New Report Shows Majority of Kentucky Children Not Prepared for Future Success
Contact: Andrea Bennett 502-381-1176 abennett@kyyouth.org Jeffersontown, KY - A new KIDS COUNT® data snapshot, co-released today by the Annie E. Casey Foundation and Kentucky Youth Advocates, finds that a large majority of children in Kentucky are not reading proficiently by the time they reach fourth grade - a key predictor of a student’s future educational and economic success. While Kentucky has made progress in education, the state must accelerate improvement in reading proficiency to have enough skilled workers for an increasingly competitive global economy. Early Reading Proficiency in the United States finds that about two-thirds (64 percent) of Kentucky children are not meeting the important benchmark: [...]
Statement by Terry Brooks on Governor’s State of the Budget Address
Budgets always require tough choices, and tonight Steve Beshear built on his previous commitment to kids around health and high school graduation and became “the Children’s Governor” because of the choices he made, the priorities he established, and the values he exemplified. In what is arguably the most historic budget address for kids in the Commonwealth in decades, Governor Beshear laid out an agenda that is as smart as it is bold. He tackled the myriad of challenges that confront children and families in a holistic and future-focused manner, be that child care and kinship care supports; child abuse; early [...]
Children’s Advocacy Day Draws Hundreds to Frankfort
Jeffersontown, KY - Hundreds of Kentuckians of all ages from across the Commonwealth are convening in Frankfort today for the 10th annual Children's Advocacy Day at the Capitol. They are urging legislators to fund kids first in the next two year state budget and support the Blueprint for Kentucky's Children, a common agenda for child advocates across the state. "We are challenging legislators to stand up for kids," said Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates. "From quality child care to protecting kids from abuse. From ensuring children and pregnant moms can breathe clean air to supporting grandparents as they raise [...]
Statement in Response to the Governor’s 2014 State of the Commonwealth Address
It is altogether fitting and proper that a major piece of the Governor’s speech was about kids and families. The Governor, in fact, took an important first step in protecting children from abuse - he is appropriately touted as a health reformer whose efforts work - and he and the First Lady were pivotal in raising the graduation rate. And much of the vision that he describes is truly aspirational for children. Once again, his focus on health around such issues as obesity; oral health care for children, curbs to e-cigarettes; booster seat regulation improvements; substance abuse; and a comprehensive, [...]
New Report Outlines Need for Increased Supports for Kinship Families in Kentucky
Contact: Andrea Bennett abennett@kyyouth.org 502-381-1176 Jeffersontown, KY – The number of children being cared for by grandparents and other relatives - known as kinship care - has doubled over the past decade in Kentucky. Currently, 6 percent of all children in Kentucky are being raised by extended family members – one of the highest rates in the nation. Yet, despite this growing number of kinship families, Kentucky offers little support to kinship caregivers as they take on the unexpected role of raising kin children. A new issue brief outlines the unique challenges faced by kinship caregivers and offers solutions to ensure the [...]
Statement by Terry Brooks, Executive Director, on the Announcement of Kentucky’s $44 Million Race to the Top Grant
Contact: Andrea Bennett abennett@kyyouth.org 502-381-1176 Jeffersontown, KY - We join the Governor in celebrating the Race to the Top grant. His Office of Early Childhood is an example of what focused attention can achieve. At this moment of justifiable pride, it is also a time to challenge the Governor and legislative leaders to make the other part of the early childhood arena into a positive. The cuts to child care and kinship care supports have to be the priority in the 2014 budget session before any new programs are added. Without that kind of support, our race to the top for [...]
Statement by Terry Brooks, Executive Director, on the Release of Recommendations from the Unified Juvenile Code Task Force
Contact: Andrea Bennett abennett@kyyouth.org 502-381-1176 Jeffersontown, KY - Today, the Unified Juvenile Code Task Force announced strong recommendations for changes to Kentucky's juvenile code. The recommendations reflect a commitment to Kentucky's children, to public safety and to using taxpayer dollars effectively to achieve better outcomes. We commend Representative John Tilley and Senator Whitney Westerfield for their bipartisan leadership in guiding the Task Force in a thorough analysis of the data and the status of Kentucky's juvenile justice system. We are encouraged by the commitment of the task force members to find common ground and identify changes that will make Kentucky's juvenile [...]
New KIDS COUNT County Level Rankings on Child Well-Being Reveal Need for Smart Investments in KY Kids
Contact: Andrea Bennett abennett@kyyouth.org 502-381-1178 Jeffersontown, KY – The 2013 Kentucky KIDS COUNT County Data Book, released today by Kentucky Youth Advocates highlights the need for smart investments to ensure kids in all counties have the best opportunity to thrive in childhood and succeed as adults. This is the 23nd annual release of the Kentucky KIDS COUNT County Data Book, part of the Kentucky KIDS COUNT project. The KIDS COUNT project monitors progress for Kentucky's one million children on over 100 indicators of child well-being. This year’s book introduces a new approach, ranking Kentucky counties on overall child well-being and [...]
New Report Shows A State Earned Income Credit Would Help Kentucky Families and the Economy
Jeffersontown, KY -Thousands of Kentucky families and communities could see immediate and long term benefits, at little cost to the state, if policymakers implemented a state Earned Income Credit (EIC), also known as EITC, according to a new Blueprint for Kentucky's Children issue brief from Kentucky Youth Advocates. The issue brief, A State Earned Income Credit Would Help Kentucky Families and Local Economies, examines the federal EIC's 30-year track record of lifting children and families out of poverty and highlights the benefits a state EIC would provide to the Commonwealth. "The 2014 legislative session can be a moment when hard-working families and [...]
Thousands of KY Babies Would Benefit from a Comprehensive, Statewide Smoke-Free Law
Jeffersontown, KY - A new Blueprint for Kentucky's Children Issue Brief released today by Kentucky Youth Advocates, reveals that Kentucky has one of the highest rates of smoking during pregnancy in the nation. Clearing the Air for All Kentucky Children highlights the need for a comprehensive, statewide smoke-free law to reduce exposure to harmful secondhand smoke for children and unborn children and reduce smoking during pregnancy. Nearly one in four (23 percent) Kentucky babies born in 2011 had mothers who smoked during pregnancy. Smoking during pregnancy can cause health problems for the mother, and also increases the risk of miscarriage, and preterm delivery. Cigarette smoking during pregnancy is [...]