New KIDS COUNT Report finds Critical Investments Should Target the First Eight Years of Life
Jeffersontown, KY — The KIDS COUNT policy report, The First Eight Years: Giving Kids a Foundation for Lifetime Success, co-released today by the Annie E. Casey Foundation and Kentucky Youth Advocates, presents a strong case for investing in quality early learning opportunities and supporting parents to ensure their young children are on the right track for success. The first eight years of a child’s life are critical for developing needed emotional and cognitive skills for children to thrive. “First and foremost, young children need strong supports at home to help them grow and develop into successful adults,” said Dr. Terry [...]
Jefferson County KIDS COUNT Data Book Reveals Common Challenges and Unequal Opportunities Across Metro Council Districts
Jeffersontown, KY – In a project made possible through the James Graham Brown Foundation, Kentucky Youth Advocates released today the Jefferson County KIDS COUNT Data Book: Child Well-Being Across Louisville Metro Council Districts. The Jefferson County KIDS COUNT Book presents data at the Council District level to provide a deeper look at the status of children and families across Louisville Metro. The data can help local leaders and community members target efforts and resources most effectively to create positive outcomes for children in Jefferson County. This snapshot of child well-being covers economic security, education, health, safety and the community context in [...]
Are Kindergarten Classrooms Ready for All Kids?
This post originally appeared as a guest post for Education Week. You can find it online, here. One of my best friends is raising his three grandchildren. No small task for an 85 year-old. But Jim is no ordinary 85 year-old. He grew up under the strictures of Jim Crowe laws and segregated schools. He earned his graduate degrees and spent four decades as a public school administrator. And yet he is ready to give up on public schools because of Zane. Zane is his oldest grandkid. When I talked with Zane this summer, he would talk about being "an [...]
New Data Shows Child Poverty Remains High
Jeffersontown, KY - More than 1 in 4 children in Kentucky are now living in poverty, according to new Census Bureau data from the American Community Survey, released today. Child poverty in Kentucky increased to 26.5 percent in 2012 from 25.6 percent in 2009, bringing the total number of children who live in poverty to 263,819. The poverty threshold in 2012 for a family of four with two children means making an income below $23,283. These sustained levels of high poverty come after several years of continued economic hardship for families across Kentucky. Not only did child poverty remain high, [...]
Health Coverage Continues to Increase for Children in Kentucky
Jeffersontown, KY – Over the last decade the number of uninsured Kentucky children has decreased by 2.9 percentage points. According to the new Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey (CPS), roughly 1 in 14, or 6.9 percent of children in Kentucky had no health coverage in 2011 and 2012 down from 9.8 percent in 2001 and 2002. Across the country, 17.8 percent of the overall population under 65 lacked health coverage in 2011-2012. In Kentucky, 17.2 percent of the population under 65 lacked health coverage in 2011-2012, up from 13.9 percent in 2001-2002. “Kentucky leaders have a long history of supporting [...]
Fund Kids First Rally Draws Hundreds to Frankfort on First Day of Special Session
Jeffersontown, KY –Hundreds of child advocates from across Kentucky are in Frankfort today on the opening day of the special legislative session for the Fund Kids First Rally. Those present are speaking out for restored funding to the Child Care Assistance and Kinship Care Programs and asking state leaders to “Fund Kids First” when they return to Frankfort in January to work on the next two-year budget. The rally comes after the state ended its fiscal year with a $70.6 million surplus and put some of the surplus into the rainy day fund. This occurred after the Governor implemented deep [...]
National Survey Finds Overwhelming Support for Public Investments in Early Learning
Jeffersontown, KY – Kentucky Youth Advocates joins the First Five Years Fund today in releasing the results of a national survey of voters which finds that a significant majority of Democrats, Republicans and Independents alike support a plan to help states and local communities provide better early childhood education programs to parents of children from birth to age five, ensuring that all children get a strong start in life. Conducted by the bipartisan research team of Public Opinion Strategies and Hart Research, the national telephone survey of 800 registered voters found that 70 percent of Americans favored providing all low- and [...]
Some 8,700 families per month face losing child care assistance starting Monday, July 1
Advocates organize State Call-In Day to speak out against the cuts to children's programs On Monday, July 1, the state is set to reduce the income eligibility for families to receive child care assistance from 150 percent of the federal poverty level to 100 percent of the federal poverty level, making Kentucky’s eligibility rate the lowest in the nation. According to state estimates, these cuts will immediately cause 8,700 families to lose child care assistance each month and impact 14,300 children. This round is the latest in a series of cuts to both the Child Care Assistance Program and the [...]
Kentucky Ranks 34th in Child Well-Being according to National KIDS COUNT Report
Jeffersontown, KY – Kentucky ranks 34th in the nation on overall child well-being, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s 2013 KIDS COUNT Data Book. The Data Book shows that kids and families in the Commonwealth gained in the areas of education and health, but more and more families are struggling due to poverty and financial insecurity. “The good news is that we are making positive and substantial strides in many areas. The take away question from the report is as direct as it is crucial. Will we continue to create better days for Kentucky’s kids through stronger investments in our children?” [...]
Statement on Governor’s Release on Kentucky’s High School Graduation Rate
The news about Kentucky’s graduation rate is, indeed, good for Kentucky’s kids today and for Kentucky’s future. Beyond the numbers announced by the Governor today, there awaits both opportunities and obligations around the recent passage of SB 97 by the Kentucky General Assembly. This bill gives school districts throughout Kentucky the discretion to raise the high school dropout age to 18. After 55 percent of school districts choose to raise the dropout age to 18 from the current requirement of 16, the policy will become mandatory statewide four years after the threshold is met. Supporters of the “raise the age” bill see it as a [...]