On Election Day, November 5, 2024, Kentuckians are also asked to vote on the proposal to amend the Kentucky Constitution allowing public school funds to be used for private schools, Amendment 2.

The Kentucky Coalition for Healthy Children has developed the policy brief and summary Diverting Public Dollars to Private Schools and the Threat to Children’s Health, for you to share.

Your vote is more important than ever! And remember these top 5 things about Amendment 2, developed by The Prichard Committee.

1. School choice initiatives lack evidence of consistent educational improvement at scale.
2. School choice initiatives could significantly strain Kentucky’s education budget.
3. School choice initiatives disproportionately impact rural and disadvantaged communities.
4. Students with disabilities may lose important services and protections.
5. School choice initiatives may increase educational inequality in Kentucky.

Events | Thrive KY Policy & Advocacy Updates

The ThriveKY and Cabinet for Health and Family Services Advocacy Update is being hosted virtually on November 4th. Learn more and register.

The Advocacy for Thriving Communities Roadshow will host a stop in Louisville on November 19th. It will include updates on state and federal policies that impact the health & wellbeing of Kentuckians. Speakers will discuss how to advocate for a stronger safety net through public assistance programs designed to support thriving communities. Learn more and register.

Annual Meeting | Kentucky Voices for Health

Registration is now open for Kentucky Voices for Health’s 2024 Annual Meeting! The meeting will be held on Tuesday, December 10th at the Griffin Gate Marriott in Lexington, KY. The event will bring together coalition members from across the commonwealth (along with some very special guests) for a day of learning, networking, and resource sharing. Learn more and register.

New Resource | 2024 Kentucky KIDS COUNT Data Book

The 2024 Kentucky KIDS COUNT Data Book will feature the latest county-level data on 16 measures of child well-being, showing progress and ongoing challenges. The Data Book will also dive into the impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and positive childhood experiences (PCEs), and showcases the voices of youth across Kentucky.



Tune in on November 20th at 11:00 AM ET via Facebook live as Kentucky Youth Advocates launches the Data Book.

Register for the KYA webinar on November 21st at 12:00 PM ET to dive deeper into the Data Book.

Webinar | Health for a Change: Taking ACTION to Reduce Cancer Disparities

This webinar being hosted by the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky is happening on Friday, November 15th at noon ET. Participants will be able to recognize the ACTION Program as a cancer education intervention that aims to address the education and cancer disparities in Appalachian Kentucky while hearing from active students in the program. Learn more and register here.

Summit | Bloom Summit: Together We Bloom

This event is being held on May 7, 2025, in Shelbyville, KY. It will focus on cultivating positive childhood experiences through both policy and systems change across the Commonwealth, offering a unique platform to explore new strategies for fostering resilience and mitigating adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in Kentucky's children. Participants will have the opportunity to engage with thought leaders, gain insights into the latest research, and network with peers committed to building a brighter future for Kentucky's youth.

You can register for the event or fill out an exhibitor application. Learn more here.

Leaving Money on the Table for SUD Services to Kids

The Healthy Schools, Promising Futures collaborative has published a new report Maximizing School Medicaid for Substance Use Prevention, Early Intervention & Treatment: 10 Actions States Can Take Now. The report found that half of the states limit Medicaid funding for these services to a small number of students in schools. Thanks to the Medicaid expansion of school-based medically necessary services, it’s estimated that as many as 33 million more children could be reached by mental health and substance use-related services, if needed. Medicaid programs cover a full range of school-based substance use prevention, early intervention, and treatment services. The report recommends 10 actions all states can take to cover the full range. 

Disparities in Discipline for Black Girls in Schools

Addressing the children’s mental health crisis which the US faces requires data and information to develop strategies and interventions targeting the most affected children and youth with changes that will ultimately benefit all of them. The United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) has released a report that provides such data. The report is titled Nationally, Black Girls Receive More Frequent and More Severe Discipline in Schools than Other Girls.

The report shows how Black girls received harsher forms of discipline than other girls and had the highest rates of exclusionary discipline, such as suspensions and expulsions. This was true in every state. Additionally, when they also had a disability, exclusionary discipline rates of Black girls grew larger.

This can have a significant impact on those girls’ mental health when added to other forms of trauma. We can see this in the data. The Kentucky Youth Behavior Risk Survey (YRBS 2023) clearly shows these health disparities for Black girls. One of the most concerning indicators is that the percentage of middle school students who tried to kill themselves was overall 9.9% which is unacceptably high. Among Black females it was almost 20%.

Public School Teachers in the US 

There are 3.8 million public school teachers in America, 43,169 in Kentucky. Nationwide, like in Kentucky, 77% of those teachers are women and 80% of them are white (non-Hispanic), 95% are white in Kentucky. These and other statistics about this very important group of professionals are presented by The Pew Research Center in their Key facts about public school teachers in the U.S. report.

The Need to Address the Children’s Mental Health Crisis

A cohort study of 1.7 million children and youth, ages 5 to 22, in Southern California published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) revealed that the overall incidence and prevalence of depression diagnosed clinically increased by approximately 60%, and anxiety diagnosed without depression incidence increased by 31% from 2017 to 2021. The study, Depression and Anxiety Among US Children and Young Adults, indicates that rates increased across all subgroups and were greater during the COVID-19 pandemic.



These results support the increased need in public health and health care to combat the mental health crisis in children and youth. 

Schools in Eastern Kentucky Tackle Childhood Obesity

The Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, backbone organization to the Kentucky Coalition for Healthy Children, also supports the implementation of the Coordinated Approach to School Health (CATCH) program in schools in Eastern Kentucky.

In its second iteration, six elementary schools in Appalachian Kentucky implemented the Whole Child Guided Journey program during the 2023-2024 school year, Participating schools were in Johnson, Rowan, Perry, and Lewis Counties.

The program provides school wellness leaders and teams with curriculum, training, and technical assistance to create healthy school environments that promote physical and mental health well-being of all students. Its physical activity and nutrition curriculum and activities are a strong childhood obesity prevention strategy.

The positive outcomes of the program are reflected in the evaluation results from pre to post surveys of students and teachers:

• There were increases in fruit, vegetable, and water consumption.
• There was a significant increase in students’ physical activity.
• There was a significant increase in positive beliefs about healthy eating and physical activity, and in perceived support from teachers and other students for eating healthy foods and being physically active.
• School Wellness Champions were established at each school, and they reported an increase in confidence for leading a coordinated approach to health and wellness at their school.

Learn more about the program outcomes.

Medical Press: Study links children's bedtimes to gut health, finds early sleepers have greater microbial diversity in gut flora

The Lexington Times: Health advocates say Amendment 2 would take money away from public education and health-related support programs.

Kentucky Lantern: Republican lawmaker will renew efforts to make water fluoridation optional in Kentucky.

WKYT: Health officials across Kentucky encourage COVID-19 vaccines.

Louisville Public Media: Kentucky's child abuse hotline offers resources to families

Kentucky Lantern: Supporters of birthing centers gain some political ground in Kentucky



Northern Kentucky Tribune: Lt. Gov. Coleman visits Holmes Middle School to see School Garden Grant at work

Kentucky Department for Public Health

Kentucky Family Thrive

Kentucky Department of Education

Kentucky Health Departments Association

Kentucky Nurses Association

Kentucky Primary Care Association

Kentucky Public Health Association

Kentucky Psychological Association 

Kentucky School Boards Association

Kentucky Voices for Health

Kentucky Youth Advocates

KY Parent Teacher Association – 16^th District

Pritchard Committee for Academic Excellence

Seven Counties Services

Spalding University

St. Elizabeth Healthcare

Trans Parent Lex

United Healthcare

University of Kentucky College of Health Sciences

University of Louisville School of Public Health & Information Studies

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