Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks on HB 527 Passing Senate Health & Welfare Committee

By |2018-03-21T10:56:09-04:00March 21st, 2018|Child Welfare & Safety, Education, News Room|

Contact:
Mara Powell
502-895-8167 *122
mpowell@kyyouth.org

Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates

We applaud the Senate Health and Welfare Committee for unanimously passing HB 527, which prioritizes the educational stability of children who have experienced abuse or neglect. A child’s removal from his or her home can be traumatic and we commend Representative Steve Riley, Chair Julie Raque Adams and members of the committee, and the Cabinet for Health and Family Services for making what’s best for children the priority.

When a child is removed from their home due to abuse or neglect, they face a number of transitions, including a new home and a new caregiver. Knowing for some kids that school is the most stable part of their life, HB 527 places a priority on that stability. When appropriate, allowing kids to stay in their current school will minimize the loss of important learning time, and even more important, encourage consistency in relationships built at the school when so many other facets of life are changing. When a child must move schools because of the abuse or neglect they’ve experienced, we need to make the transition to a new school as smooth as possible with swift enrollment and transfer of records.

We applaud Representative Steve Riley for sponsoring HB 527 and we thank Chair Julie Raque Adams, members of the Senate Health and Welfare Committee, and the Cabinet for Health and Family Services for their continued commitment to supporting children who’ve experienced abuse or neglect.

Stay up-to-date on Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children priorities and other bills that are good for kids on our Kentucky General Assembly Bill Tracker.

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