Kids, Families and State Budget Debates

There is a swirl of speculation about the topic.  Is the Governor going to call a special session, and – if so – what will be on “the call?”  Or what are the priorities emerging at this very moment in Cabinet-level planning for the 2014-16 budget? Any talk about budgets offers us both hope and worry.  Will it spotlight the very real need for fundamental and systemic changes in the state’s tax and budget structures [...]

By |2013-04-25T11:04:15-04:00April 25th, 2013|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education|

Children Need Love, Support, and Better Federal Policies

Seemingly every week or month, there is new research about how poorly children are faring in the United States. In a New York Times op-ed last week “The Kids Are (Not) All Right,” Charles Blow highlighted a report from Unicef – “Child Well-Being in Rich Countries.” The United States ranks the worst among wealthy nations for child well-being and ranks particularly poorly on child poverty, being overweight, and “life satisfaction.” Meanwhile, President Obama released his [...]

By |2013-04-24T15:17:44-04:00April 24th, 2013|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health|

Children’s Advocacy Day 2013: When it comes to kids, do we have courage?

The weatherman cooperated.  Citizens from throughout the Commonwealth – hundreds of them – showed up.  The atmospherics were great – the Blue Apple Players performing a scene from “Lincoln”; a high school dance team jazzing up the scene; and, young people talking about public policy issues like human trafficking and a smoke-free environment  that count in their lives.  And the 9th Children’s Advocacy Day kicked off. The sun may have been shining bright on our [...]

Protect Kids from Cuts

On January 29 the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services announced cuts to some vital programs for children, in response to a projected $86.6 million budget shortfall for the Department of Community Based Services. The planned cuts target the Kinship Care Program and the Child Care Assistance Program both of which affect thousands of families and children across the Commonwealth. Cutting the Kinship Care and Child Care Assistance Programs will cost the state more [...]

By |2013-02-04T16:23:29-05:00February 4th, 2013|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education|

The clock is ticking: Kentucky children will be impacted if we fall off fiscal cliff

  Our nation is facing an urgent challenge. If Congress does not reach a debt-reduction deal by January 1, 2013, sequestration automatically kicks in. “Sequestration” is an across-the-board cut to most federal programs, including significant cuts to K-12 and early education. As the deadline for reaching an agreement on our nation’s financial direction looms, let’s take a look at how children might be affected by the decisions. For Kentucky, the impact is huge. If Congress fails to extend [...]

By |2012-12-19T11:35:35-05:00December 19th, 2012|Blog, Economic Security|

Blue Ribbon Tax Commission’s recommendations include a state Earned Income Tax Credit

The Governor’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Tax Reform’s final report came out Monday. The Commission’s final recommendations include enacting a state Earned Income Tax Credit. Enacting a state EITC is a proven method to get and keep parents working and raises children out of poverty. The Commissioners had a serious charge – to think about what is best for all of Kentucky now and in the future. This includes ensuring a fair, competitive, adequate system. [...]

By |2012-12-19T11:31:43-05:00December 19th, 2012|Blog, Economic Security|
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