early childhood

The Child Care Landscape Heading into 2026

The Child Care Landscape Heading into 2026

With only a month until the beginning of Kentucky’s legislative session, it is essential for child advocates to be up-to-date on the topics most likely to impact children and families in 2026. The General Assembly will undoubtedly be discussing topics like food insecurity, children experiencing homelessness, and Kentucky children having access to appropriate health care – and the Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children has a number of state policy and budget priorities that will impact kids [...]

By Sarah Vanover|2025-12-10T10:50:47-05:00December 10th, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Education|

Terry Brooks on Pure Politics with Ryan Alessi – KIDS COUNT Early Reading Proficiency

Terry Brooks on Pure Politics with Ryan Alessi – KIDS COUNT Early Reading Proficiency

Yesterday, Terry appeared on Pure Politics to discuss the recently released KIDS COUNT Data Snapshot - Early Reading Proficiency in the United States by the Annie E. Casey Foundation and Kentucky Youth Advocates. You can find the interview online here or watch the video on you tube below.

By admin|2014-01-29T10:54:12-05:00January 29th, 2014|Blog, Education|

New KIDS COUNT Report finds Critical Investments Should Target the First Eight Years of Life

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 [...]

By Andrea Bennett|2013-11-04T00:01:06-05:00November 4th, 2013|News Room|

Positive signs from Washington, DC: Let’s translate that to action for children

Positive signs from Washington, DC: Let’s translate that to action for children

A couple Kentucky Youth Advocates staff , including myself, had the opportunity to meet with members of Kentucky’s federal delegation last week while in Washington, DC for conferences. The visits came on the same day national partners released exciting new polling numbers showing broad support among voters for Congress to take action to increase investments in early childhood education to give young children a strong start. The new polling data made for good conversations with members [...]

By Tara Grieshop-Goodwin|2013-08-06T15:00:17-04:00August 6th, 2013|Blog, Economic Security, Education, Youth Justice|

Lessons from Dr. Heckman on early childhood development

Lessons from Dr. Heckman on early childhood development

“Invest in prevention-not remediation.” That was the primary message of Dr. James Heckman’s lecture that took place in Henderson, Kentucky on Tuesday July 23, 2013. The Nobel Laureate and Professor of Economics at the University of Chicago has been a part of several studies surrounding early childhood development and the relationship that early education has with the economy. Dr. Heckman is also considered an expert in the economics of human development. Dr. Heckman’s research of [...]

By Shannon Moody|2013-07-25T09:41:20-04:00July 25th, 2013|Blog, Economic Security, Education|

Poverty Today is the Polio of the 1950s

Poverty Today is the Polio of the 1950s

Clasp.org discusses the polio epidemic of the 1950s that crippled tens of thousands of people every year – and was eliminated by 1979 due to a massive public health effort. The post also highlights that the Academic Pediatric Association (APA) Task Force on Childhood Poverty recently declared that childhood poverty is on par with polio in the 1950s as the most important problem facing American children today. While the APA Task Force acknowledges that there is no [...]

By Katie Carter|2013-05-21T10:38:10-04:00May 21st, 2013|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health|

General Assembly Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children Wrap-Up Part II: The Unleashed Version

General Assembly Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children Wrap-Up Part II: The Unleashed Version

To view Part I of this post, click here. My birthday is December 25. That makes birthday traditions and Christmas customs mingle together a bit. But one birthday tradition leaps out. It arrives every December in a large Styrofoam box packed with lots of dry ice. And at the bottom of that crate sit – like precious jewels – artisan made bratwursts! When my wife and one of our good friends were on a trip [...]

By Terry Brooks|2013-04-04T11:03:06-04:00April 4th, 2013|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Youth Justice|

Early-childhood Reports Show the Good, Bad and Ironic

Early-childhood Reports Show the Good, Bad and Ironic

This post originally appeared as an op-ed on March 14 in the Herald Leader. Find it online here. The Governor's Office of Early Childhood released for the first time early childhood profiles on a county-by-county basis. It was a report filled with good news, bad news and irony. First of all, this is a tool that can help communities and schools assess progress and make plans to help youngsters entering kindergarten. We were happy to [...]

By Terry Brooks|2013-03-18T13:07:17-04:00March 18th, 2013|Blog, Education, Health|

Statement on Governor’s Office of Early Childhood Release of Early Childhood Profiles

Statement on Governor’s Office of Early Childhood Release of Early Childhood Profiles

The Governor’s Office of Early Childhood released for the first time Early Childhood Profiles on a county-by-county basis. This tool can help communities and schools assess progress and make plans to help youngsters entering kindergarten. We were happy to see that KIDS COUNT data, which we track and report annually, proved useful for these profiles. And the Governor’s Office of Early Childhood is to be commended for this effort. That is the good news. The bad [...]

By Terry Brooks|2013-03-12T18:04:37-04:00March 12th, 2013|News Room|

Don’t pull the net out from children

The following post first appeared in A Better Life, a blog for the Courier-Journal about the aftermath of the recession. Over the weekend, New York Times Columnist Nick Kristof caused a bit of a stir with his column “Profiting From a Child’s Illiteracy.” Kristof argues that some families in poverty – specifically families in Breathitt County in eastern Kentucky – keep their children illiterate to ensure they receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI). This is troubling, but [...]

By Katie Carter|2012-12-11T10:30:03-05:00December 11th, 2012|Blog, Economic Security, Education|