Making Children's Issues a Priority in Kentucky
Children's Law Center, Inc. Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 12:24PM CLC attorneys recently hosted two separate forums, one in northern Kentucky and one in Lexington, to discuss the Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children, a list of goals created by child advocacy groups to make the state a better place for children and families.
The meetings were a preview for Child Advocacy Day, the state’s largest rally for kids issues, which will be held on February 16th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Capitol Rotunda in Franfort, KY. To register, click here.
The northern Kentucky forum, held Jan. 13 at Northern Kentucky University, drew 70 attendees and the Lexington forum, held January 23 at the Imami Family Life Center, drew 125 participants. Both featured topics such as “improving the quality of alternative education” and “ending damaging incarceration of youth for noncriminal misbehaviors."
The Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children is comprised of dozens of child advocacy groups around the state including the CLC. Representatives of the organizations lobby the state legislature to pass bills and sign regulations that align with the Blueprint’s goals.
Josh Crabtree, CLC’s managing attorney, said he is cautiously optimistic that legislators will vote on a bill to end incarceration of youth for status offenses (non-criminal misbehaviors like running away from home or truancy). “It’s kind of a hot topic right now,” he said “And it’s something that nobody was looking at two years ago. So they’re recognizing that this is an important issue for kids."