KCHC September Newsletter

Kentucky Coalition For Healthy Children Newsletter

Issue 40 | September 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’s Advocacy for Thriving Communities Roadshow is being held in-person in Hazard on September 2. A virtual program will take place on September 16. Learn more about these programs here.

Training│ Problem Gambling Counselor Training

Since the launch of sports betting in September 2023, calls to the 1-800-GAMBLER helpline for gambling-related support and referrals have more than doubled. Trends from other states suggest this number will continue to rise. To help meet the growing need for qualified professionals, the Kentucky Council on Problem Gambling (KYCPG) is offering a one-week, intensive 30-hour training program towards a Gambling Counselor Certification.

Kentucky-based counselors and behavioral health professionals interested in certification can attend the training from October 6–10, with registration opening August 15. Space is limited. More information here; registration here.

Annual Meeting | Kentucky Voices for Health

Registration is now open for Kentucky Voices for Health’s 2025 Annual Meeting, 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.

Webinar│ Youth Engagement in Policy Change

Kentucky Youth Advocates (KYA) Blueprint Webinar Effectively and Authentically Engaging Young People in Policy Change! was held on July 29, 2025 with Alicia Whatley, Senior Policy and Advocacy Director, leading the webinar. Griffin Nemeth, the Youth Advisory Board Coordinator for #iCANendthetrend program, also a KCHC Steering Committee member organization, shared resources during the webinar including the YES! Youth Empowerment Model. The recording of the webinar can be accessed here.

Webinar │ Navigating Public Health Data

The Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky’s most recent Health for a Change webinar: Navigating the Changing Public Health Data Landscape is now available on-demand! The webinar covered how the landscape of public health data has changed recently, who the Team Up Collaborative is and how they are working to improve access to public health data. It also shared resources for how to find currently available data. The recording of the webinar can be accessed here.

What's New in Children's Health

The Impact of Active Shooter Drills on Student Health and Wellbeing

The National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine have published a new report, School Active Shooter Drills: Mitigating Risks to Mental, Emotional, and Behavioral Health, which examines the impact of active shooter drills on student and educator well-being.

Active shooter drills are now routine in nearly all U.S. schools, yet their effects on students’ and educators’ mental, emotional, and behavioral health are often overlooked. The report takes a closer look at how these drills are conducted and offers expert guidance on reducing potential harm while maintaining school safety.

Developed by a multidisciplinary team of experts in education, public health, child development, psychology, neuroscience, and more, the report offers evidence-based recommendations for designing drills that balance preparedness with well-being. It also emphasizes the importance of fostering learning environments where students and staff feel safe, supported, and empowered.

Vaccines for Teens

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends three vaccines for routine administration to adolescents: the tetanus toxoid, reduced diphtheria toxoid, and acellular pertussis vaccine (Tdap); the quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MenACWY); and the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Vaccination Coverage Among Adolescents Aged 13–17 Years (2024). According to the report, vaccination rates for most recommended vaccines increased compared to 2023. However, HPV vaccination rates remained unchanged for the third consecutive year.

Updated Data on Drug Use and Health

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has released the report with the results from The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). The 2024 NSDUH offers vital insights into tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drug use; substance use disorders; mental health conditions; suicidal thoughts and behaviors; and access to treatment among people aged 12 and older in the U.S. civilian, noninstitutionalized population.

For example, on tobacco use and vaping, in 2024, 22.1% of people aged 12+ (63.7M) used tobacco products or vaped nicotine. Among youth aged 12–20, 11.7% (4.5M) reported use. Vaping was more common than tobacco use among youth: 71.5% of users aged 12–17 and 50.3% of users aged 18–25 only vaped. Cigarette smoking among those 12+ declined from 16.0% in 2021 to 13.1% in 2024. The drop was seen in adults but not in adolescents.

These findings help researchers, clinicians, policymakers, and the public understand and address the nation’s behavioral health challenges.

In Your Community

Kentucky Farm to School: Facing Challenges with Resilience and Innovation

Even in a challenging funding environment, Kentucky’s farm-to-school efforts are growing strong. With the support of dedicated educators, food service professionals, farmers, and community members, the Kentucky Farm to School Network is continuing to connect students with local food and farm and food learning experiences.

2025 has been a challenging year for farm-to-school programs across the country. Significant funding cuts, most notably to the Local Food for Schools (LFS) program, have left many initiatives scrambling. Despite this, the Kentucky Farm to School Network has continued to push forward with impactful programming that supports students, schools, and local farmers.

The F2S Network’s School Garden Mini-Grants have been planting seeds of learning. This spring, they awarded five School Garden Mini-Grants to help Kentucky schools grow more than just produce. Each school received $5,000 to support the creation or expansion of school gardens, along with nutrition and cooking education using the food they grow.

Out of 61 applications, 16 schools were invited to submit full proposals. The final grantees—Newport Intermediate, Cartmell Elementary, Union County Middle, New Highland Elementary, and West Perry Elementary—are now planting, harvesting, and learning together, with gardens serving as hands-on classrooms for everything from science to healthy eating.

Farm to Summer Meals: Local Food on the Menu

In early 2025, the Network ramped up their efforts to bring more Kentucky-grown food into summer meal programs. In February, they partnered with the Kentucky Department of Education to host a Kentucky-grown food tasting for summer meal sponsors during their annual training. For the Farm to Summer Meals Celebration Week, held June 15–21, they developed a comprehensive toolkit to help sponsors incorporate local foods, build partnerships with community organizations, and engage students with garden-based activities. They also created a companion resource for farmers and farmers markets looking to connect with local meal sites—strengthening the bridge between growers and the families they feed.

Kentucky School Nutrition Association Conference: Sharing What Works

In June, the network participated in the Kentucky School Nutrition Association Summer Conference where they hosted two sessions and a trade show booth showcasing Kentucky-grown foods. One session, Success with Local Beef, featured school food service directors who shared real-world stories about sourcing and serving Kentucky beef in their cafeterias. Another, Finding Farmers, co-led with our distribution partner What Chefs Want, explored how to build lasting relationships with local producers.

Take Action!

Keep Your Kids Covered! Renew Child Medicaid Coverage

Children under the age of 19 in families with income less than 218% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) are eligible for Medicaid or KCHIP. Starting with July 2025 renewals, children must go through an annual redetermination. The Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) has issued a Child Renewal Packet, which includes links and answers to frequently asked questions.

Take the following steps -from CHFS- and/or share with families who need to renew:

Be on the lookout for letters from Medicaid about their renewal and respond to them!
Families will get a letter about Medicaid renewal when it is their time. They may also get a phone call or an email that lets them know it is time to renew if they signed up for that in their kynect account. The letter will let them know if the recipient needs to complete a form or send in information to keep coverage. Forms should be returned as soon as possible.
Get free local help at any time!

Kentucky has many resources available to help families navigate the Medicaid enrollment and renewal process:
On the web: https://kynect.ky.gov/benefits/s/?language=en_US
By phone: 855-4kynect (855-459-6328)
In person: Find your local DCBS office at: https://kynect.ky.gov/benefits/s/find-dcbs-office?language=en_US
Reach out to one of the kynectors or agents for personalized help at: https://kynect.ky.gov/benefits/s/auth-reps-assisters?language=en_US