skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Friday, December 13, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Amazon donating $1 million to Trump inaugural fund, to air event on Prime Video; Retired USAF colonel urges White House to stop gaslight NJ residents over mysterious drones; Support available for MI youths aging out of foster care; NM designates 250 miles as Outstanding National Resource Waters; One size fits all? Not so, says OSHA for construction protection gear.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Biden carries out the largest ever single-day act of clemency, voting rights advocates raise alarm over Trump's pick to lead Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, and election denier Kari Lake is tapped to lead Voice of America.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Conservative voters surprised pundits by casting election votes for Trump but also against school vouchers, Pennsylvania's Black mayors work to unite their communities, and America's mental health providers try new techniques.

Report: Many KY kids lead fragmented and traumatic lives

play audio
Play

Friday, November 22, 2024   

Nearly one in four Kentucky kids has experienced at least two Adverse Childhood Experiences, or ACEs, including abuse, neglect or household dysfunction, according to the latest Kids Count County Data Book.

Experts said the findings should prompt policymakers to better measure risk and pave the way for prevention.

Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates, said the impact of ACEs on children can leave a lifetime imprint.

"When we think about Kentucky in 20 years, data around ACEs today is going to be a leveraged factor that we're going to be seeing the results of," Brooks projected.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, ACEs trigger a toxic stress response in the body, which can change brain development and can lead to chronic health problems, mental illness and substance use disorders in adulthood.

Mentorship, guidance and support from adults and community members can help foster positive childhood experiences and buffer the impact of ACEs.

Aleah Stigall, a student at Boyle County High School, said a network of mentors participating in pageantry has helped her cope with loneliness.

"I was able to gain a lot of mentors," Stigall explained. "Some I like to even call my sisters, because of how they've impacted me and really show me what a true titleholder looks like and how you can make a strong impact on your community."

The findings also show more families are transient and struggling to stay housed. Brooks explained the state has seen significant increases in rental cost burdens.

"That eight-year-old little girl going to school has inevitably heard her mom and dad worrying about, are they going to get evicted, and are the lights going to stay on?" Brooks observed. "I don't think any of us can fully measure the impact it has on that little kid."

According to the research, Kentucky is short around 200,000 housing units. And between 2018 and 2022, 44% of Kentucky households spent 30% or more of their income on rent and utilities. In 20 counties, residents' rental cost-burden rates have reached 50%.

Disclosure: Kentucky Youth Advocates/Kids Count contributes to our fund for reporting on Budget Policy and Priorities, and Children's Issues. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
After some initial permit roadblocks, Summit Carbon Solutions has been gaining approval in Midwestern states for a large-scale carbon capture project involving ethanol plants. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

A massive carbon capture project proposed for the Midwest has another permit under its belt after Minnesota regulators gave their approval Thursday…


Social Issues

play sound

The Environmental Protection Agency this week banned a toxic chemical commonly used in dry cleaning and other consumer products. Trichloroethylene …

Social Issues

play sound

A new study provides New York State with an outline of necessary updates to its school funding formula. The Rockefeller Institute study called for …


Virginia is one of the top 10 states in the nation for Christmas tree production. (jannoon028/Freepik)

Social Issues

play sound

As families across the country prepare to celebrate the holiday season, the joy of decorating a Christmas tree is a time-honored tradition. But the …

Social Issues

play sound

Rising grocery prices and the end of pandemic-era benefits have left many Virginia families struggling to make ends meet. A recent poll from No Kid …

Social Issues

play sound

Lawmakers in Annapolis plan to introduce a bill to require a special election if a lawmaker is appointed to a seat in the first half of their term…

Social Issues

play sound

A new report from the Michigan League for Public Policy reveals that eviction injustice is locking many Michigan families out of safe, stable housing…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021