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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 |2013-04-04T11:03:06-04:00April 4th, 2013|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Youth Justice|
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General Assembly Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children Wrap-Up Part I: The Objective Version

Tomorrow Terry Brooks, our executive director, will talk on our blog about how kids fared in Kentucky’s General Assembly this year. While I assume everyone will want to read that version, I wanted to provide a slightly more boring, but objective version of what happened in 2013 for kids in our legislature. Kentucky Youth Advocates is part of the Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children which is a collaborative of multiple child serving partners from across Kentucky [...]

By |2013-04-03T17:13:58-04:00April 3rd, 2013|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Youth Justice|
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Important Bills for Children Passed this Week: It’s Time for Thank Yous

The legislative session began winding to a close this week, and Tuesday marked two significant wins for Kentucky children. Two policy items identified by child advocates as priorities for the 2013 session on the Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children won final passage by the legislature and are on their way to the Governor for his signature. On Tuesday, the legislature passed HB 3 - a bill to address human trafficking and ensure child victims of trafficking [...]

By |2013-03-14T12:11:41-04:00March 14th, 2013|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety|
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Statement on Passage of HB 3 (Human Trafficking) in Kentucky Legislature

Marylee Underwood, staff attorney, Kentucky Association of Sexual Assault Programs "Today is a great day for Kentucky's kids! By unanimously passing the Human Trafficking Victims Rights Act, Kentucky legislators sent a clear message that modern day slavery has no place in this state. Victims of trafficking, especially children exploited in commercial sex, will be treated as victims rather than as criminals and be given access to healing services. Law enforcement will be more equipped to [...]

By |2013-03-12T15:29:37-04:00March 12th, 2013|News Room|
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Statement on Passage of HB 3 (Human Trafficking) in Senate

Marylee Underwood, staff attorney, Kentucky Association of Sexual Assault Programs Today’s vote of HB 3 by the Kentucky Senate represents a fine example of our elected leaders working across party lines in the best interest of our vulnerable youth. Human trafficking legislation is now just a few steps away from becoming law. HB 3 ensures that child victims of human trafficking receive the services they need, rather than being detained or prosecuted. Not only does [...]

By |2013-03-07T23:51:11-05:00March 7th, 2013|News Room|
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Statement on Passage of HB 3 in Senate Judiciary Committee

Marylee Underwood, staff attorney, Kentucky Association of Sexual Assault Programs “We applaud the Kentucky Senate Judiciary Committee for taking action on human trafficking and passing House Bill 3 out of committee today. This bill will ensure that child victims get the services they need to heal and provide better resources for law enforcement officers and prosecutors. We especially appreciate the amendments offered by Chairman Whitney Westerfield and Senator Katie Stine that will further strengthen the [...]

By |2013-03-07T13:01:44-05:00March 7th, 2013|News Room|
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Now is the Time for Kentucky to Pass Human Trafficking Legislation

The following post first appeared as a Reader Letter in the Courier Journal on March 6, 2013 here. Note: Human trafficking legislation sailed through the House but needs help passing the Senate.  Human trafficking is a very real problem in Kentucky, and our legislature is poised to pass safe harbor legislation to combat this horrific crime. We cannot let this opportunity pass us by. So what is the scope of human trafficking in Kentucky and why is safe [...]

By |2013-03-06T11:52:13-05:00March 6th, 2013|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Youth Justice|
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Statement on Passage of HB 3 in Kentucky House

Marylee Underwood, staff attorney, Kentucky Association of Sexual Assault Programs “We applaud the Kentucky House of Representatives for recognizing that human trafficking is a very real problem in Kentucky and unanimously passing House Bill 3 today. This bill will ensure that child victims get the services they need to heal and provide better resources for law enforcement officers and prosecutors.” Terry Brooks, executive director, Kentucky Youth Advocates “Today, the House showed bipartisan collaboration by unanimously [...]

By |2013-02-15T11:28:11-05:00February 15th, 2013|News Room|
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Statement on Passage of HB 3 (Human Trafficking) in House Judiciary Committee

Today, the House Judiciary Committee took an important step in protecting vulnerable children and youth from human trafficking in Kentucky by passing House Bill 3. We applaud the House Judiciary Committee for standing up for children today. We also want to thank Representative Overly, Representative Wuchner and the many other co-sponsors of this bill for their leadership and commitment to this issue. Kentucky Youth Advocates, along with more than fifty organizations in Kentucky, adopted this [...]

By |2013-02-13T15:34:34-05:00February 13th, 2013|News Room|
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Safe Harbor for Kentucky’s Children

Guest Post by Gretchen Hunt, Training Coordinator, Kentucky Association of Sexual Assault Programs The statistics are staggering.  Nationally, between 100,000 and 300,000 children are vulnerable to being trafficked into commercial sex in the United States. Runaways and homeless youth are particularly vulnerable, with one in three being exploited in commercial sex in the first 48 hours of being on the streets.  The average age of entry into prostitution in this country is between twelve and [...]

By |2013-02-11T07:38:41-05:00February 11th, 2013|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Youth Justice|
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