Making Kids Count

This week on our Advocate Virtual Forum, Terry Brooks is joined by Bruce Lesley, President of First Focus on Children, to discuss the landscape of ongoing federal advocacy needs for additional COVID-19 relief for Kentucky 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 discuss the challenges facing kids with special needs and their families during COVID-19, including shifting services during quarantine, increased needs within schools, preschools, and the home, and opportunities for budget investments and policy changes. Panelists include Dana Eckert, Case Manager with Seven Counties Services; Dr. Debbie Mays, Education Consultant with the Ohio Valley Educational Cooperative; Kristy Stiltner, Mental Health Director with Mountain Comprehensive Care; and Lori Wilson, Executive Director of Carriage House Educational Services.

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

This week on our Advocate Virtual Forum, Terry Brooks was joined by Dr. Ryan Quarles, Kentucky Commissioner of the Department of Agriculture; Leah Feagin, Vice President of the Kentucky School Nutrition Association; and Kate McDonald, KY Kids Eat Coordinator with Feeding Kentucky. They discuss challenges and bright spots in addressing access to nutritional, affordable food across the Commonwealth during the pandemic.

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, advocates from across the state heard a discussion on changes in policies, practices, and systems that will advance racial equity for Kentucky kids and their families. Panelists include Karina Barillas, Executive Director of La Casita Center; Dr. Kish Cumi Price, Director of Education Policy & Programming at Louisville Urban League; Keturah Herron, Policy Strategist with ACLU of Kentucky; and Vivian Lasly-Bibbs, Acting Director of CHFS Office of Health Equity.

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, advocates heard from three young people from Barren, Harlan, and Jefferson counties about their unique experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, how the national KIDS COUNT data is reflected in their lives, and ideas for improving outcomes for every Kentucky child.

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, Terry Brooks was joined by the recently appointed Commissioner of the Kentucky Department for Community Based Services, Marta Miranda-Straub. DCBS includes a number of human services, such as public benefits, child care, child welfare, and more. They discuss challenges and opportunities and Commissioner Miranda-Straub's priorities around trauma-informed care and racial justice as she steps into her new role.

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

Terry Brooks shares Kentucky's measurable, but still inadequate, improvements in child well-being as highlighted in Annie E. Casey Foundation's latest KIDS COUNT Data Book, how this data can be used as a guidepost as advocates and decision makers thoughtfully move forward from the immense and disparate impacts of the pandemic, and recommendations to expand opportunities for all Kentucky children to thrive.

View the Kentucky State Data Profile Sheet, and read our press release at kyyouth.org.

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

This week on our Advocate Virtual Forum we discuss the challenges of parents/caregivers returning to work and how employers and state systems can best support those parents. Panelists included Clanisha Coleman, Shawnee Club Director of Boys & Girls Clubs of Kentuckiana; Bill Londrigan, President of Kentucky AFL-CIO; and Ashli Watts, President and CEO of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce.

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 conversation on the future of K-12 education amidst the pandemic with the Kentucky Board of Education, including Chair, Dr. Lu Young, and member Patrice McCrary. They discuss the considerations for the 2020-21 school year, commitments to addressing inequities within the education system, the Kentucky Department of Education commissioner search, and more.

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, Terry Brooks reflects on current events, confronting racism, and Kentucky Youth Advocates' recommitment to focusing on the impact of systemic racism on public policy and listening and learning from impacted communities. We also discuss the reopening of child care across Kentucky, including the anticipated impact on child care providers, families, and businesses and the continued advocacy needed so the sector can serve children. Our panelists included, Dr. Sarah Vanover, Director of the Kentucky Division of Child Care; Travis Burton with the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce; June Widman, Executive Director at Eastern KY Child Care Coalition; and Jennifer Washburn, Executive Director at iKids Childhood Enrichment Center. Review the Healthy at Work guidelines for in-home programs and center-based programs at healthyatwork.ky.gov..

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