Contact:
Mara Powell
mpowell@kyyouth.org

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

LOUISVILLE, KY – With our partners in the Kosair Charities Face It Movement, we are celebrating the unanimous passage of Senate Bill 8 by the House Health & Family Services Committee. This legislation serves as a pragmatic next step in Kentucky’s efforts to fundamentally strengthen and reform the child welfare system.

SB 8 will impact children across the continuum – from child maltreatment prevention to investigation to healing and out-of-home care. The measure will create a uniform definition of child abuse and neglect, establish new membership of the State Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board, ensure victims of child maltreatment have access to critical medical examinations, broaden the definition of fictive kin, expand opportunities for youth aging out of foster care, and more.

Too many Kentucky children are victims of child abuse or neglect each year. We thank Senator Julie Raque Adams for championing this measure and child safety. We now call on the full Kentucky House to support the final passage of SB 8.

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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About Kentucky Youth Advocates
Kentucky Youth Advocates believes all children deserve to be safe, healthy, and secure. As THE independent voice for Kentucky’s children, we work to ensure policymakers create investments and policies that are good for children. Learn more at 
www.kyyouth.org.