KCHC November Newsletter

Kentucky Coalition For Healthy Children Newsletter

Issue 42 | November 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

Roadshow | 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. This month there is an in-person event on November 4 in Richmond and a virtual program on November 18. Learn more about both opportunities and register here.

Public Hearing | Rose Revival

Join the Kentucky Student Voice Team for its Rose Revival Hearing in Morehead on November 15! This event will spotlight the urgent crisis of Kentucky’s teacher shortage. Educators in Kentucky are paid less than the national average, have less professional development opportunities and are under constant pressure from political forces. The hearing will focus on concrete solutions to ensure every student has access to qualified, supported and inspiring educators. Learn more and register here.

Webinar | KYOAAC’s Latest Funding Opportunities

Join Bloom Kentucky on November 18 for an informative session where KY Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission leaders and support staff will provide a comprehensive overview of the upcoming grant cycle. Learn about the funding priorities, eligibility criteria, key deadlines, and information about the application process on funding opportunities, important dates, and the new application process. Learn more and register here.

Webinar | 2025 Kentucky KIDS COUNT

The 2025 Kentucky KIDS COUNT Data Dashboard launches on November 19th. It features the latest data on 16 measures of child well-being, showing whether outcomes for children across the Commonwealth have improved, worsened, or stayed the same. Join Kentucky Youth Advocates for this webinar on November 21 as they deep dive into the latest child well-being data in the Data Dashboard. Learn more and register here.

Webinar | Improving Health Literacy

The Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky is hosting “Health for a Change: Improving Health Literacy in Your Community,” on November 21. It will raise awareness of a resource that can help Kentuckians better understand how to navigate the complicated health care delivery system. KCHC steering committee member Emily Beauregard, Executive Director of Kentucky Voices for Health, will be one of the speakers during the webinar. Learn more and register here.

Annual Meeting | Kentucky Voices for Health

Kentucky Voices for Health’s 2025 Annual Meeting is happening on December 9 at the Hyatt Regency Lexington! Join stakeholders from across the Commonwealth to explore the shifting healthcare landscape as we prepare for major changes to health coverage and safety-net funding in 2026. Sessions will touch on the impact of recent state and federal legislation, how providers and communities are preparing for changes, and opportunities for advocacy as we prepare for the 2026 General Assembly. Learn more and register here.

Grand Rounds│ Keeping Students in the Classroom: Trauma-Informed Practices for Behavior Management

Join the Bounce coalition for a Fall Grand Rounds on December 10 to explore the impact of trauma on student behavior. Designed for educators, administrators, and youth-serving professionals, this webinar will provide participants with the opportunity to examine a classroom case study and brainstorm solutions to deepen their understanding of trauma-informed behavior management strategies to keep students engaged in learning environments. Register here.

Awards | Health Kentucky Champions

The Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky recently announced its 2025 class of Healthy Kentucky Champions. The award program recognizes individuals for their dedication to improving the health and well-being of their communities and/or the state. Ten Kentuckians received the award this year. Read more here about the work they were honored for.

What's New in Children's Health

Medicaid Cuts Could Impact School-Based Services for Students

The National Healthy Schools Campaign has released a new policy brief, How Medicaid Cuts Will Impact Student Access to Substance Use Prevention & Early Intervention Services in Schools. The brief examines how proposed Medicaid changes could limit students’ access to vital school-based substance use prevention and early intervention services, highlighting the potential consequences for student health and well-being.

The brief includes suggestions for how states and school districts can continue supporting students’ access to these much-needed school-based health services.

New Report Highlights State-by-State Obesity Trends and Policy Solutions

Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) has released the 2025 State of Obesity: Better Policies for a Healthier America report, providing detailed state-by-state data on both adult and child obesity. Among other things, the report highlights significant variation in obesity rates among high school students across the country, from 12.3 percent in New Jersey to 22.1 percent in Kentucky.

The report also offers key policy recommendations to address the nation’s obesity crisis, including:

Strengthen public health infrastructure: Retain and expand the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion at the CDC.
Protect and improve nutrition programs: Reverse funding cuts or proposed cuts to nutrition support programs such as SNAP and WIC, while enhancing the nutritional quality of available foods.
Expand access to healthcare: Ensure access to obesity prevention and treatment services by restoring cuts to Medicaid and marketplace subsidies.
Address health disparities: Tackle the root causes of health inequities and focus obesity prevention efforts on communities with the greatest need.
Promote physical activity: Invest in evidence-based initiatives that increase access to active transportation and opportunities for physical activity in communities.

Promoting Health Without Harm: Best Practices for Countering Weight Stigma

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has developed a practical, easy-to-use resource for organizations working to improve health in schools, food systems, and public health, Best Practices for Countering Weight Stigma.

While excess body weight can increase the risk of chronic diseases, many public health and nutrition-focused organizations are recognizing that efforts to prevent or reduce weight gain must not perpetuate weight stigma. CSPI’s slide deck offers clear guidance on best practices for communicating about weight, including when it is appropriate to do so, the use of respectful and inclusive language, and effective visual communication strategies.

As public health and food system organizations continue their efforts to promote healthier communities, it is essential that they do so in ways that support all individuals and avoid reinforcing stigma around body size.

Balancing Safety and Well-Being: Rethinking School Active Shooter Drills

Active shooter drills have become a routine part of nearly all U.S. schools, yet their effects on students and educators have not been fully examined. A new study by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, School Active Shooter Drills: Mitigating Risks to Mental, Emotional, and Behavioral Health explores how these drills are conducted and offers strategies to minimize potential harm while enhancing school safety.

Developed by a multidisciplinary committee of experts in education, school safety, public health, pediatrics, child and adolescent development, psychiatry, psychology, neuroscience, public policy, and criminology, the report provides an in-depth review of current practices and actionable recommendations. It outlines ways to strengthen prevention and preparedness efforts while safeguarding well-being and fostering learning environments where students and staff feel safe, supported, and empowered.

In Your Community

Health is Not Just a Personal Choice: The Social Forces that Shape Our Well-Being

We’re often told that good health is a matter of personal responsibility, to just eat better, exercise more, get enough sleep, manage your stress. This familiar narrative leaves out a far more powerful truth: health is deeply shaped by the conditions in which people are born, live, work and age.

Access to safe housing, stable income, quality education, clear air, and safe communities often determines who thrives and who struggles, long before individual choices even come into play. Framing health as purely a matter of willpower or discipline obscures these structural realities, and risks blaming individuals for outcomes largely determined by social and economic forces.

The Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, a statewide organization dedicated to improving the health and well-being of all Kentuckians, spoke with people across the Commonwealth about the everyday challenges they face in meeting their health needs. From these conversations, the Foundation produced a video series that shines a light on the barriers many Kentuckians encounter in their pursuit of good health.

The three videos share powerful, personal stories:

Amelia, from Paintsville in eastern Kentucky, was hit head-on by a driver who ran a red light about a decade ago. Now living on disability insurance, she must stretch a limited budget to cover all her expenses, making it difficult to afford healthier food options.

Carolina, from Shepherdsville, a person with autism, lives in an apartment complex just off a highway with no sidewalks. Without a car, she has no safe way to walk to parks or gyms. Even though she knows staying active is important, the lack of walkability in her community makes it nearly impossible.

Jessica, from Lawrenceburg, is a single mother raising a child with special needs. Prioritizing her son’s care, especially when he was younger, often meant putting her own health needs on hold. When they require specialized medical care, traveling to Lexington or Louisville adds yet another layer of difficulty.

Together, these stories reveal the complex social, economic, and environmental factors that make good health feel out of reach for too many Kentuckians.

These videos showcase that to truly promote good health we must look beyond personal behavior and confront the social drivers that make well-being possible, or impossible, for millions of Americans.

Take Action!

Affordable Health Coverage Can’t Wait!

The federal government shutdown began on October 1, and nearly 24 million Americans, including close to 100,000 Kentuckians, are now bracing for major increases in their health insurance premiums. The reason: if Congress doesn’t act soon, the enhanced tax credits that make Marketplace coverage affordable will expire.

With open enrollment starting November 1, families across Kentucky are already receiving notices that their premiums could spike next year. The amount health insurers charge for coverage on the ACA Marketplaces is rising 26%, on average, in 2026.Without action from Congress, many will be forced to choose between keeping their coverage and paying their bills.

Kentuckians deserve certainty and affordable care. You can help.

Call or email your members of Congress, especially those in leadership, and urge them to protect these tax credits. Tell them it’s time to work together and put Kentucky families first.