Both of these commitments [...]
Statement on HB 109 (continuous course of conduct) & HB 40 (adult expungement) Passing KY House
Contact: Andrea Bennett 502-381-1176 abennett@kyyouth.org Two Blueprint for Kentucky Children bills progressed through the legislature today with favorable votes from the House Judiciary Committee. Below are statements on each bill from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates. “Thank you to the Kentucky House for passing HB 109 today sponsored by Representative Joni Jenkins. This bill will better protect child victims of repeated abuse that occurred over a period of time, known as a continuous course of conduct. While children can often remember details about when abuse occurred, they often have difficulty remembering a specific date on which [...]
Statement on SB 60 to Better Protect Victims of Repeated Abuse Passing Senate Judiciary Cmte
Contact: Andrea Bennett 502-381-1176 abennett@kyyouth.org Statement by Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates SB 60, sponsored by Senator Whitney Westerfield will better protect child victims of repeated abuse. Many children who have experienced repeated abuse over time, referred to as a continuous course of conduct, have difficulty remembering the details of each specific incident of abuse. This bill would accommodate a child’s more generalized testimony when a tragedy of repeated abuse occurs. It takes into consideration how age and trauma impact a child’s memory. We thank Senator Westerfield for sponsoring this bill and to all Senators who voted yes today in committee. We commend the Senate [...]