KCHC November Newsletter

Kentucky Coalition For Healthy Children Newsletter

Issue 18 | November 2023

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

Symposium | Pediatric Behavioral and Mental Health Symposium | November 3

National and local speakers will address the efficacy of select pediatric mental health treatment approaches. Presentation topics include intergenerational trauma, mental health challenges of displaced youth, telemental health and mental health concerns of individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Learn more here and register at nortoncme.com.

Advocacy Series | State & Federal Policy Updates | November 14

The ThriveKY coalition and the Cabinet for Health and Family Services will hold their Quarterly Advocacy Update on state and federal policies with an impact on Kentucky families on October 3, 2023, 2:00 to 3:30 ET. Register here.

Webinar | Kentucky KIDS COUNT County Data Book Webinar | November 15

As part of the 2023 Kentucky KIDS COUNT County Data Book launch, tune in for this webinar to learn more about data trends and policy recommendations highlighted in the latest County Data Book. Kentucky Youth Advocates will present key data takeaways and dive into the 16 measures of child well-being, showing whether outcomes for children across the Commonwealth have improved, worsened, or stayed the same over a five-year period. Register here.

Advocacy Series | ThriveKY Regional Advocacy for Thriving Communities Series | November 28

Kentucky Voices for Health (KVH) & the coalition of ThriveKY partners will provide in-person around the Commonwealth events this year, April through November, with updates on state and federal policies that impact the health and wellbeing of Kentuckians. Speakers will discuss how to advocate for a stronger safety net through public assistance programs designed to support thriving communities. The series includes important updates on the economy, Medicaid, KCHIP, SNAP, housing, transportation, childcare, public health, behavioral health, and others. They provide tools to assist community members with meeting basic needs and tips on being a more effective advocate in your community. Click here for more information.

Report | Kentucky’s Youth Speak Out Against Substance Use

Bloom Kentucky held focus groups with high school students across the state to hear their perspectives on the impact of substance use among their peers and in their communities and how Kentucky might address substance use prevention. Bloom is an initiative supported by several grantmaking organizations from across the Commonwealth who are all invested in ending Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). It is led by Kentucky Youth Advocates (KYA). Report here.

Checklist | Routine Vaccinations for Children and Youth

The Alliance for a Healthier Generation has developed a routine vaccination checklist with CDC/AAP recommended vaccinations for school-age children, a great resource to share with families and networks. As a survey reported indicates, about 40% of parents reported that their youngest child missed a routine medical visit due to the Covid-19 pandemic and a third of parents also reported their child had missed a vaccination. Checklist here.

Summit | Kentucky Youth Advocates Blueprint Summit

Join Kentucky Youth Advocates at the Blueprint for Kentucky's Children Partner Summit on Wednesday, December 6th from 10:00am-3:00pm EST! KYA will launch the 2024 Blueprint priority agenda, hear insights into the Frankfort landscape, and participate in a variety of workshops to mobilize advocates for the 2024 legislative session.

The goals of the summit are to inform partners about state policy and budget priorities and equip partners as key advocates for kids and families in Frankfort. Lunch will be provided for attendees.

Event Location: Sawyer Hayes Community Center

2201 Lakeland Rd, Louisville, KY 40241

Save the Date! | Children's Advocacy Day | January 24, 2024

Date: Wednesday January 24, 2024

Location: Frankfort Kentucky

Details: More to come!

What's New in Children's Health

The Expansion of Free Meals in Schools

The Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) is an option for eligible schools to offer meals at no cost to all enrolled students without collecting household applications. The final federal rule on CEP went into effect October 26, 2023, and amended the CEP regulations by lowering the minimum identified student percentage (ISP) from 40% to 25%.

With this amendment, it is estimated that an additional 102,054 children in 129 schools in Kentucky are newly eligible to receive meals at schools at no cost, bringing the total free meal eligibility to 625,000 children in 1,198 Kentucky Schools. (More information: Food and Research Action Center and Kentucky Center for Economic Policy .

Firearm Injury Prevention Research

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has published its Summary of Initial Findings from CDC-Funded Firearm Injury Prevention Research. The research aims at “Helping to better understand and prevent firearm violence and injuries impacting children and teens.”

Researchers at different universities investigated various aspects of firearm injuries, including homicides, suicides, and unintentional injuries, and have reported on their findings. The researchers want to better understand and prevent firearm violence and injuries by answering key questions: “How does frequent exposure to violence affect young people? How are social inequities associated with youth exposure to firearm violence? How do we better support children and teens at high risk of experiencing gun violence? What risks are associated with gun carrying among children growing up in rural areas? How do mass shootings impact young people?

It must be highlighted that firearm injuries were the leading cause of death among children and teens ages 1-19 in 2020 and 2021.

Trauma-Informed Schools: A Call to Action and a Resource Guide

A new toolkit, Childhood Adversity and Trauma Informed Schools, for educators and school staff has been released for trauma-informed policy and practices which mitigate childhood adversity and seek to prevent it through preventive measures. The trauma-informed schools resource comes with a call to action for schools to meet the need for safety, connection, and healthy coping strategies for children facing adversity. The funding for programs from the RISE from Trauma Act and the Community Mental Health and Resilience Act, can and should be pursued at the state and local levels.

School Nurses: Growing Importance and Challenges

A report by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), A Third of Schools Don’t Have a Nurse. Here’s Why That’s a Problem, highlights the fact that a 2021 survey by the National Association of School Nurses has reported that a third of schools in the United States do not have a full-time school nurse. As the nation’s children face high rates of chronic illnesses, like a sharp rise in children with Type 2 diabetes and asthma, along with an “unprecedented mental health crisis among youth”, school nurses are at the front lines of help and support, but as the report indicates, they are often alone.

Additionally, when there is no school nurse, teachers and administrators end up trying to handle injuries and illnesses themselves. A study from the Journal of School Nursing is cited that found students with illnesses or injuries were sent home 18% of the time when evaluated by an unlicensed school employee while only 5% went home after being seen by a school nurse.

The article includes some recommendations and actions, especially as the challenge only becomes greater by school nurse shortages. A survey conducted in 2023 found that 40% of nurses surveyed said they were considering leaving their position.

In Your Community

Addressing the Pandemic’s Impact on

Kids’ Physical Activity

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, kids in Kentucky spent their time learning from home. This had an impact on youths’ physical and mental health.

Lewis County Central Elementary (LCCE) serves approximately 500 PreK-6th graders. When LCCE welcomed students back in-person, leaders saw the true extent of how much physical activity kids had lost while virtual learning. The district reports many students struggled to complete fitness challenges, attempted to skip physical education classes, or even choosing not to attend school on days when P.E. was scheduled.

So, the school decided to use Healthy Schools grant funding to create opportunities to incorporate physical activity and movement into the lives of both students and staff. Some of these creative solutions included:

Each grade level received a recess bag filled with equipment like frisbees and kickballs to take outside with them. As a result, more students participated in physical activities during recess instead of choosing to sit in the shade.
The P.E. teacher introduced scavenger hunts, where homerooms competed by completing fitness tasks. Winning classes earned 30 extra minutes of P.E., giving teachers an extra planning period. The success of these hunts inspired teachers to create content-based scavenger hunts, promoting physical activity beyond traditional desk-bound learning.
Introducing and implementing Mindful Minutes throughout the day proved successful in P.E. classes.
Initially used to lower students' heart rates before returning to class, this strategy has spread across the school. It now helps regulate emotions and allows students to calm their minds, refocusing on their tasks.

And the efforts to improve physical activity isn’t stopping there. The elementary school plans to build a new playground specifically designed for 3rd-5th grade students are underway to further promote peer play and teamwork. Additionally, a before-school fitness class called Zero Hour is being introduced at the school, with the aim of reducing negative behaviors and improving attendance rates.

Lewis County was one of nine districts within the state which partnered with the Kentucky Department of Education from 2018-23 in the implementation of a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Healthy Schools Cooperative Agreement to develop and implement school health infrastructure, best practices, programming and policies. For more information, contact Ashley Willis (ashley.willis@lewis.kyschools.us)

Take Action!

2023 KY General Election Voting Information and Deadlines

Kentucky's General Election is Tuesday, November 7, 2023. Polls will be open from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. local time. If you are in line to vote at 6:00 p.m., you must be allowed to cast your ballot.

Making Kids Count in the 2023 Election. Kentucky Youth Advocates has prepared an Electoral Advocacy Toolkit slideshow for organizations and community groups, or to self-speak with candidates. Toolkit here.

REGISTER TO VOTE AND THEN, VOTE! SPREAD THE WORD TO OTHERS TO GET REGISTERED AND TO VOTE. LEARN ABOUT THE CANDIDATES AND SUPPORT THOSE YOU WANT TO BE YOUR STATE GOVERNMENT LEADERS.

REMEMBER: ELECTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES!

Addressing the Pandemic’s Impact on

﻿Kids’ Physical Activity

Kids’ Physical Activity