We are in the final countdown! The final federal dollars from the American Rescue Plan will run out on September 30th, and the child care industry will be expected to stand on its own two feet. Unfortunately, child care was barely surviving prior to the pandemic, and with the inflation that has occurred in the past four years, the industry is not set-up to be successful. The biggest challenge to overcome is the cost [...]
Kids cannot vote, but you can ensure that their voices are heard by engaging with candidates in local, state, and federal elections and being an informed voter. The leaders we elect determine policies and budgets that will impact our daily lives for what may be generations to come. But how often do we pause to consider–specifically–how our choices at the ballot box will impact us, and particularly children who depend on us to make [...]
By Casey Lane, Intern at Kentucky Youth Advocates As homeschooling in Kentucky appears to be on the rise, let’s further explore some of the components of homeschooling, including strengths, concerns, and opportunities to improve homeschool practices in Kentucky. Flexibility and Family Preference Before and since the COVID-19 pandemic, parents have praised homeschooling’s flexibility, allowing families to travel and have a schedule that accommodates appointments, field trips, and other needs and preferences of the family. Homeschooling [...]
For more than 20 years, advocates for kids have gathered in Frankfort for Children’s Advocacy Day to fill the halls of the Capitol and ask their elected officials to step up for Kentucky kids. The critical mass of advocates in the Capitol building led to many policy wins and raising awareness of issues facing kids and their families. During Children’s Advocacy Week, we host a series of virtual events with more opportunities to [...]
If your electric bill seems higher than usual this summer, you’re not alone. The National Energy Assistance Directors Association projects that the average U.S electric bill for the 2024 summer months will be 8% higher than last year. Households in Kentucky along with other Southeastern states are facing some of the highest electric bills in the country with the average household expected to spend around $774 on electricity from June through September. As temperatures rise [...]
By Casey Lane, Intern at Kentucky Youth Advocates What is homeschooling? Homeschooling, loosely defined as when a student has been withdrawn from public school and is educated through a private or home setting, has seen an unprecedented increase in Kentucky. Roughly 38,222 Kentucky children were homeschooled during the 2022-2023 school year, a 56% increase from 2017-2018. In some districts spanning from rural Pulaski County to metro Fayette County, homeschooling grew as much as 75%. Kentucky's [...]
Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – During the 2023 legislative session, the General Assembly passed and the Governor signed Senate Bill 48, a comprehensive bill that makes multiple organizational changes to the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. Within SB 48 a key win for kids and families was included that moved the Office of the Ombudsman from CHFS to the Auditor of [...]
Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY –We at Kentucky Youth Advocates were eager to celebrate final passage of Senate Bill 151 with bipartisan support – especially once the Governor signed it into law in April. We proudly supported Senator Julie Raque Adams’ legislation as a win for kids because of the opportunity for more flexibility and access to financial assistance for Kentucky’s kinship and [...]
By Kathleen Baldwin, Intern at Kentucky Youth Advocates The timing of the recent Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Family Ties series of reports on kinship care state policies is well aligned with the ongoing conversations around access to supports for kinship families in Kentucky. The latest report was released on July 15, 2024 and includes questions for consideration by local, state, and federal leaders in collaboration with kinship families. In 2022, The Annie E. Casey Foundation [...]
In June, the second annual Statewide Domestic Violence Data Report was published, detailing a devastating reality for thousands of adults and children across the Commonwealth. Domestic violence (DV) is “a systematic pattern of power and control that’s perpetrated by one intimate partner against another”. It’s the willful use of a range of abusive behaviors that can include being: isolated from family and friends, threatened with weapons, coerced into committing crimes or engaging in other activities [...]
