skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Wednesday, September 18, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Medical copays reduce health care access in MS prisons; Israel planted explosives in pagers sold to Hezbollah according to official sources; Serving looks with books: Libraries fight 'fast fashion' by lending clothes; Menhaden decline threatens Virginia's ecosystem, fisheries.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

JD Vance calls for toning down political rhetoric, while calls for his resignation grow because of his own comments. The Secret Service again faces intense criticism, and a right to IVF is again voted down in the US Senate.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

Advocacy Day Lifts Up Kentucky Kids

play audio
Play

Thursday, February 9, 2023   

Child abuse reporting dropped during the pandemic, and advocates said strengthening the state's system to ensure suspected cases of child maltreatment are communicated to the appropriate external agencies is one of their top priorities this year.

Annie Boggs, board member of Kentucky Youth Advocates, is one of hundreds of advocates who gathered on Wednesday at the Capitol in Frankfort to promote improved child abuse reporting and other priorities on the group's Blueprint for Kentucky's Children.

She said it is critical to ensure kids who have experienced abuse have the resources and wraparound supports they need.

"We have a lot of missed opportunities coming out of COVID, where the reporting was down," Boggs explained. "We need to get back to being the voice for children and making sure that those needs are being raised up as we see them."

The Commonwealth has made strides to address child abuse. Last year, lawmakers passed Senate Bill 8, which created the state's Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board, clarified the definition of neglect, and ensured victims of child maltreatment have access to critical medical examinations.

Tamara Vest, policy analyst for Kentucky Youth Advocates, hopes legislators work to establish an independent ombudsman office to oversee state agencies involved in child welfare and investigate complaints involving the safety and well-being of kids, as well as make recommendations for improvements.

"That's something that the state agency who oversees foster care and the legislators and others advocates have to work on together," Vest contended. "How do we ensure that those reports are being investigated?"

She added the state could make changes to the court system toward an agency representation model, to ease the burden on caseworkers and help ensure children are placed more quickly in stable living situations.

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


get more stories like this via email
more stories
Including the $236 million in federal funding for wildland fire management recently announced for 2025, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has invested a total of $1 billion to the cause, according to the Department of the Interior. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

This month, the federal government announced funding for next year's wildfire management, totaling $236 million and experts hope threatened …


Social Issues

play sound

From gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson to Superintendent of Public Instruction hopeful Michele Morrow, some Republicans running for office have …

Social Issues

play sound

California is home to more than 181,000 people who are unhoused, with 75,000 in Los Angeles alone, so the Los Angeles Food Policy Council will host a …


The California Department of Conservation is holding a public meeting online on Sept. 24, to update the public on its progress in plugging abandoned oil wells. (Alizada Studios/Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Groups concerned about pollution and climate change are asking Gov. Gavin Newsom to sign a trio of bills dubbed the "make polluters pay" package…

Social Issues

play sound

This week, National Voter Registration Day was another timely reminder for Ohioans preparing for the 2024 general election. The latest reports from …

The American Heart Association said caregivers often experience personal and spiritual growth, discovering their own resilience, competence and capacity for sacrifice as they help a friend or loved one. (Justlight/Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

September is Self-Care Awareness Month and the American Heart Association in Missouri is urging caregivers to take some much-needed time for themselve…

Environment

play sound

In Virginia's waters, the decline of a small but critically important fish is causing growing concern among conservation groups and fishermen alike…

Social Issues

play sound

Colorado voters will decide whether to change the state's constitution to ensure families have school choice as a fundamental right. Kallie Leyba…

 

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