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RECENT UPDATES
08/26/08
U.S. Census Bureau Reveals Increases in Poverty and Uninsured Over Past Seven Years
Today the U.S. Census Bureau released Income, Poverty and Health Insurance Coverage in the U.S.: 2007. While Kentucky’s poverty rate decreased slightly in 2007, Census Bureau data reveals families are faring worse over time. Kentuckians were more likely to be poor or to lack health coverage last year than in 2001, when the last recession bottomed out. In addition, the median household income in Kentucky was lower in 2007 than in 2001, after adjusting for inflation.
08/19/08
Report: 93,000 Children in Kentucky are Not Covered by Health Insurance
A new report, Better Health Coverage for Kentucky's Children: Small Changes for Big Improvement finds that two-thirds of uninsured children in Kentucky are eligible for coverage under Medicaid and the Kentucky Children's Health Insurance Program (KCHIP), yet remained unenrolled. Kentucky Voices for Health suggest common sense changes that could bring more children into the programs that are designed to keep them healthy.
07/29/08
KyHealth Choices: What it Means for Children
A newly revised issue brief, KyHealth Choices: What it Means for Children provides the most up to date information regarding children enrolled in Kentucky’s Medicaid program. It highlights issues that impact children’s access to health care services including a lack of adequate information provided to families and the Medical community about the program, as well as confusion regarding “soft” limits and prior authorizations for prescription drugs.
06/26/08
Kentucky's Immigrant Youth Face Tough Transition to Adulthood
In Kentucky, as across the nation, children in immigrant families are a growing part of the population and future workforce. However, as the number of immigrant youth has increased in recent years, programs and services that would help them succeed in school and become productive adults have not kept pace, according to a new issue brief released today.
06/12/08
2008 National KIDS COUNT Data Book Released
According to the 19th annual KIDS COUNT Data Book, released today by Kentucky Youth Advocates and the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Kentucky dropped to 41st in the nation on key indicators of child well-being. The book begins with an essay on urgently needed juvenile justice reforms that are particularly relevant to Kentucky.
06/02/08
New Report on Kentucky's Medicaid System Uncovers Communication, Service Problems
In a new report, In the Dark: Families Share their Experiences with KyHealth Choices, Kentucky Youth Advocates draws on the voices of families whose children are enrolled in Medicaid to illustrate a system characterized by insufficient communication, confusing rules, and poor customer service.
05/22/08
Payday Loans Story Features Kentucky Youth Advocates
Louisville's Fox 41 News ran a story on the explosion of the Payday Loans businesses, featuring interviews with Kentucky Youth Advocates executive director, Terry Brooks, and deputy director, Tracy Goff-Herman. View the story on Fox's website.
05/19/08
Legislation Impacting Children and Families
The 2008 Regular Session of the Kentucky General Assembly has adjourned. Legislators took action on a number of critical children’s issues, including booster seats, dental check-ups and bullying. See the report below for a summary of legislation impacting children and families.
05/15/08
Strengthening Economic Well-being among New Kentuckians
Kentucky is better off when all families have fair opportunities to support themselves financially. A new issue brief finds that, too many immigrant families in Kentucky face barriers to financial stability.
04/30/08
SpankOut Day: Raising Responsible Kids Without Hitting
April 30th is SpankOut Day, USA. It was initiated in 1998 to give widespread attention to the need to end corporal punishment of children and to promote non-violent ways of teaching children appropriate behavior. Did you know that two out of five schools in Kentucky still use corporal punishment? Find out more in the fact sheet below.
Fact Sheet on Corporal Punishment in Schools
04/29/08
Ensuring a Healthy Start: Prenatal Care and Birth Outcomes Among Newborn Kentuckians
A new issue brief finds that Kentucky mothers born outside the U.S. do not receive adequate care during pregnancy to ensure healthy outcomes. Despite this, Kentucky babies of mothers born outside the U.S. as a group are more likely to be born at a healthy birth weight and after a full-term pregnancy.
Issue Brief | Press Release | Spanish Press Release
04/09/08
Income Inequality Growing in Kentucky and the Nation
Kentucky ranks sixth in the nation in the growth in inequality between the top and bottom fifth of income levels over the past twenty years. What’s more, Kentucky’s gap between the richest and poorest families is 10th largest in the nation.
Report | Press Release | Fact Sheet
04/08/08
The General Assembly Reaches a Budget Compromise
After several days of heated discussions Kentucky's House of Representatives and Senate finally reached a budget compromise. The compromise includes no additional taxes and makes cuts to a variety of agencies. The Governor has indicated he won't veto the entire budget, but he now has until the end of the day on April 14th to line-item veto any specific budget provisions.
Analysis of the General Assembly Budget Compromise
03/31/08
The Kentucky Senate's Budget
Kentucky's Senate made several changes to the budget proposal with the primary difference being a rejection of the new taxes proposed by the House. The Senate's budget relies in part on a larger portion of Kentucky Lottery receipts going to the General Fund. Now, the two chambers negotiate the differences with the hope of reaching an agreement before the Veto period begins.
Analysis of the Senate's Budget Proposal
03/20/08
The Kentucky House of Representatives' Budget
Kentucky's House of Representatives passed their version of the budget. Find out about the key differences in the House's budget compared to Governor Beshear's proposed budget as the Senate begins reviewing and preparing a response.