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OP-ED: Congress needs to invest in Kentucky’s kids now to allow us to recover from the pandemic

This post originally appeared as an op-ed in The Courier Journal on June 24, 2021. By Dr. Terry Brooks In his remarkable book, “Shrewd,” author Rick Lawrence recalls the amazing tale of the 1969 Apollo 11 mission. After landing on the moon, the spaceship was hurtling back to earth when a failed bearing in a Guam tracking station threatened to create a re-entry disaster. All of the technical solutions failed. But, station director Charles Force saved [...]

By |2021-06-24T10:19:10-04:00June 24th, 2021|Blog, Economic Security, Education, Health, Kids Count, Race Equity|
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COVID-19 Vaccinations & Kentucky Kids

Updated June 20, 2022 We've made a big step towards ending the pandemic with vaccines now available to protect adults and youth against COVID-19, now including young children. Kentucky's approximately one million kids look forward to the day when they can more safely spend time with friends, travel with their families, attend school in person, and enjoy their communities. To protect children from COVID-19 and potential variants, the American Academy of Pediatrics provided a checklist for parents and caregivers [...]

By |2022-06-20T09:37:37-04:00June 23rd, 2021|Blog, Health, Medicaid, Race Equity|
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The Child Tax Credit and Payments to Parents and Caregivers

This post was originally featured on the blog of the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Image courtesy of AECF If you are a parent or caregiver who has filed taxes before, you may already be familiar with the child tax credit, which most parents claim on their annual income tax return. For years, it has provided an after-the-fact credit for families with children. What’s new is that beginning in July 2021, for most parents, [...]

By |2021-06-23T13:34:55-04:00June 23rd, 2021|Blog, Economic Security, Kids Count, Race Equity|
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Kentucky Progress on Child and Family Well-Being Jeopardized by Pandemic

Kentucky was showing measurable, though slow, progress on family economic well-being and child health coverage immediately before the COVID-19 pandemic but was falling short on curbing youth obesity and having 3- and 4-year-olds in early childhood programs, according to the 2021 KIDS COUNT® Data Book, a 50-state report published today by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. “Though the Commonwealth made progress on a number of indicators of child well-being between 2010 and 2019, rankings show [...]

By |2021-06-21T17:53:38-04:00June 21st, 2021|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Kids Count, Race Equity|
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Kentucky Progress on Child and Family Well-Being Jeopardized by Pandemic

CONTACT: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Kentucky Progress on Child and Family Well-Being Jeopardized by Pandemic Data Across 50 States Show Continued Challenges, But Hopes for Recovery Remain, Annie E. Casey Foundation Finds LOUISVILLE, KY – Kentucky was showing measurable, though slow, progress on family economic well-being and child health coverage immediately before the COVID-19 pandemic but was falling short on curbing youth obesity and having 3- and 4-year-olds in early childhood programs, according to the 2021 KIDS COUNT® [...]

By |2021-06-21T17:43:22-04:00June 21st, 2021|Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Kids Count, News Room, Race Equity|
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Actions to Mitigate Food Insecurity in the United States

By Nikky Patel, Intern at Kentucky Youth Advocates In the past year, many Americans have experienced a lack of access to healthy food and, although food insecurity is not a new issue, we have vividly felt its effect throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the federal government and Congressional leaders have been responsive to this issue and continue to apply lessons learned throughout the pandemic to take action that will address hunger and food insecurity in [...]

By |2021-06-30T14:28:55-04:00June 16th, 2021|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Race Equity|
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Statement on JCBE School Suspension Decision

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – The decision by the Jefferson County Board of Education to “suspend suspensions” for our youngest children is far more than a simple change in disciplinary procedures. Instead, it is an affirmation of Superintendent Pollio’s persistent efforts to create a student-centric school system. This change in disciplinary processes will create a ripple effect with an impact than cannot be [...]

By |2021-05-25T20:49:11-04:00May 25th, 2021|Child Welfare & Safety, Education, News Room, Race Equity, Youth Justice|
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Closing the Gaps in Behavioral Health Care for Kids in Louisville

In partnership with the Jewish Heritage Fund for Excellence, Kentucky Youth Advocates hosted a virtual behavioral health summit on May 11th. The Closing the Gaps in Behavioral Health Care for Kids summit brought together over one hundred youth, parents, and professionals from various sectors including educators, mental health professionals, legislators, juvenile justice system staff, child advocates, child welfare system representatives, Kentucky’s philanthropic community, and more. The event featured a data presentation on the recent research conducted by KYA and supplemental data from Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) providing context to [...]

By |2021-05-18T16:24:54-04:00May 18th, 2021|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Education, Health, Race Equity, Youth Justice|
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Emergency Broadband Benefit: Let’s Get Families Connected

Let’s get more communities and families digitally connected! May 12, 2021 marks the launch of the temporary, federal Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) program. This program, overseen by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), is geared toward connecting more households to the internet at a time when we rely on digital connectivity more than ever before. The $3.2 billion Emergency Broadband Benefit program, established by Congress last year in response to ongoing economic hardships caused by the [...]

By |2021-05-13T09:49:10-04:00May 13th, 2021|Blog, Economic Security, Education, Health|
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Update on FDA Menthol Ban and Impact for Youth

The recent announcement from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to begin the process of banning all menthol flavoring in cigarettes and cigars is a huge step in reducing youth and young adult tobacco addiction, addressing health equity, and improving health outcomes. This announcement ensures that the FDA’s next steps will be establishing rules and an opportunity for public comment on the ban of menthol flavoring in cigarettes and all flavoring in cigars within the [...]

By |2022-02-07T11:53:07-05:00May 6th, 2021|Blog, Health, Race Equity|
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