KCHC Newsletter

Kentucky Coalition For Healthy Children Newsletter

Issue 25

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.

Visit our Website

Become a Member

KCHC Member Highlights

Advocacy Series | State & Federal Policy Updates | June 4, 2024 2pm ET

The ThriveKY coalition is holding its Virtual Forum with the Cabinet for Health & Family Services. This session includes a General Assembly recap, the latest on Medicaid renewals, waiver updates, and the latest on dental, vision, and hearing regulations, as well as more details on the new Summer EBT program. There will also be some information on the outbreak of pertussis circulating in central KY.

Virtual Professional Development │ Youth Engagement to Reduce Tobacco Use | June 28-29

#iCANendthetrend, an evidence-informed program developed at the University of Kentucky to provide tobacco use prevention services to youth, families, and community members across Kentucky, is holding a professional development webinar June 28 and 29.

The session on June 28, Navigating the Evolving E-Cigarette Landscape, will cover new tobacco products among youth, targeted advertising, mental health, trauma-informed care and approach to treatment.

The session on June 29, Amplifying Youth Voices, will cover youth engagement in tobacco prevention, research and advocacy, effective coalition building and maintenance, and will include a facilitated workshop and youth advocate panel.

Registration here.

Summit | Prichard Committee Groundswell Summit | June 10-12 | Owensboro

The 2024 Groundswell Summit & Annual Meeting are a must-attend gathering of educators, parents, and community leaders who are committed to transforming education in Kentucky. This in-person event will be held at the Owensboro Convention Center on West 2nd Street in Owensboro, KY, USA. Get ready for inspiring keynote speakers, interactive workshops, and networking opportunities that will leave you energized and ready to make a real difference in our schools. Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to be part of the education revolution!

Regional Convening | Connecting Communities to Support Families and Well-Being | June 14 | Cumberland

The Regional Prevention Collaboratives, one of the Thriving Families, Safer Children Kentucky initiatives, have been paving the way for proactive, community-driven resources and support for children and families. These collaboratives began during the summer of 2022 with convenings, called Visioning Sessions, where we gathered those living and working in communities to discuss local strengths and gaps, and then brainstorm ideas for community-led efforts that could prevent families from coming to the attention of the child welfare system. From those conversations, action plans were developed. Join KYA two years later as the re-vision the next phase of strong, thriving communities across the Commonwealth.

Series Flyer

What's New in Children's Health

Summer Program to Help with Meal Costs for School Kids

The Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (SEBT) is a permanent Federal child nutrition program offering benefits to students from eligible families, to help cover the cost of meals during the summer when schools are not in session.

Who can get SEBT?

School Aged students (aged 6 to 18 as of August 1, 2023) who have participated in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Kentucky Transitional Assistance Program (KTAP), and/or Kinship Care for at least one month since July 1, 2023, are automatically eligible and do not need to submit an application.
School aged students that do not fall into the above category but are within the income eligibility limits, can apply for SEBT benefits online.
Online SEBT benefit applications can be completed by using self service capabilities or can be accessed through https://kynect.ky.gov/benefits/.
The Income Eligibility Guidelines Chart shows the income guidelines that will be used to determine SEBT eligibility.

For those completing an application, you will need to provide the student’s Statewide Student Identifier (SSID) Number during the application. If the student attends a public school, you can:

Login to fine your student’s account through Infinite Campus: Parents & Students · Infinite Campus
Contact your student’s school or school district’s administrative office.

If you need further assistance, you can visit your local DCBS office or contact DCBS at 855-306-8959.

How Could Medical Racism Fuel Soaring Black Youth Suicide Rate?

Black children ages 5 to 12 are twice as likely to die by suicide as their white counterparts, and the rate of suicides among Black teens is rising faster than any other racial/ethnic group. The Yale Child Study Center’s (YCSC) Chief Resident and Child Psychiatry Fellow, Dr. Amanda J. Calhoun, and Dr. Tichianaa Armah, Chief Psychiatry Officer and Vice President of Behavioral Health at Community Health Center, Inc. held a Conversations in Health Care podcast to review this situation.

“Experiences of anti-Black racism affect kids before they are even born,” says Dr. Calhoun. The stress of anti-Black racism on Black mothers, including experiencing inferior care by health care providers, has been linked to low birthweight babies, putting Black infants at greater risk for developing depression and other mental health disorders. In addition, racist beliefs start to become ingrained in children as young as four years old, which means that Black children start to experience racism from their peers and teachers as early as preschool.

“You have people who are traumatized, who are being traumatized, by people who are supposed to help them. (…) Of course, they are going to have poor mental health outcomes,” says Dr. Calhoun.

Dr. Armah and Dr. Calhoun talk about the effects they have seen up close of this early trauma in their work and are exploring what measures can be taken to protect young Black lives.

Teachers’ Perceptions of AI Use in Classrooms

The Pew Research Center has released data related to a survey conducted among teachers regarding the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in classrooms. In the data brief, A Quarter of U.S. Teachers Say AI Tools Do More Harm than Good in K-12 Education, Pew finds, among other things, that a quarter of public K-12 teachers say that using AI tools in their classrooms does more harm than good—and about a third of high school teachers say the same for theirs. In contrast, only around 6% of teachers at all levels say these tools do more good than harm.

In Your Community

Catch Us Being Healthy at Central Elementary!

This year, Central Elementary in Johnson County implemented the Coordinated Approach to School Health (CATCH) program through a grant from the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky. CATCH is an evidence-based approach to Whole Child Wellness intended for schools.

Central used the CATCH program to create a culture of school health including staying physically active and hydrated, learning to make healthy choices, focusing on mental well-being, incorporating healthy messaging throughout the school day, boosting those messages with social media, and preparing children to be leaders and improve their academic performance.

In the cafeteria, kids were informed about which foods were “Go, Slow and Whoa” through the leadership of the District Lunch Coordinator, the school head cooks, and the student lunch team. FUN FACT: Principal Conley’s favorite “Go” food is Beef Jerky! And the CATCH program engaged the whole family with events such as the Literacy Camping Family Night. Staff, students, and families at Central now look at everything they do with health in mind and can’t wait to continue the program next year.

Central has prepared its “CATCH Yearbook” with all the activities and changes that took place in the school. You can see the yearbook here.

Take Action

The Child Tax Credit is stalled in the US Senate – Last Chance for Action

The House’s bipartisan tax bill that passed the House by a vote of 357-70 in January, would expand child tax credits and lift the $1,600 cap on refundability with adjustment for inflation, which would give multi-child families with low incomes the biggest benefits. The bill has now stalled in the Senate.

The Memorial Day Recess, which lasts until June 3^rd, provides an opportunity to advocate. As Kentucky Voices for Health (KVH) indicates “There aren’t any “must pass” bills that will come up before the election that could include the CTC/business tax package. So, the only way to advance the CTC expansion is to bring the House bill to the Senate floor as a free-standing measure for a vote.”

Contact Senator Mitch McConnel : here

Contact Senator Rand Paul: here