Wednesday, March 29, 2023

Play

Banking woes send consumers looking for safer alternatives, some Indiana communities resist a dollar chain store "invasion," and a permit to build an oil pipeline tunnel under the Great Lakes is postponed.

Play

Republicans say it is premature to consider gun legislation after the Nashville shooting, federal officials are unsure it was a hate crime, and regulators say Silicon Valley Bank was aware of its financial risks.

Play

Finding childcare is a struggle everywhere, prompting North Carolina's Transylvania County to try a new approach. Maine is slowly building-out broadband access, but disagreements remain over whether local versus national companies should get the contracts, and specialty apps like "Farmers Dating" help those in small communities connect online.

Report: How Racial Disparities Impact KY Kids’ Well-Being

Play

Thursday, November 11, 2021   

FRANKFORT, Ky. -- A new analysis of county-level data sheds light on how systemic racial disparities are affecting the wellbeing of kids in the Commonwealth.

The 2021 Kids Count County Data Book released this week by Kentucky Youth Advocates found while the state has made strides in reducing child poverty, rates remain much higher for Black and Latino children, compared with White children.

Shamitha Kuppala, a high school student from Oldham county, said the report highlights how factors such as race and income-level can influence a student's outcome over a lifetime.

"The more we share this information that we found in the data book, the more that we can change those institutions and make life better and provide better opportunities for these students," Kuppala asserted. "Whether it's physical health, mental, emotional health, all of those things."

The report also found the cost of housing continues to affect Kentucky families' economic stability, with nearly half of Kentucky renters spending 30% or more of their income on rent and utilities, an issue worsened by the pandemic.

Research from the Urban Institute found expanding the Biden administration's Child Tax Credit would decrease child poverty in a typical year by 40%.

Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates, said acknowledging barriers to opportunity for kids must translate into action to support community resiliency.

"I'm encouraged because I think there are palpable, practical common-ground policy changes that we can see in Frankfort in 2022 that will begin," Brooks contended. "They're not going to eliminate, but they'll begin to mitigate those disparities."

Sen. Gerald Neal, D-Louisville, said addressing systemic discrimination will involve examining how state funds are distributed, and how governmental and private agencies should change their practices.

"Keep in mind, we're policymakers," Neal remarked. "Someone else carries these things out. But once we put those policies in place, which can be the root of all evil or the bedrock of positive outcomes, we have to be careful. We must re-examine this. So we're going to be doing that. I'm going to be urging that."

The report also highlighted how Black parents across the state are incarcerated at substantially higher rates than parents of other races. The Data Book found in suburban counties, 16 Black parents are in state custody per 1,000 adults, compared with less than 3 per 1,000 adults for white parents.

Disclosure: Kentucky Youth Advocates/KIDS COUNT contributes to our fund for reporting on Budget Policy & Priorities, Children's Issues, and Youth Issues. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


get more stories like this via email
California is home to banks of all sizes, including 36 Minority Depository Institutions and 111 Community Development Financial Institutions. (Syda Productions/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

The recent collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank has put a spotlight on the safety and stability of the U.S. financial system. Now…


Environment

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has announced an 18-month delay in permitting a controversial oil-tunnel construction project under the Great Lakes…

Health and Wellness

The Iowa House has passed a measure to establish a licensing board for midwives. Iowa is one of 15 states currently without such a program, often …


Author Jazmin Murphy said, "We maintain our historical love for the natural world today, though for some, it may be buried under racial stereotypes imposed upon us." (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

By Jazmin Murphy for Yes! Magazine.Broadcast version by Brett Peveto for North Carolina News Service reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-…

Health and Wellness

March is Sleep Awareness Month and health experts say Americans are not getting enough of it. United Health Foundation data found more than 32% of …

Social Issues

This month marks 160 years since the first Medal of Honor was awarded by President Abraham Lincoln. More than a dozen of the 65 recipients alive …

Social Issues

160 years ago, Civil War soldiers were awarded the first Medals of Honor. Now, a Medal of Honor Monument will soon be built on the National Mall in …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021