Making Kids Count

This week on our Advocate Virtual Forum, we discuss the impacts of COVID-19 on families experiencing domestic violence, including the complex dynamics within families, how neighbors and professionals can help, and resources available for survivors. Panelists included Teshanna Brown, Director of Domestic Violence Services for Center for Women and Families; Arlene Grullon, Director of Emergency Shelter for Center for Women and Families; Olivia Spradlin, Senior Program Specialist with Kentucky Coalition Against Domestic Violence; and Darlene Thomas, Executive Director of GreenHouse17.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Find information on Kentucky's domestic violence programs and resources at kcadv.org.

Thank you to Aetna for supporting the Making Kids Count Podcast. This episode is part of a series of conversations where we examine the immediate and long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Kentucky kids and the systems that influence their lives. View our COVID-19 page at kyyouth.org for more information.

Support this podcast with a gift to Kentucky Youth Advocates at kyyouth.org/donate

This week on our Advocate Virtual Forum, Terry Brooks is joined by state Representative Josie Raymond and Representative Jason Nemes to discuss paid family leave, including why that policy is important for kids, their caregivers, and the workforce, along with upcoming legislation in the 2021 session.

Support this podcast with a gift to Kentucky Youth Advocates at kyyouth.org/donate

This week on our Advocate Virtual Forum, we discuss child abuse prevention, including the TEN-4 bruising rule, and how the dual pandemics of COVID-19 and systemic racism are impacting family safety and dynamics. Panelists include Dr. Mary Clyde Pierce, Professor of Emergency Medicine Pediatrics and Preventive Medicine at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and co-creator of the TEN-4 Bruising Rule; Dr. Melissa Currie, Medical Director and Chief of the Kosair Charities Division of Pediatric Forensic Medicine at University of Louisville; Pam Darnall, President of Family and Children’s Place, which is a HANDS program provider in Louisville; and, Lynn Hulsey, Director of Programs at Family Enrichment Center. Thank you to Kosair Charities for leading efforts to prevent and end child abuse in Kentucky with the Face It Movement.

Join Face It for a FREE virtual training on Pediatric Abusive Head Trauma with Kentucky's leading child abuse experts! Find details on dates, times, and CEUs and REGISTER at faceitabuse.org.

Support this podcast with a gift to Kentucky Youth Advocates at kyyouth.org/donate

This week on our Advocate Virtual Forum, we discuss recent state enacted child care changes and the impact on families and providers. Panelists included Dr. Sarah Vanover, Director of the Kentucky Division of Child Care; June Widman, executive director, Appalachian Early Childhood Network; and Dawn Thompson, Assistant Director, and Kathy King, special projects manager, of Community Coordinated Child Care (4-C).

Learn more about the recent child care updates at kyyouth.org and TAKE ACTION by telling your federal leaders to make child care a priority in additional federal COVID relief efforts.

This is part of a series of conversations where we examine the immediate and long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Kentucky kids and the systems that influence their lives – health care, education, early childhood education and care, child welfare, youth justice, economic security, and more. View our COVID-19 page at kyyouth.org for more information.

Support this podcast with a gift to Kentucky Youth Advocates at kyyouth.org/donate

This week on our Advocate Virtual Forum, we discuss kinship care in Kentucky amidst COVID-19, the important role of support groups, and what advocates can do to stand up for kinship families. We also presented a new handbook for relative caregivers to use as a resource as they navigate caring for vulnerable children and understanding the complex child welfare system. View it at kinshipky.org. Panelists include Mary Jo Dendy, Family Resource Center Coordinator with Fayette County Public Schools; Norma Hatfield, President of the Kinship Families Coalition of Kentucky; and Angela Stephens, a kinship caregiver.

This is part of a series of conversations where we examine the immediate and long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Kentucky kids and the systems that influence their lives – health care, education, early childhood education and care, child welfare, youth justice, economic security, and more. View our COVID-19 page at kyyouth.org for more information.

Support this podcast with a gift to Kentucky Youth Advocates at kyyouth.org/donate

This week on our Advocate Virtual Forum we discuss advocacy during the 2020 election and how you can engage local, state, and federal candidates around policies related to kids. Secretary of State Michael Adams explains this year's election procedures. We also present a new toolkit advocates can use to start conversations with candidates and discuss electoral advocacy best practices with John Tilley, former member of the Kentucky House of Representatives and served as the Secretary of the Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet.

Support this podcast with a gift to Kentucky Youth Advocates at kyyouth.org/donate

This week on our Advocate Virtual Forum we discuss the trauma of the dual pandemics--COVID-19 and racial inequities--for kids and families and what schools and community organizations can do to create supportive environments that can help build resiliency. Panelists include Dr. Kish Cumi Price, Director of Education Policy and Programming at Louisville Urban League; Raine Minichan, Interim Coordinator of Mental Health Services & Guidance Counseling with Fayette County Public Schools; and Ebony O'Rea, Trainer with the Bounce Coalition and Interim Executive Director of Nativity Academy.

This is part of a series of conversations where we examine the immediate and long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Kentucky kids and the systems that influence their lives – health care, education, early childhood education and care, child welfare, youth justice, economic security, and more. View our COVID-19 page at kyyouth.org for more information.

Support this podcast with a gift to Kentucky Youth Advocates at kyyouth.org/donate

This week on our Advocate Virtual Forum, we are joined by Chair of the U.S. House Budget Committee, Representative John Yarmuth for a look continued discussion around pending COVID-19 relief packages and more.

View our COVID-19 Action Hub at kyyouth.org to take action on federal priorities for Kentucky kids and families. Review a comparison of provisions that support young children, their families, and child care providers in enacted legislation in response to COVID-19, as well as relevant provisions from the HEROES Act and the HEALS Act that will impact kids and families.

This is part of a series of conversations where we examine the immediate and long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Kentucky kids and the systems that influence their lives – health care, education, early childhood education and care, child welfare, youth justice, economic security, and more. View our COVID-19 page at kyyouth.org for more information.

Support this podcast with a gift to Kentucky Youth Advocates at kyyouth.org/donate

This week on our Advocate Virtual Forum we continue our discussions about priorities for kids and families as Congress debates the next federal COVID-19 relief package, including the U.S. House of Representatives' HEROES Act and the U.S. Senate's HEALS Act. To localize those ongoing federal conversations, we heard from several Kentucky leaders and advocates, including: Lisa Lee, Commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Medicaid; Mandy Simpson, Director of Public Policy for Metro United Way; Adrienne Bush, Executive Director of the Homeless and Housing Coalition of Kentucky; LaShana Harris, Commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Juvenile Justice; and, Dr. Jim Flynn, President of the Kentucky Association of School Superintendents. We thank Senate Majority Leader McConnell staff for also joining us for this forum.

This is part of a series of conversations where we examine the immediate and long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Kentucky kids and the systems that influence their lives – health care, education, early childhood education and care, child welfare, youth justice, economic security, and more. View our COVID-19 page for more information. View our COVID-19 Action Hub at kyyouth.org to take action on federal priorities for Kentucky kids and families.

Support this podcast with a gift to Kentucky Youth Advocates at kyyouth.org/donate

COVID-19 Impacts on the Kentucky Child Welfare Community: A Public Health Crisis Meets a Vulnerable System

This week on our Advocate Virtual Forum, we share report findings and facilitate conversations on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the child welfare system. In the spring, Kentucky Youth Advocates, in partnership with Casey Family Programs, set out to get a better understanding of how the public health crisis was impacting young people who are foster or kinship alumni, biological parents, kinship caregivers, foster parents, and service providers that interact with the child welfare system through a series of interviews, focus groups, and online surveys.

Support this podcast with a gift to Kentucky Youth Advocates at kyyouth.org/donate