KCHC August Newsletter

Kentucky Coalition For Healthy Children Newsletter

Issue 27 | August 2024

Working collaboratively on policies and practices in and around schools that promote equity and improve the physical, social, and emotional health and well-being of children, youth, and families.

The opinions and viewpoints expressed in this newsletter do not necessarily reflect the positions of all coalition partners.

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KCHC Member Highlights

Forum | 2024 Bost Forum: Finding Common Ground on Our Path to Better Health

The annual forum is being held the morning of October 8 in Frankfort. This year, the event will explore how a civic engagement approach can unlock improved health outcomes in the Commonwealth. Attendees will learn from national and local experts about how to more authentically engage our community members and find our common ground on the path towards a brighter future.

Learn more and register here.

Advocacy Series | State & Federal Policy Updates

The ThriveKY Coalition is hosting a session of its regional “Advocacy for Thriving Communities” Series on August 13^th at the Calloway County Extension Office. Speakers will discuss how to advocate for a stronger safety net through public assistance programs designed to support thriving communities.

Learn more and register here.

Training | Youth Thrive Training

Kentucky Strengthening Families will be conducting a free Youth Thrive Training on August 20^th and a Training of Trainers (TOT) on August 21^st from 9am-4pm EST. The training will be held at Franklin County Extension Office. The components of the Youth Thrive Training will enhance the work you are already doing with young people and their families. The training utilizes a strength-based approach to teach young people about Positive and Adverse Childhood experiences (PACEs), impact of trauma, and much more.

Learn more and register here.

Email youth.thrive@ky.gov with any questions.

Series | Spotlight on Schools

The Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence has released a series of stories spotlighting schools across Kentucky using innovative strategies to teach durable skills—such as communication, teamwork and collaboration—in their classrooms. The stories highlight seven counties: Allen, Boone, Carter, Floyd, Rowan, Shelby and Warren.

Access stories here.

What's New in Children's Health

Suicide Rates in Children Continue to Climb

The National Institute of Mental Health, in findings published in the Journal of the American Medical Society (JAMA Open) Suicide in US Preteens Aged 8 to 12 Years, 2001 to 2022, shows that the suicide rate for U.S. children 8 to 12 years old has steadily climbed in the past decade and a half, with a disproportionate rise among girls.

From 2001 through 2007, 482 children ages 8 to 12 died by suicide at a rate of 3.34 per 1 million preteens. From 2008 to 2022, the number of suicides in that age group rose to 1,759, with a rate of 5.71 per 1 million. And suicide ranked as the 11th-leading cause of death among preteen girls from 2001 to 2007. However, between 2008 and 2022, it emerged as the fifth-leading cause of death. From 2001 through 2007, the rate of suicide for preteen girls was 1.25 per 1 million and rose to 4.15 per 1 million between 2008 and 2022.

Louisville’s 2024 Health Equity Report – “Health is a Human Right”

The Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness has released the 2024 Health Equity Report, An Invitation to Imagine: Transforming Power for Health Equity. The report as well as the city’s new health data dashboard takes an in depth look into the root causes of health and the historic policies and systems that have resulted in some people experiencing far worse health outcomes and quality of life than others.

Dr. Inder Singal, executive director of the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness indicates that “Historic injustices, poor allocation of resources, and discrimination have created unwarranted situations that have left many of our marginalized communities with a scarcity of healthy options. We must be intentional in making policy decisions to break the existing barriers to resources, access to healthcare, safe housing, and healthy food, so everyone in Louisville has an equal opportunity to live their healthiest lives. We invite you to join us in making transformative changes.”

The 2024 Health Equity Report, along with results of the department’s 2024 community health survey and focus groups, will be used to create a community health improvement plan, Healthy Louisville 2030

Child Labor in Kentucky

Child labor in the United States has been increasing and with it we are witnessing a dramatic increase in child labor violations. These violations have increased 88% since 2019. In Kentucky in the period between 2015 and 2018 there were 73 child labor violations. For the period of 2019-2022 there have been 948 child labor violations.

Kentucky Youth Advocates in The State of Child Labor in Kentucky looks into the factors behind this increase, the impact on migrant children, and some legislation that was recently proposed related to this issue.

Equity in K-12 STEM Education

A new National Academies report, Equity in K-12 STEM Education, Framing Decisions for the Future, explores barriers to equity in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education from kindergarten through high school, and outlines a strategic framework for policymakers, school administrators, and educators to make STEM education more equitable.

As the report indicates, “Further, STEM education in the United States is a deeply inequitable enterprise: opportunities to learn in STEM education are unevenly distributed, and the experiences an individual has in STEM education are likely to vary tremendously based on their race, ethnicity, socio-economic class, gender, and a myriad of other factors.”

In Your Community

Kentuckian earns national award for her efforts to fight childhood hunger

Cathy Gallagher of Crestwood, KY was recently named a 2024 No Kid Hungry National Summer Hunger Hero. She is the program manager for the Kentucky Department of Education’s Kentucky Summer Food Service Program. Her exceptional work in this role led her to be one of the 10 honorees for the national award given by No Kid Hungry that recognizes people for their outstanding commitment to summer hunger relief.

“Cathy is an unwavering supporter of Kentucky kids and their families,” said John Cain, Feeding Kentucky, Kentucky Kids Eat Program Director. “She’s the ultimate cheerleader and supporter for the people behind the scenes who make summer meals happen for those kids. Thanks to Cathy’s commitment to summer meals, more Kentucky kids have gained access to nutritious meals this summer.”

Throughout the school year, many kids eat breakfast and lunch at school for free through the school breakfast and school lunch programs. During the summer, accessing these meals can be a challenge, especially for those who live in rural areas. The support and leadership Gallagher provides to staff across the state has helped many kids and families make it through the summer. The program has served more than 3.9 million meals during May and June of 2024, a 51.65% increase in meals served compared to the same two months in 2023. Another important thing of note is the improvements in rural counties. Expanded USDA guidelines now allow many sites in rural counties to offer meal pick-up times instead of requiring the students to eat the meals on site.

“I’m incredibly honored for this recognition from No Kid Hungry for the great work that Kentucky is doing to feed more kids across the Commonwealth this summer, all of which could not be possible without the support from Feeding Kentucky, its food banks, and our local school partners,” said Gallagher. “I’m appreciative of everyone involved in this process and look forward to seeing the continued positive impact on families.”

Take Action

School Funding and Constitutional Amendment #2

During the 2024 Legislative Session, HB2 passed which proposes an amendment to the Constitution of Kentucky to authorize financial support for the education of students outside of the public school system. This amendment will be on the ballot this November.

The Kentucky Coalition for Healthy Children is committed to improving children’s health in the school setting where kids spend an important part of their days and years that are crucial to their healthy development. The coalition therefore supports adequately funding public schools as a key priority for improving children’s health.

Adequate funds for public schools are a measure to protect and serve all children. Public schools cannot and do not turn away children with disabilities or children from minority communities. Public schools provide important health, mental health and social service supports, food access, physical activity, and more to children who otherwise might not be able to access them, all the while being held accountable for the funds received.

Public funds that will subsidize private schools will reduce moneys for already underfunded public schools in Kentucky, making the situation for many children worse, as has occurred in other states where such measures have passed.

The KCHC has therefore voted to join the efforts of other groups such as Protect Our Schools Kentucky to oppose this amendment and to urge Kentuckians to Take Action! Stay tuned for more information, a White Paper on health impacts, talking points and actions steps!

Below are some articles with additional information on the School Amendment:

The Impact of Diverting Public Money to Private School Vouchers in Kentucky - KYPolicy

Group speaks out on Kentucky school funding amendment on November ballot

School Voucher Amendment - KYPolicy

November ballot: Hot issue is constitutional amendment on tax monies to private schools