KCHC March Newsletter

Kentucky Coalition For Healthy Children Newsletter

Issue 34 | March 2025

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

Advocacy Action│ Water Fluoridation

Several health and advocacy organizations, including members of the KCHC, sent a letter to legislators highlighting the importance of community water fluoridation. The organizations emphasized that adding fluoride to public water supplies has significantly reduced the incidence of cavities, especially among children and vulnerable populations who lack regular access to dental care. They also addressed the health and financial implications of making fluoridation optional. Recently, the Kentucky House of Representatives passed HB16, a bill that allows local water districts to remove fluoride from the water supply. The bill will now proceed to the Senate for further consideration. See the letter.

2025 Children’s Advocacy Week

Hosted by Kentucky Youth Advocates, Children's Advocacy Week 2025 starts today! Join them in asking our elected officials to step up and do what’s right for all Kentucky kids. Learn more about all the events happening this week and how you can get involved here.

Webinar | ThriveKY Policy & Advocacy Updates

Join the ThriveKY Coalition for important updates on the economy, Medicaid, KCHIP, SNAP, housing, transportation, childcare, public health, behavioral health, and suicide prevention. The next virtual program of the series is happening Monday, March 3 at 2 pm. Learn more and register here.

Training │ ACEs and Resiliency

Aetna SKY and Bounce are offering a free 3 part training, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Building Resiliency. During the training participants will learn about ACEs, the causes and impact of childhood trauma, how to identify signs and symptoms of traumatic stress, implementing Positive Childhood Experiences (PACEs) and steps to build resilience in children and families. The training will start March 6, 2025. Register prior to the event by emailing Dawn Burke at BurkeD3@aetna.com to receive your invitations with links.

More information on additional Aetna trainings here.

Conference│ Education and Awareness on Problem Gambling

The Kentucky Council on Problem Gambling is holding its Annual Educational and Awareness Conference. In partnership with the Kentucky Department of Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities, the KYCPG is working to address a workforce shortage which is becoming more important with the added legal sports betting in 2023 which can lead to uncontrolled gambling and gambling disorders, already a problem growing in youth. The conference will take place on March 13-14. Registration and information here.

Training | Strong Communities

The Bounce Coalition is offering FREE training and technical assistance to assist schools and youth serving organizations with developing trauma-informed cultures. Who should sign up: Schools, school districts, public health departments, public early childhood educators (i.e. Head Start programs). Learn more here.

Webinar | Changing the Narrative Around SNAP Benefits

The Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky’s webinar, “Health for a Change: Facts Over Fiction- Changing the Narrative Around SNAP Benefits,” is now available on-demand. It dives into the importance of protecting SNAP and best ways to message the program. Watch the recording here.

What's New in Children's Health

A Closer Look at Kentucky School Districts

The Prichard Committee has unveiled the 2025 Groundswell Community Profiles, providing valuable insights into the educational progress of Kentucky’s 171 school districts. These profiles allow districts to track key indicators of learning, spanning from early childhood to postsecondary education. Key metrics such as preschool enrollment, kindergarten readiness, math and reading proficiency, graduation rates, and more are presented for each district. The profiles also emphasize the vital connection between education, economic outcomes, and overall community well-being.

Protecting School-Based Medicaid Services

This letter was sent to Congressional leaders, urging them to protect essential Medicaid funding that schools rely on to maintain health services. It highlights the potential devastating impact that significant reductions in Medicaid spending could have on both students and schools. The letter was issued by the Medicaid in Schools Coalition, co-chaired by AASA, The School Superintendents Association, and the Healthy Schools Campaign, and was signed by 65 national organizations.

The Path to a Good Future for Youth

The Urban Institute, with funding from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, has released the report Strategies to Support Young People’s Access to Public Benefits. The report highlights proven and promising strategies to expand access to public safety net programs for which teens and young adults are eligible. Programs such as Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are designed to assist individuals and families with low incomes in meeting basic needs, including health insurance, food, and childcare support, among other essential services.

In Your Community

Strong Movement in Kentucky for Public Schools

Across Kentucky, various organizations are actively working to ensure a brighter future for the Commonwealth by protecting and enhancing public education.

In the February edition of this newsletter, we highlighted the efforts of the Kentucky Student Voice Team (KSVT) in reminding state policymakers that Kentucky was at the forefront nationally with the landmark Rose v. Council for Better Education case, which paved the way for the Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA) of 1990—a transformative initiative that reshaped the state’s education system.

Building on that legacy, the KSVT has launched The Rose Revival Campaign, a public engagement initiative aimed at supporting the case of Kentucky Student Voice Team v. The Commonwealth of Kentucky. This legal action seeks to hold the state accountable to its constitutional obligation to provide an adequate and equitable education for all K-12 public school students. To further this cause, KSVT is hosting events, providing an op-ed toolkit, and offering an endorsement form for individuals. For organizations interested in endorsing the campaign, contact will.powers@ksvt.org.

Meanwhile, Protect Our Schools Kentucky, a coalition of public education advocates, has relaunched its efforts to support public schools. Initially formed to campaign against Amendment 2, which would have drastically reduced funding for public schools, the coalition now champions a bold vision for Kentucky’s education system. This vision calls for support, respect, and meaningful reinvestment in the state’s public schools.

Throughout the year, the coalition will hold a series of public engagement sessions across the state, ultimately crafting a comprehensive public agenda to present to the legislature in preparation for the 2026 budget session. The agenda will advocate for substantial reinvestment in Kentucky's public schools.

Additionally, Protect Our Schools Kentucky will urge Kentucky’s federal delegation to publicly oppose any measures that could weaken the state’s public education system or jeopardize vital funding.

For those interested in supporting these efforts, Protect Our Schools Kentucky also provides an endorsement form. For submission of the form or any questions, please contact Kelsey Coots, kelsey@bluedotconsulting.us.

TAKE ACTION!

The Kentucky Coalition for Healthy Children has shared its 2025 Children’s Health Policy Priorities with all members of the Kentucky General Assembly, accompanied by a letter. The goal is to remind policymakers of the urgent health challenges facing children and youth in Kentucky, along with proposed policy actions to address them.

Action: Please share this document with your networks to help us get back on track toward improving the health of children and youth in the Commonwealth.

The 2025 Legislative Session has introduced a significant number of bills that could affect children’s health and schools. The Kentucky Coalition for Healthy Children’s Bill Tracker highlights key bills to monitor, including those that may have a negative impact.

Action: The Daily Legislative Calendar provides information on bills being discussed so that you can contact your legislators about legislation that could either improve or harm children’s health. Kentucky Education Television (KET) has live and archived legislative coverage.

The last day for introducing new Senate bills was Tuesday, February 18, and February 19 for House bills. Concurrence days are March 13 and 14, with the legislature entering veto recess from March 15-26, and concluding at the end of the month.

Medicaid Defense – The National Health Law Program provides resources and analysis on what is happening related to Medicaid and what actions can be taken to defend this vital program.

Action: You can sign up to receive the resources and analysis, and any actions to take to defend this important program for the health and well-being of children.