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Kentucky has a growing mental health crisis, that we could help and stop by just being more kind or focusing on each other rather than just ourselves. Recently, there has been a striking rise in hospitalizations for mental health issues and even suicide attempts or self-harm. This is because, there is not enough resources here in Kentucky to help these people wallow out of there sadness. Also, with the Covid-19 pandemic, many people started getting depressed from being at home too much and this is definitely one of the main factors on why the rate of these issues has gotten larger.

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Abortions have recently became illegal in all circumstances in my community. To me, this is a fundamental right that has been ripped away from many needing families here in Kentucky. For example, in this article we see a couple that was going to pursue an act of an abortion because they knew there baby was not going to be healthy or able to truly enjoy life. Yet, they soon found out that will be taken away from them unfairly. Instead, they forced the woman to have the baby and then didn't even let the family see the newly brought life.

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Kentucky couple 'furious' state abortion laws meant they couldn't hold their daughter to say goodbye | CNN

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All Heather and Nick Maberry wanted to do was hold their dead baby, but they couldn't because of strict Kentucky abortion laws.

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Recently in my community, the right to safe and legal abortions was stripped away from Women all around my state. Out of nowhere, the Kentucky Supreme Court voted on banning abortions. Yet, with this ban to a HEALTHCARE RIGHT, we are opening up new portals of problems for our youth and just people in general. Banning legal and safe abortions, is just creating a sense of familiarity around unsafe & illegal abortions. Obviously, this is extremely dangerous and could kill the carrier potentially with the baby & could followup with situations that involve murder and life in prison.

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The Kentucky Supreme Court has ruled that the state's near-total bans on abortion will remain in place while a lawsuit over the matter continues. The bans include a six-week ban and a trigger law, which have been in place since August of last year.

The decision has been closely watched as it comes just months after voters weighed in on the issue of abortion rights and signaled support for abortion rights at the ballot box.

"Lives will be saved while these laws remain in effect, and we hope and pray the lower courts will respect Kentuckians' will and base their decisions in this case on the Constitution and rule of law," Sue Liebel, midwest regional director of the Susan B. Anthony List, a national anti-abortion-rights group, said after Thursday's decision.

Abortion-rights groups decried the ruling.

"This unconscionable decision is a slap in the face to Kentucky voters, who only three months ago rejected a constitutional amendment that would have allowed a permanent ban on abortion in their state," said NARAL President Mini Timmaraju.

The two state laws - a ban on nearly all abortions in Kentucky and a ban on most abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy - were allowed to take effect last year following the U.S. Supreme Court's Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision.

Both laws were passed in 2019, as part of a years-long effort by mostly Republican lawmakers in multiple states to restrict the procedure as much as possible. They put in place layers of restrictions that could take effect in the event that Roe v. Wade was either partially or, as in Dobbs, fully overturned.

Kentucky's two remaining clinics, Planned Parenthood and EMW Women's Surgical Center, were forced to stop providing abortions in early August. The American Civil Liberties Union challenged both bans, prompting a chain of litigation that culminated with arguments before the Kentucky Supreme Court in November.

The oral arguments took place just days after voters rejected Amendment 2, which would have amended the state constitution to state explicitly that there is no right to an abortion.

Kentucky was among several states where residents voted to support abortion rights last year following the Dobbs decision.

Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, a Republican, defended the two bans during oral arguments, saying the state legislature - not the courts - has the right to regulate abortion. The ACLU argued that the laws violate multiple rights guaranteed by Kentucky's state constitution, among them the "right of seeking and pursuing their safety and happiness" and freedom from "absolute and arbitrary power."

As Kentucky Public Radio has reported, the state's seven-person high court now has a new chief justice and two new members, adding to the uncertainty around how the newly constituted court might rule.

After the Dobbs decision, abortion rights groups in several states with pre-existing abortion bans known as "trigger laws" filed lawsuits challenging them in state court. In Louisiana, for example, reproductive rights lawyers persuaded a judge to block abortion restrictions, winning clinics in the state a temporary reprieve before a state judge ultimately allowed them take effect, prohibiting nearly all abortions.

About a dozen states have banned most or all abortions, according to data kept by the Center for Reproductive Rights; laws in several other states including Ohio and Indiana are tied up in ongoing litigation.

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Kentucky high court upholds state abortion bans while case continues

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The state Supreme Court kept two state bans in place after Kentucky voters signaled support for abortion rights at the ballot box last November.

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Becoming a teacher is obviously a choice, but a choice that is made to help our future. Yet, we see after the covid-19 pandemic, the want to be a teacher has decreased & there is slowly becoming many spots to fill inside schools. If this isn't a actual teacher, janitors, etc. But, in this article we see a high amount of perseverance from teachers that are making sure there students continue to grow. The demand for teachers has increased, while the actual demand for school has decreased.

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A state review of local schools initiated by the Christian County Board of Education has revealed several areas where the schools need improvement.

Kentucky Department of Education spokesman Lisa Gross said 87 of Kentucky's 176 public school districts were invited to take part in the recent review.

Six were eventually selected, including Monroe, Gallatin, Fulton and Madison counties and Russellville Independent schools, in addition to Christian County.

Gross said state officials chose only six counties because of limited funds and staff. The review - a pilot program offered by the state department's office of leadership and school improvement - was an effort by the state to help Kentucky districts struggling to meet requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind, according to Gross.

In Christian County, state officials cited local leadership for not having a "plan of education" to address an appreciation of existing cultural differences related to sensitivity and diversity training, for not ensuring the development of a certified staff recruitment plan that emphasizes minorities and the quality of the staff, and for not ensuring that training is provided to develop district and school improvement plans.

Two other identified deficiencies were that leaders in the public schools have failed to make sure there is a focus on improving student achievement as well as making sure a communication plan is created to inform stakeholders and promote high expectations.

Gross also said five schools in Christian County are at the "tier 2" level of No Child Left Behind, meaning that they have not made adequate yearly progress for three consecutive years under the federal program.

The five schools, Gross said, are Christian County, Hopkinsville and North Drive middle schools and Highland and Morningside elementary schools.

She noted that schools which do not make adequate yearly progress are subject to consequences under No Child Left Behind, and students may transfer out of schools that do not make adequate yearly progress for two years in a row, she said.

Gross said she believes that districts applying to take part in the program were showing that they have a desire to improve.

Christian County schools applied to join the program after it was established by state officials late last year.

Dr. Bob Lovingood, superintendent of Christian County Public Schools, said local officials looked at previous results of the both the Commonwealth Accountability Testing System and No Child Left Behind standards and saw a need for improvement.

"(We) asked to be a part of it because we wanted to grow," Lovingood said. "We were trying to improve the academic performance of our children. We felt like this executive review could help us shore up some things we need to improve on."

Lovingood said some local schools are performing well while others are not performing adequately, and officials want to see some improvements overall.

The district review was conducted by state Department of Education officials in late January and early February, with a 15-member team of educators making the trip to Christian County to visit local schools, observe classrooms, talk with officials, students, parents and others and review documents and evidence related to the local educational process.

"They looked at every document we have that supports our actions or that doesn't support our actions," observed Janie Tomek, assistant superintendent of instruction.

Gross said the state will work with teachers and administrators at targeted schools to help them turn low-achieving students into high achievers.

She noted that the thrust of the review and pilot program is to assist districts which have schools that may end up being designated as "tier 3" schools under No Child Left Behind.

Tiers 1 and 2 don't have corrective action, she said, but there are consequences with "tier 3," including such aspects as continuing school choice, revising its comprehensive school plan and taking corrective action.

"We're trying to get ahead of the game," Gross said. "We're trying to make sure we provide some help to them before they need some assistance."

She noted that deficiencies highlighted in the recent district review don't necessarily mean the whole district is in trouble, but rather that there are areas where improvements are needed.

Officials in Christian County have already implemented some programs to address the needs pinpointed in the recent review, including devising 30-, 60- and 90-day plans that will address the different improvements.

A recent effort to create a vision and mission for the local school system also is a partial outgrowth of the review, coupled with recommendations made by state officials.

The team of district educators working on the vision and mission statements, known familiarly as the HEART team, is a direct result of the earlier review, according to Regan Huneycutt, public information officer for the local school system.

TONYA S. GRACE can be reached by telephone at 887-3238 or by e-mail at tgrace@kentuckynewera.com.

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State cites school problems - Special review finds leadership deficiencies

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A state review of local schools initiated by the Christian County Board of Education has revealed several areas where the schools need improvement.

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School shootings are disgustingly too normalized here in America. Some may say its the lack of gun laws and some might say its the people behind the gun. Yet, what we all should agree on is that no gun should even be near a school. Here in America school shootings happen frequently & are deadly. The community is obviously frustrated, why does this keep happening in America? A country with so many laws to protect us, yet put us in these situations of fear & worry. Kids who have been victim of a school shooting are more likely to not pursue education after high school, or even at all.

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Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR)

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Key Takeaways

More than 100,000 American children attended a school at which a shooting took place in 2018 and 2019.

Research indicates a higher rate of antidepressant use among those exposed to a school shooting in the years following the gun violence.

School shootings lead to drops in student enrollment and a decline in average test scores.

School shootings also lead to an increase in student absenteeism and the likelihood of needing to repeat a grade in the two following years.

Students exposed to shootings at their schools are less likely to graduate high school, go to college, and graduate college, and they are less likely to be employed and have lower earnings in their mid-20s.

As America reels from yet another school shooting - this one at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas - much of the public discussion has centered on the lives lost: 19 children and 2 teachers. The Uvalde massacre is the second deadliest on record, following the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

These shootings are only two on an already long list of horrific tragedies that have cut short the lives of too many children and their educators over the past decades. According to the Washington Post school shootings database, at least 185 children, educators, and others have been killed by gun violence at American schools since the Columbine massacre in 1999, leaving behind hundreds of grief-stricken family members, friends, and communities.

The costs of school shootings for the direct victims and their loved ones are unimaginable. And an increasing body of research shows that the death toll captures only one part of the broader lasting impact that gun violence at schools permeates throughout our society.

Hundreds of thousands of students exposed

Over the last two decades, the number of shootings at U.S. schools has doubled, and in my research with Marika Cabral, Bokyung Kim, Molly Schnell, and Hannes Schwandt, we estimate that more than 100,000 American children attended a school at which a shooting took place in 2018 and 2019 alone (Cabral et al., 2021). Although mass school shootings such as the one in Uvalde tend to receive significant media attention, the majority of shootings are thankfully much less deadly and also less widely publicized. In fact, about three-quarters of shootings in 2018 and 2019 led to no fatalities at all, and the vast majority had fewer than two deaths.

Researchers have been analyzing the impacts of exposure to shootings on the growing number of students experiencing them in American schools. While many students are physically unharmed, studies have consistently found consequences to their mental health, educational, and economic trajectories that last for years, and potentially decades, to come.

A large interdisciplinary body of research characterizes the neurological and physiological mechanisms through which trauma from exposure to violence can impact young people. In brief, such trauma can affect both the biological stress system as well as young developing brains (see, e.g.: Osofsky, 1999; De Bellis, 2001; Carrion et al., 2002, 2007, 2008, 2012; De Bellis and Zisk, 2014; Heissel et al., 2018; Miller et al., 2018).

Consistent with these mechanisms, large numbers of studies from different countries and contexts have documented negative effects of exposure to local community and domestic violence on children's educational and behavioral outcomes (see, e.g.: Cook and Ludwig, 2002; Aizer, 2007; Caudillo and Torche, 2014; Sharkey, 2010, 2018; Sharkey et al., 2012, 2014; Duque, 2017; Monteiro and Rocha, 2017; Gershenson and Tekin, 2018; Koppensteiner and Menezes, 2021).

At the same time, some have argued that children are very resilient and can "bounce back" from trauma, implying that childhood violence exposure - while being damaging in the short run - may not have lasting effects (Agaibi and Wilson, 2005; Goldstein and Brooks, 2005; Garrett et al., 2019).

A matter of location: Why school shootings differ from gun violence elsewhere

There are several reasons why shootings at schools may impact children differently than when they occur elsewhere. Recent studies show that local exposure to police killings of unarmed Black and Hispanic individuals adversely affects the mental health of Black adults (Bor et al., 2018) and educational outcomes of Black and Hispanic students (Ang, 2021).

The mechanisms driving these impacts may include the possibility that Blacks and Hispanics feel a stronger connection to same-race victims of police brutality and that they view these events as breaking their trust in institutions such as law enforcement. Similarly, children exposed to shootings at schools may suffer more acutely than when they are exposed to violence in other settings because of their connection to student and teacher victims and the loss of trust in their schools' ability to keep them safe.

Further, the intensive media coverage that comes with a school shooting is likely to have put many American students on edge. So much so that exposure to any gunshots in a school setting - even an accidental discharge - may be particularly traumatic if it invokes an intense amount of fear (Lowe and Galea, 2017). Also, compared with violence in other contexts, school shootings are likely to cause a greater amount of disruption to student learning, as they might affect teacher turnover rates, teaching quality, classroom resources, and the continuity of instruction.

Lastly, given that "peer effects" in schools are important - i.e., students' learning and well-being are highly influenced by what their peers do in the classroom setting - the adverse impacts of a student's own trauma from experiencing a school shooting may be amplified due to disruptions from other shooting-exposed peers (Carrell et al., 2018).

Early impacts on survivors: Mental health and education

Several studies demonstrate that school shootings have detrimental effects on the mental health and educational outcomes of surviving youth. In my work with Molly Schnell, Hannes Schwandt, Sam Trejo, and Lindsey Uniat (Rossin-Slater et al., 2020), we analyzed the impacts of 44 U.S. school shootings that took place between 2008 and 2013 on youth antidepressant use.

We compared the number of antidepressant prescriptions written by providers practicing within five miles of a school that experienced a shooting with those written by providers 10 to 15 miles away, both before and after the shooting. Our results indicated that the average monthly number of antidepressant prescriptions written to youth under age 20 by providers located near schools that experienced a fatal shooting was 21.3 percent higher relative to providers located farther away in the two to three years following a shooting than in the two years before.

Consistent with this evidence suggesting a deterioration in shooting-exposed children's mental health, Levine and McKnight (2020) document an increase in deaths (including suicides and accidents) among residents of Jefferson County, Colorado, who were between 14 and 18 at the time of the 1999 shooting at Columbine High School (which is located in that county).

When it comes to educational outcomes, studies have found that school shootings lead to drops in student enrollment and a decline in average test scores (Abouk and Adams, 2013; Poutvaara and Ropponen, 2018; Beland and Kim, 2016; Levine and McKnight, 2020).

In my research with Marika Cabral, Bokyung Kim, Molly Schnell, and Hannes Schwandt, we examined the effects of the 33 shootings that took place during school hours at public schools in Texas between 1995 and 2016 (Cabral et al., 2021). We used detailed administrative student-level data on all children in Texas public schools and analyzed changes in educational outcomes within the same students in the years before and after a shooting.

In order to control for general time trends, we compared these within-student changes to changes in students from control schools that were chosen to be similar based on their institutional and student demographic characteristics. We found that, in the two years following a shooting, exposed students experienced a 12.1 percent increase in the share of school days that they were absent, a 27.8 percent increase in the likelihood of being chronically absent, and a more than doubling of the likelihood of needing to repeat a grade.

The long haul: Educational and economic outcomes for shooting survivors

Our team also studied longer-term consequences of exposure to gun violence at schools. In this analysis, we studied the impacts of the eight shootings that took place at Texas public high schools between 1998 and 2006 on individual outcomes through age 26.

We compared cohorts of shooting-exposed students with cohorts that attended the same schools in the years before the shooting occurred. As in the short-run analysis, we compared these differences in cohort outcomes with the analogous cohort differences in matched control schools.

We found that students who were exposed to a shooting at their school in grades 10 and 11 were 3.7 percent at the mean less likely to graduate from high school; 9.5 percent less likely to enroll in any college; 17.2 percent less likely to enroll in a four-year college; and 15.3 percent less likely to obtain a bachelor's degree by age 26.

We also found that students exposed to shootings in grades 9 through 11 were 6.3 percent less likely to be employed and had $2,779.84 (13.5 percent) lower average annual earnings between the ages of 24 and 26. Our estimates imply a reduction of $115,550 (in 2018 dollars) in the present discounted value of lifetime earnings per shooting-exposed student. Given that approximately 50,000 children per year have been experiencing shootings at their schools in recent times, this amounts to an aggregate cost of $5.8 billion per year in terms of lost lifetime earnings among survivors.

Importantly - and thankfully - the shootings that we studied in Texas were not as deadly as the one in Uvalde. In fact, 18 of the 33 shootings had no fatalities, and no shootings had more than one death. And yet, our research indicates that these less deadly and mostly unpublicized acts of gun violence at schools have major and long-lasting consequences for many children who were on school grounds when they occurred.

Lessons learned and policy considerations

It is impossible to overstate the devastation caused by the lives lost to school shootings. But research indicates that even those who escape these events without any visible physical harm carry scars that could impair their lives for many years to come.

While it is undeniably clear that the United States urgently needs to take action to prevent school shootings from occurring in the first place, it is also important to remember the hundreds of thousands of children who have already experienced them.

Indeed, our team's estimates of the impacts of exposure to school shootings in Texas on children's long-run outcomes are comparable in magnitudes to those found by researchers who studied the survivors of the 2011 massacre in Utøya, Norway (Bharadwaj et al., 2021). The Utøya shooting was the deadliest event in recent Norwegian history, killing 69 people. It is therefore in some ways remarkable that we find similarly large negative impacts of exposure to shootings in Texas public schools in which at most one person was killed.

While Norway and Texas differ in a variety of ways, it is important to note that the Norwegian government provided substantial resources and support to the survivors of the Utøya attack, which likely buffered against some of the detrimental long-term effects. In comparison, we are not aware of governmental responses to the school shootings that we studied, and we did not find any changes in observable mental health resources to support students (e.g., as measured by the number of social support staff) at the school level.

Thus, as we mourn the 21 lives tragically cut short on May 24, 2022, in Uvalde, we must not forget about the hundreds of students who were also at school on that day. This loss of life underscores the devastating cost of America's continued inaction on gun control. And as policymakers debate what can be done to prevent school shootings, they must also act to help the hundreds of thousands of children who have already survived them.

Taking steps similar to those in Norway, Congress and statehouses throughout the U.S. can ensure that schools, families, and communities have access to mental health resources and financial support. This is of paramount importance if our society wants to give these children a chance at prevailing as happy, successful, and productive adults.
Maya Rossin-Slater is a SIEPR Senior Fellow and an Associate Professor of Health Policy in the Department of Health Policy at the Stanford University School of Medicine. Her research includes work in health, public, and labor economics. She focuses on issues in maternal and child well-being, family structure and behavior, and policies targeting disadvantaged populations in the United States and other developed countries.
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Surviving a school shooting: Impacts on the mental health, education, and earnings of American youth

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More than 100,000 American children attended a school at which a shooting took place in 2018 and 2019. Research indicates a higher rate of antidepressant use among those exposed to a school shooting in the years following the gun violence. School shootings lead to drops in student enrollment and a decline in average test scores.

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Healthcare costs in my community is high & unreachable for many. Most adults at this time go about their life uninsured when it comes to health insurance. Obviously, this is dangerous for the person & a burden. 67% of these uninsured adults say, they are without insurance because of the expense. Or, they received care and now cant pay these medical bills. It should never be expensive to get help. These doctors need to be paid, but reframing from going to the doctor for help, in fear of its cost is ridiculous and should never have to cross someone's mind.

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Data Brief | No. 7 | May 2018

Kentucky Residents Struggle to Afford High Healthcare Costs; Express Bipartisan Support for a Range of Government Solutions

Nationally, consumer worry about healthcare affordability is well documented but now-for the first time-a new survey reveals how affordability concerns and ideas for action play out in Kentucky. A survey of more than 900 Kentucky adults conducted from Feb. 7-Feb. 23, 2018, found that:

72% experienced healthcare affordability burdens in the past year,

even more are worried about affording healthcare in the future; and

many express strong bipartisan support for policymakers to address these problems.

Affordability Burdens Take Many Forms

All told, a shocking 72% of adults in Kentucky experienced one or more of the following healthcare affordability problems.
Being Uninsured Due to High Premium Costs

5% of Kentucky adults were uninsured for the prior 12 months

67% of them cite "too expensive" as the major reason for not having coverage.

Delaying or Foregoing Healthcare Due to Cost
More than half (55%) of Kentucky adults who needed healthcare during the year encountered one or more cost related barriers to getting that care. In descending order of frequency, they report:

40%-Delayed going to the doctor or having a procedure done

33%-Avoiding going altogether to the doctor or having a procedure done

31%-Skipped a recommended medical test or treatment

30%-Did not fill a prescription

23%-Cut pills in half or skipped doses of medicine

12%-Had problems getting mental healthcare

Moreover, cost was far and away the most frequently cited reason for not getting medical care, exceeding other barriers, like transportation, difficulty getting an appointment, or lack of childcare.

Of the various types of medical bills, the ones most frequently associated with an affordability barrier were dental care, doctor bills and prescription drugs, likely reflecting the frequency with which Kentucky adults seek these services - or, in the case of dental, lower rates of coverage for these services.

Many Who Received Care Struggle to Pay the Resulting Medical Bills

More than half (57%) of Kentucky adults experienced one or more of these struggles to pay their medical bills:

25%-Contacted by a collection agency

20%-Used up all or most of their savings

13%-Placed on a long-term payment plan

12%-Unable to pay for basic necessities like food, heat, or housing

12%-Racked up large amounts of credit card debt

9%-Borrowed money or got a loan or another mortgage on their home

High Levels of Worry About Affording Healthcare in the Future

Kentucky adults also exhibit high levels of worry about affording healthcare in the future, reporting they were "somewhat" or "very" worried about:

71%-Affording medical costs when elderly

69%-Affording a serious illness or accident

59%-Prescription drug costs

Kentucky adults also exhibited high levels of worry about affording health insurance coverage-except for those with military coverage (Figure 1). Affordability concern among Medicaid beneficiaries (with low or no premium expenses) may stem from fears of losing their coverage. The survey found that 71% of Medicaid enrollees report being "somewhat" or "very" worried about losing coverage.

All told, 82% of adults in Kentucky have one or more of these worries.

Regional Differences in Healthcare Affordability Burdens

The survey also explored five regions in Kentucky (Figure 2) and revealed differences in how Kentuckians experience healthcare affordability burdens.The eastern Kentucky region reported the greatest number of healthcare affordability burdens (80% of adults, see Figure 3) with the Louisville metro area showing fewest affordability burdens (although still high, affecting 64% of adults).

Perhaps reflecting these high rates of healthcare affordability burdens, residents of eastern Kentucky also report starkly higher levels of worry:

Worry about affording prescription drugs spiked at 71% for eastern Kentucky, compared to 55% for remaining regions.

Worry about affording the costs of serious illness or accident spiked at 78% for eastern Kentucky, compared to 66% for remaining regions.

Overall worry about healthcare affordability burdens was highest in eastern Kentucky (85%), compared to the northern (83%), Louisville (83%), Lexington (82%) and western (79%) regions.

Additional detail and regional reports are available at www.HealthcareValueHub.org/KY-2018-Healthcare-Poll.

Dissatisfaction with the Health System and Support for Change

In light of these healthcare affordability concerns, it is not surprising that Kentucky residents are extremely dissatisfied with the health system. Statewide:

just 19% agree or strongly agree with the statement "We have a great healthcare system in the U.S.,"

while 74% agree or strongly agree "the system needs to change."

Of more than 20 options, the options cited most frequently as being a "major reason" for high healthcare costs were:

81%-Drug companies charging too much money

74%-Hospitals charging too much money

72%-Insurance companies charging too much money

61%-Some well-known or large hospitals or doctor groups using their influence to get higher payments from insurance companies

When it comes to tackling costs, respondents endorsed a number of strategies:

94%-Make it easy to switch insurers if a health plan drops your doctor

93%-Require insurers to provide upfront cost estimates to consumers

93%-Show what a fair price would be for specific procedures

93%-Authorize the Attorney General to take legal action to prevent price gouging or unfair prescription drug price hikes

What is remarkable about the findings is high support for change regardless of the respondent's political affiliation (Table 1)

While Kentucky residents are united in calling for a role for government in addressing high healthcare costs, they also see a role for themselves:

86% would switch from a brand to a generic if given the option

69% have tried to find out the cost of a drug beforehand

64% reported that taking better care of their personal health is one of the top three actions that would be most effective in addressing affordability.

48% reported that people not taking care of their health is a major reason for high health care costs

The high burden of healthcare affordability along with high levels of support for change suggest that elected leaders and other stakeholders should make addressing this need a top priority. Annual surveys can help assess whether or not progress is being made.

Methodology

Altarum's Consumer Healthcare Experience State Survey (CHESS) is designed to elicit respondents' unbiased views on a wide range of health system issues, including confidence using the health system, financial burden and views on fixes that might be needed. Regional reports are available at www.HealthcareValueHub.org/KY-2018-Healthcare-Poll.

The survey used a web panel from SSI Research Now with a demographically balanced sample of approximately 1,000 respondents who live in Kentucky. The survey was conducted only in English and restricted to adults ages 18 and older. Respondents who finished the survey in less than half the median time were excluded from the final sample, leaving 924 cases for analysis. After those exclusions, the demographic composition of respondents can be found in the table below. Additional information on the survey instrument is available upon request by emailing hubinfo@altarum.org.

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Kentucky Residents Struggle to Afford High Healthcare Costs; Express Bipartisan Support for a Range of Government Solutions

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Domestic violence happens in all communities, if its not obvious to the eye or hidden. There is not enough laws surrounding the needs and care for the victims of Domestic Violence. 45% of women in Kentucky and about 36% of men have gone through some form of Domestic violence. Critical data like this, is very important for the court & justice system. There is multiple resources here in Kentucky to get out of the abuse. Yet, it takes courage in yourself first to even want to leave such a scary situation.

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If you or someone you know has experienced domestic violence, call the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 1-800-656-4673. Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.

You can also contact any of Kentucky's 15 domestic violence programs.

Almost half of Kentucky women - 45% - and around 36% of men in the state say they have experienced intimate partner violence - or threat of it - in their lifetimes.

Now, a first-of-its-kind statewide report, released June 30, takes a closer look at how police, courts and social service agencies in Kentucky respond. The report is the result of a bill in 2022 that directed agencies to annually gather and publish data on domestic and dating violence and abuse.

The information was compiled from the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet's Criminal Justice Statistical Analysis Center, Kentucky State Police, Cabinet for Health and Family Services, the Administrative Office of the Courts and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most of the data in the 207 pages comes from 2022.

Cortney Downs, chief equity officer for Kentucky Youth Advocates, said it's "shocking" to see that a "significant percentage of the state's population" experience intimate partner violence or stalking.

"Regardless of knowing that it happens and understanding the dynamics of it, to see that specific number that is almost 50% is just mind blowing," said Downs, who has a background in domestic violence advocacy.

Sen. Whitney Westerfield, R-Fruit Hill, chairman the Senate Judiciary Committee, sponsored the bill that led to the report. He told the Kentucky Lantern that the report is a good jumping off point for addressing violence. It can also show, he said, what gaps in reporting exist.

"I'm excited to see that we have an inaugural report," he said. "We have a baseline; we have a place to start."

In the future, Westerfield would like to see data that shows any connections between domestic violence cases and homicides.

"Quality data is critical for the criminal justice system as we work to enhance public safety," Justice and Public Safety Cabinet Secretary Kerry Harvey said in a statement after the report's release. "Better data will lead to more effective prevention efforts and will be a useful tool for law enforcement agencies, courts and service providers."

ZeroV, formerly Kentucky's Coalition Against Domestic Violence, said in response to the report that "we must continue to find ways to support survivors who do not reach out to law enforcement or the courts for protection and help and identify the barriers such survivors face."

"Both ZeroV and the Commonwealth of Kentucky at large have a responsibility to create futures free from violence for all," ZeroV said. "This data not only allows us to honor the lives impacted by domestic violence but allows us to create best practices and prevention strategies to get the violence in our state to zero."

Complaints and arrests

Police who respond to domestic violence calls fill out a JC-3 form, which documents injuries and then helps the Cabinet for Health and Family Services provide appropriate services to the victim.

Not all areas use electronic filing, but Westerfield would like to see it become universal.

"Maybe, from a budget standpoint, there needs to be some incentives or carrot-stick approaches of one variety or another to get the remaining agencies using the electronic JC-3," he said.

In 2022, the region including Jefferson County filed the most electronic JC-3 forms at 15,602. That region also led the arrest totals at 2,833.

In total, there were 38,708 electronic JC-3 forms filed across Kentucky in 2022 and 8,867 corresponding arrests.

That gap between calls and arrests could be "a big red flag," Westerfield said. He'll have questions going forward about what it means.

There are many potential reasons for more forms than arrests, Downs said. Arrest might not always be the appropriate response, she said.

Sometimes, a parent will call on a child who pushed past them in a hallway, she said. Some may call in to document an event, but don't pursue charges. Other times, a perpetrator may flee, making arrest impossible.

"There are some different factors. And, there may be some red flags there," Downs said. "But... it's almost like you have to go through and read some of the narratives just to kind of get a sense of what the outcomes are and if there is room for improvement there or not."

The report also showed the Kentucky State Police served 16,402 emergency protective orders (EPOs), which are short-term orders that restrict the accused's movements until the issue can go before a judge, which the court system aims to do within two weeks.

Kentucky has the second highest rate of domestic violence in the United States, according to 2023 World Population Review data. The commonwealth is also 11th in the country for femicides, which are killings of females because of their gender.

15 regional programs

Kentucky has domestic violence shelter programs across the state. In 2022, they sheltered 3,241 people and otherwise served 12,805 - a total of 16,046.

Additionally, the 15 regional domestic violence programs received 21,241 crisis calls in 2022.

Adults ages 25 to 59 made up the majority of those served at 10,548. Of those who received both shelter and other services, 397 self-identified as members of the LGBTQ community. Nearly 400 - 395 - had some level of language barrier.

Of the 16,046 people served in and out of shelters for domestic violence issues, 67% were white, 11% were Black and 5% were Hispanic. There were 2,600 whose race was unknown and fewer than 1,000 who fell into other racial or ethnic groups.

In 2022, Kentucky's population was 87% white, 9% Black and 4% Hispanic, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Any disparities in abuse or treatment options need to be further explored, Downs said.

"I think (domestic violence) is ... an equal opportunity offender," she said. "It can happen to anyone."

Not just an adult problem

Domestic violence, the report shows, isn't only an adult problem.

While adults made up the majority of those receiving services, 1,739 children under the age of 12 received both shelter and non-shelter services. There were also 379 children ages 13-17 and four children whose ages were not known.

Twenty-four youth ages 13-17 received services because they were victims of dating violence.

In total, 1,333 children received crisis intervention in 2022.

Already, Kentucky is one of the worst places for youngsters to live and ranks high for adverse childhood experiences (ACEs).

ACEs may include events closely tied to domestic violence, such as witnessing or experiencing violence, abuse, neglect or parental separation.

Those early ACEs can lead to poor physical health, as well as social struggles and mental health issues in adults.

"It's not uncommon to ... see that generational impact where if you grow up around abuse, especially if you're exposed early, if you're exposed to it long term, you can see that cycle continue, sometimes as the victim or as the survivor, sometimes as the perpetrator," Downs said.

The number of children receiving services, Westerfield said, is "astounding."

"I'm not surprised with the numbers," he said, "but it's stunning to see that number for the very first time. That's a data point that I'm not aware we ever had before."

The number stands out especially because people usually think of adults when they think of domestic violence, he said.

"You don't think of children. You don't think of minors. When I think of dating violence, I do think of young women in particular but I still don't think of children. I think of college aged, high school age at the youngest."

For now, Westerfield said, policymakers and advocates have a jumping off point to address domestic violence in Kentucky.

"It's our first report. We're going to see what deficits we have, not just in terms of information we've got, but we're going to see the deficits and the information we don't have and where we need to add to the report or fine tune it," he said. "So we've got to start somewhere. And I'm glad that we're finally starting ... somewhere."

Beyond giving policymakers and advocates data to work with, Downs said the report can help bring awareness to how often domestic violence happens.

"I just hope that people take this opportunity to... educate themselves and just to understand that this is a long standing issue," she said. "It is not one of those things that you can just look away from and hope that it will go away because it won't. Abuse thrives in silence. So, we need to be able to look at it and we need to be able to name it and then...act on it. Do something about it."

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Kentucky issues first statewide report of domestic violence data

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If you or someone you know has experienced domestic violence, call the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 1-800-656-4673. Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.

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Car accidents obviously happen no matter where you are. Yet, Kentucky is slowly rising as one of the worst states to drive in based off how dangerous it is. As someone who drives in Kentucky, I cannot agree more with this new study. In the article it says, "A new study conducted by personal injury lawyers found that Kentucky is the seventh most dangerous state to drive in."

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New study ranks Kentucky one of the most dangerous states to drive in

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A new study conducted by personal injury lawyers found that Kentucky is the seventh most dangerous state to drive in.

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In my community, water is available to all. Yet, this doesn't mean the water is healthy for us to drink or even healthy to use on our bodies to wash off with, in the shower. Kentucky's water is very hard, creating build up after awhile of its usage. This means, the buildup can begin anywhere. In the bottoms of your tubs, your hair, in the faucet, etc. The water here in Kentucky, and even worse in rural counties, is a tint of yellow sometimes from the hard water that consists.

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Residents of rural Martin County, Kentucky, have been struggling with water issues for years. Videos posted online show yellow water flowing out of the tap, and now some state lawmakers are calling on Republican Gov. Matt Bevin to declare a state of emergency. Here & Now's Jeremy Hobson speaks with Chris Harris (@RepHarrisKy), a Democrat who represents Martin County and part of neighboring Pike County, Kentucky, in the state's general assembly.

This segment aired on May 31, 2019.

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'Years Of Neglect' To Blame For Water Crisis In Rural Kentucky, State Rep. Says

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Videos posted online show yellow water flowing out of the tap, and now some state lawmakers are calling on Republican Gov. Matt Bevin to declare a state of emergency.

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In Scott County, gun control is a large problem. As a 17 year old girl, I know multiple people my same age that already carry behind the eyes of the law. It is way to easy to get ahold of guns in my community. This is dangerous for ourselves, other people and the culture of Georgetown. There has been a few instances where a student has brought a weapon to school, terrifying the students around them. Georgetown hasnt had a school shooting, but with these easy ways for kids to get ahold of a gun, the time is ticking and regulations need to be implemented. I wonder, how many kids my age own a gun? I also wonder, how many kids my age are afraid of them.

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4 teens arrested, found with stolen guns in Georgetown

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Georgetown police arrested four teens who were connected to a string of car break-ins throughout the Georgetown area on Monday.

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In my community, homelessness is popular and sadly normalized for most if not all counties in my state. In the city of Louisville, a surrounding city of my community, has the highest rates of homelessness in the state and it continues to increase everyday. These problems begin with the drug issues & lack of opportunities around, then slowly get worse as the homelessness piles up on the streets of Louisville because there isn't enough housing to accommodate all of the homeless people. Nobody should have to live or die in the streets, there is too much wealth in our state to not at least try and build a better life for these people.

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Homelessness Increasing in Louisville: Action Needed Now

LOUISVILLE, KY (April 20, 2022) - Today, the Coalition for the Homeless is releasing a collaborative report which shows that homelessness in Louisville has increased by 41% over the past three years, with nearly 5,000% more people seeking services other than shelter in 2021 compared with 2018.

"One of the most pressing crises facing Louisville today is homelessness. We believe that no Louisvillian should have to live or die on our streets," said Natalie Harris, Executive Director. "It's time for our city to prioritize the growing need for affordable housing and supports, focusing on those with the lowest incomes and the greatest vulnerabilities."

The report, which can be viewed here, was compiled over several months with the assistance of many partners. It recommends the following actions the city must take in response to the crisis:

Fund permanent housing for the poorest Louisvillians, as well as housing navigators and case management supports to get people into housing and help them stay there;

Dedicate funds to shelter improvements, including creating more non-congregate options;

Establish and support more thorough and collaborative medical connections; and

Develop and maintain a stronger, more collaborative community response that is housing-focused and strengths-based, centering the input of people who are unhoused.

"The mayor is presenting the city budget for 2022-23-the final budget of his term-on April 28, and after that, Metro Council will have two months to decide what we fund next fiscal year, which begins July 1," Harris said. "We are hopeful that the community will speak loudly in support of funding housing and homelessness services, and that this report will inform the decisions our Mayor and our Metro Council make in the coming weeks, months, and years."

The Coalition for the Homeless invites all Louisvillians to get involved by sending a message to your councilmembers in support of budgeting that prioritizes housing and supports, eviction prevention, and shelter improvements. (Form link coming soon!)

Executive Summary

One of the most pressing crises facing Louisville today is homelessness.

The primary cause of homelessness is poverty, and the solution to homelessness is housing: affordable, safe, permanent housing throughout our city for our poorest neighbors, with personalized services for those who need support. The Coalition for the Homeless will continue to advocate for affordable housing and for policies that eliminate poverty as our top priority. But because there has been such a dramatic increase in people facing homelessness recently-and because COVID significantly changed the landscape-we sought out best practices for more immediate solutions to serve those sleeping outdoors and in shelter.

The Coalition compiles annual numbers to get a more complete understanding of who experiences homelessness in this city each year. Our data shows two significant trends between 2018 and 2021: a 41% increase in the number of people experiencing homelessness (7,572 to 10,640) and a 4,837% increase in the number of people seeking services other than shelter (75 to 3,724).

These dramatic increases prompted us to bring together a group of local experts who work directly with Louisvillians experiencing homelessness. Together, we developed evidence-based recommendations to address the needs of these Louisvillians as well as the overall community, particularly in the aftermath of the COVID pandemic and its resulting crises.

1. HOUSING. Create more affordable housing, fund housing navigators, and fund case management supports to get people housed and keep them housed.

2. SHELTER. Fund more options and improvements for people waiting to access housing, following recommendations of people experiencing homelessness, with a focus on physical structures, program characteristics, staffing, and service gaps.

3. MEDICAL ASSISTANCE. Create better medical connections for people experiencing homelessness: develop a Whole Health Collaborative (WHC); fund and support Family Health Center Phoenix's medical respite bed program at Hotel Louisville; and create a respite bed program for behavioral health substance use disorder.

4. COORDINATED COMMUNITY RESPONSE. Coordinate a better community response to homelessness, centering input of people who avoid shelter; keep elected officials and community informed and engaged; coordinate with first responders; and use a housing focused strengths-based model.

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Report: Homelessness Increasing Dramatically in Louisville

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Homelessness Increasing in Louisville: Action Needed Now LOUISVILLE, KY (April 20, 2022) - Today, the Coalition for the Homeless is releasing a collaborative report which shows that homelessness in Louisville has increased by 41% over the past three years, with nearly 5,000% more people seeking services other than shelter in 2021 compared with 2018.

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Breathing is something all humans are forced to do, whether we like it or not. So, the air quality should be good for us to breathe in. Yet, new reports show the decline in healthy air quality and its beginning to be worse. Louisville, a big city near my community has awful air pollutants according to the ALA. This pollution can harm the health of the residents in Louisville, causing premature death or death later on. Dying from a human right that your body needs is crazy! We can help our air by choosing cleaner options in cars, plastic waste, etc.

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New Report: Louisville’s Air Quality Gets Worse, Residents Exposed to More Unhealthy Air Pollution

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Lung Association “State of the Air” Report reveals that residents faced more days of poor air quality

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Everyone deserves reliable and clean water to drink and use. With communities here in Kentucky that lack large amounts of money, worry about how they will continue to rely on water or keep clean water itself. With boil water advisores always coming around, or paying high rates for small amounts of usage of the water. Everyone needs clean water to stay healthy and even more worrisome, to survive.

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How money is impacting access to reliable clean water in Kentucky

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Water is supposed to be an inherent human right, but what happens when money stands in the way? People living in Martin County, Kentucky are wondering what’s happening to fix their water issues.

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Recently in my community, the right to safe and legal abortions was stripped away from Women all around my state. Out of nowhere, the Kentucky Supreme Court voted on banning abortions. Yet, with this ban to a HEALTHCARE RIGHT, we are opening up new portals of problems for our youth and just people in general. Banning legal and safe abortions, is just creating a sense of familiarity around unsafe & illegal abortions. Obviously, this is extremely dangerous and could kill the carrier potentially with the baby & could followup with situations that involve murder and life in prison.

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The Kentucky Supreme Court has ruled that the state's near-total bans on abortion will remain in place while a lawsuit over the matter continues. The bans include a six-week ban and a trigger law, which have been in place since August of last year.

The decision has been closely watched as it comes just months after voters weighed in on the issue of abortion rights and signaled support for abortion rights at the ballot box.

"Lives will be saved while these laws remain in effect, and we hope and pray the lower courts will respect Kentuckians' will and base their decisions in this case on the Constitution and rule of law," Sue Liebel, midwest regional director of the Susan B. Anthony List, a national anti-abortion-rights group, said after Thursday's decision.

Abortion-rights groups decried the ruling.

"This unconscionable decision is a slap in the face to Kentucky voters, who only three months ago rejected a constitutional amendment that would have allowed a permanent ban on abortion in their state," said NARAL President Mini Timmaraju.

The two state laws - a ban on nearly all abortions in Kentucky and a ban on most abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy - were allowed to take effect last year following the U.S. Supreme Court's Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision.

Both laws were passed in 2019, as part of a years-long effort by mostly Republican lawmakers in multiple states to restrict the procedure as much as possible. They put in place layers of restrictions that could take effect in the event that Roe v. Wade was either partially or, as in Dobbs, fully overturned.

Kentucky's two remaining clinics, Planned Parenthood and EMW Women's Surgical Center, were forced to stop providing abortions in early August. The American Civil Liberties Union challenged both bans, prompting a chain of litigation that culminated with arguments before the Kentucky Supreme Court in November.

The oral arguments took place just days after voters rejected Amendment 2, which would have amended the state constitution to state explicitly that there is no right to an abortion.

Kentucky was among several states where residents voted to support abortion rights last year following the Dobbs decision.

Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, a Republican, defended the two bans during oral arguments, saying the state legislature - not the courts - has the right to regulate abortion. The ACLU argued that the laws violate multiple rights guaranteed by Kentucky's state constitution, among them the "right of seeking and pursuing their safety and happiness" and freedom from "absolute and arbitrary power."

As Kentucky Public Radio has reported, the state's seven-person high court now has a new chief justice and two new members, adding to the uncertainty around how the newly constituted court might rule.

After the Dobbs decision, abortion rights groups in several states with pre-existing abortion bans known as "trigger laws" filed lawsuits challenging them in state court. In Louisiana, for example, reproductive rights lawyers persuaded a judge to block abortion restrictions, winning clinics in the state a temporary reprieve before a state judge ultimately allowed them take effect, prohibiting nearly all abortions.

About a dozen states have banned most or all abortions, according to data kept by the Center for Reproductive Rights; laws in several other states including Ohio and Indiana are tied up in ongoing litigation.

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Kentucky high court upholds state abortion bans while case continues

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The state Supreme Court kept two state bans in place after Kentucky voters signaled support for abortion rights at the ballot box last November.

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Here in America, I am sure you've seen countless cats or dogs wandering the streets all alone. Sickly, covered in fleas & ticks, malnourished, etc. This is because, the lack of care and euthanizations for pets here in the US. There is many types of intentional abuse to animals & even unintentional abuse like neglect or not taking care of it sufficiently. Many people in America get pets, and do not have the money to take care of Vet bills. Which, slowly begins to pile up and hurt the pets health even more. There is a lack of laws centered around protecting fur babies.

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The shocking number of animal cruelty cases reported every day is just the tip of the iceberg-most cases are never reported. Unlike violent crimes against people, cases of animal abuse are not compiled by state or federal agencies, making it difficult to calculate just how common they are. However, we can use the information that is available to try to understand and prevent cases of abuse.

Who abuses animals?

Cruelty and neglect cross all social and economic boundaries and media reports suggest that animal abuse is common in both rural and urban areas.

Intentional cruelty to animals is strongly correlated with other crimes, including violence against people.

Hoarding behavior often victimizes animals. Sufferers of a hoarding disorder may impose severe neglect on animals by housing far more than they are able to adequately take care of. Serious animal neglect (such as hoarding) is often an indicator of people in need of social or mental health services.

Surveys suggest that those who intentionally abuse animals are predominantly men under 30, while those involved in animal hoarding are more likely to be women over 60.

Most common victims

The animals whose abuse is most often reported are dogs, cats, horses and livestock. Undercover investigations have revealed that animal abuse abounds in the factory farm industry. But because of the weak protections afforded to livestock under state cruelty laws, only the most shocking cases are reported, and few are ever prosecuted.

Organized cruelty

Dogfighting, cockfighting and other forms of organized animal cruelty go hand in hand with other crimes, and continues in many areas of the United States due to public corruption.

The HSUS documented uniformed police officers at a cockfighting pit in Kentucky.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency has prosecuted multiple cases where drug cartels were running narcotics through cockfighting and dogfighting operations.

Dozens of homicides have occurred at cockfights and dogfights.

A California man was killed in a disagreement about a $10 cockfight bet.

The HSUS's investigative team combats complacent public officials and has worked with the FBI on public corruption cases in Tennessee and Virginia. In both instances, law enforcement officers were indicted and convicted.

Correlation with domestic violence

Data on domestic violence and child abuse cases reveal that a staggering number of animals are targeted by those who abuse their children or spouses.

There are approximately 70 million pet dogs and 74.1 million pet cats in the U.S. where 20 men and women are assaulted per minute (an average of around 10 million a year).

In one survey, 71 % of domestic violence victims reported that their abuser also targeted pets.

In one study of families under investigation for suspected child abuse, researchers found that pet abuse had occurred in 88 % of the families under supervision for physical abuse of their children.

To put a stop to this pattern of violence, the Humane Society Legislative Fund supported the Pets and Women's Safety (PAWS) Act, introduced to Congress in 2015 as H.R. 1258 and S.B. 1559 and enacted as part of the farm bill passed by Congress and signed by President Trump in 2018. Once fully enacted, the PAWS Act helps victims of domestic abuse find the means to escape their abusers while keeping their companion animals safe-many victims remain in abusive households for fear of their pets' safety.

State legislative trends

The HSUS has long led the push for stronger animal cruelty laws and provides training for law officials to detect and prosecute these crimes. With South Dakota joining the fight in March of 2014, animal cruelty laws now include felony provisions in all 50 states.

First vs. subsequent offense

Given that a fraction of animal cruelty acts are reported or successfully prosecuted, we are committed to supporting felony convictions in cases of severe cruelty.

49 states have laws to provide felony penalties for animal torture on the first offense.

Only Iowa doesn't have such a law.

Animal cruelty laws typically cover intentional and egregious animal neglect and abuse.

Changes in federal tracking

On January 1, 2016, the FBI added cruelty to animals as a category in the Uniform Crime Report, a nationwide crime reporting system commonly used in homicide investigations. While only about a third of U.S. communities currently participate in the system, the data generated will help create a clearer picture of animal abuse and guide strategies for intervention and enforcement. Data collection covers four categories: simple/gross neglect, intentional abuse and torture, organized abuse (such as dogfighting and cockfighting) and animal sexual abuse.

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Facts, statistics and trends of animal abuse, animal cruelty and abused animals in the U.S.

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Young adults aging out of the Foster Care system lack opportunities & chances. This can come from lack of self-esteem from the fact they was once a foster kid or because they don't have a sense of belonging. Youth in foster care that was not taken care of correctly, are more likely to become a delinquent when released from their control. Also, they have a lack of access to healthcare. Even though, healthcare and being able to get better is something everyone deserves no matter where or what they come from. Yet, youth in foster care can have situations where its hard to sustain that health care & even worse, they are going to lose it once aging out of the system.

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Youth who are transitioning to adulthood need to have well developed self-esteem and self-efficacy skills that equip them to manage relationships in multiple contexts, including education and employment settings, as well as with friends and family members. Often, youth in the foster care system have lived through multiple traumas and disruptive events by the time they begin their transition to adulthood. This can include abuse and/or neglect, multiple foster home placements, lack of continuity in education, and an array of losses of relationships (e.g., friends, family, and/or siblings). Their life experiences can create additional problems resulting in mental illness, substance abuse problems, and a lack of confidence. These challenges impact the emotional and social development of foster care youth as they transition into adulthood.

Research on the developing brains of adolescents and young adults points to the importance of understanding the "vulnerability of teens, and the significance of this stage" and highlights the importance of positive, supportive relationships in the context of the continuing development of the adolescent brain. Ideally, foster youth should have a place to call home upon emancipation from the child welfare system, with connections to caring adults who can provide support, including helping them access necessary resources and services. Research suggests that youth in foster care who have natural during adolescence have improved young adult outcomes. Connections to non-parental adults through informal mentoring is reported to enhance the outcomes of foster care youth in education/employment, psychological well-being, and physical health. Youth who had the support of a mentor also demonstrated a decreased participation in unhealthy behaviors, such as unprotected sexual activity, alcohol and substance abuse, and delinquent activities.

When youth "age out" of the child welfare system with limited connections or without the support of positive, caring adults, they may have an increased risk of facing the following challenges:

Unstable housing or homelessness. Former foster care youth are half as likely to pay a mortgage or rent compared to their peers. Studies show a correlation between a history of foster care and homelessness as well as the impact of emancipation from state care on young adults. More than one-fifth of foster care youth experience homelessness for at least one day within a year of emancipation.

The demographics of homeless youth point to special concerns for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) young adults, who represent between five and ten percent of youth in foster care (consistent with representation of LGBTQ youth in the general population). Although studies on the percentage of homeless youth who are LGBT vary, analyses suggest that approximately 20 to 40 percent of these youth identify as a sexual or gender minority. Current studies, as well as anecdotal evidence from social service professionals, suggest that LGBT youth are significantly overrepresented in homeless populations compared to their proportion of the U.S. population.

Further, LGBTQ youth, who may already be disproportionately represented in the homeless population, are disproportionately youth of color. The National Alliance to End Homelessness cites the critical role of youth services professionals who have the skills and proficiencies to support youth from multiple cultures.

Learn more about runaway and homelessness among youth, including those in and aging out of the child welfare system.

Lack of adequate elementary and secondary education. Youth emancipating from foster care typically face many obstacles during their educational journeys, obstacles that can hinder their ability to graduate on time or receive a high school diploma. Prior to child welfare involvement, youth may have missed many days or even months of school due to residential movement by the biological family because of eviction, homelessness, or other issues. While in foster care, despite federal protections to ensure school stability, they may have had multiple placements that resulted in multiple school changes. Research has shown that students in foster care score 16 to 20 percentile points below their peers in state standardized testing and that fewer than 60 percent graduate from high school. Only three percent of children who have been in foster care go on to postsecondary education.

Lack of employment and job training. Former foster care youth may have limited work histories and on-the-job training opportunities. Many lack the skills required to hold a steady job, or the incentive and academic preparation to attend a college or training program. Youth who do obtain employment may find only jobs with lower paying wages, which makes them vulnerable to poverty, and the inability to establish complete independence.

Problems with physical health, behavioral health, and general well-being. Twenty-five percent of 19-year-old former foster care youth reported a higher incidence of health problems than non-foster care youth in a comparison study, including hospitalization due to illness, accident, injury, drug use, or emotional problems. The same study found that one-third of former foster care youth had mental health disorders including depression, dysthymia, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), social phobia, alcohol abuse, alcohol dependence, substance abuse, or substance dependence.

Lack of access to health care. Some states offer Medicaid for youth until 21 years of age, but others may terminate eligibility for Medicaid and other forms of public assistance earlier, causing youth to lose access to physical and mental health care after they emancipate and no longer receive services and supports from the child welfare system. ( See a listing of each state's children's Medicaid plan.)

Justice system involvement. Youth in foster care who have a history of abuse and/or neglect are at a heightened risk for early onset of delinquency. Youth emancipating from foster care may be at greater risk of becoming involved with the criminal justice system due to lack of support networks, low employment skills, and unstable living arrangements. A study of 100 former foster care youth found that, after they had been on their own for six months, 45 percent had been in trouble with law enforcement, 41 percent had spent time in jail, 26 percent were involved in the court system (with formal charges filed), and 7 percent were incarcerated.

Lack of social connections. Permanent relationships with positive adults are a powerful protective factor against negative outcomes and can provide critical support to youth as they transition to adulthood. Youth in foster care often rely on adults who have provided professional supports through their roles in the child welfare system. Although an emancipating youth may desire autonomy from adult supervision, the transition is more successful when he or she has a strong connection to a trusted adult supporter. Establishing this relationship prior to emancipation is important, albeit not easy, given that many youth have had turbulent experiences with adults in the past.

¹ HHS, 2011b
² National Institute of Mental Health, 2011, p. 3
³ Ahrens, DuBois, & Richardson, 2008
⁴ Courtney et al., 2005
⁵ U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2008
⁶ Casey Family Programs, 2005
⁷ National Alliance to End Homelessness, 2007
⁸ Ray, 2006
9, 10 National Alliance to End Homelessness, 2007
¹¹ National Working Group on Foster Care, 2008
¹² Lenz-Rashid, 2004
¹³ Courtney et al., 2005
¹⁴ Sudol, 2009
¹⁵ Reilly, 2003

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Young Adults Formerly in Foster Care: Challenges and Solutions

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Youth who are transitioning to adulthood need to have well developed self-esteem and self-efficacy skills that equip them to manage relationships in multiple contexts, including education and employment settings, as well as with friends and family members. Often, youth in the foster care system have lived through multiple traumas and disruptive events by the time they begin their transition to adulthood.

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Many people around us everyday, whether we know it or not, have been or are apart of the foster care system. In the USA alone, over 400,000 children are put into foster care in one day alone. These children being vulnerable and without, being pushed into homes of strangers that are not searched of enough to protect these children, in some instances. The crimes in the foster care system continue to rise & these children are being hurt unfairly because, bad people are getting a hold of them too easily. These children are neglected, beaten & even forgotten about in many situations.

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Case Study

Why It Matters

A significant amount of government and private sector funding goes to foster care children, which has implications for both public budgets and children's futures.

According to the latest FY2023 HHS budget , the full budget for the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) comes to $73.8 billion and includes $10.8 billion for mandatory foster care and permanency programs. Foster care is interconnected to the juvenile justice system, substance abuse, human trafficking, healthcare, education, and employment. Since today's children will be tomorrow's adults, it is imperative that we stabilize and optimize the foster care system to care for society's most vulnerable.

Putting It Into Context

Foster Care Basics

Foster care is , "a temporary living situation for kids whose parents cannot take care of them and whose need for care has come to the attention of child welfare agency staff." The ultimate goal is for children and youth to live in stable families, so foster care is meant to end once the parent or another relative can raise the child, or it is determined that the family cannot or will not care for the child.

1. Non-kinship care is when a vetted and trained foster family that is dedicated to caring for children steps in temporarily to raise them. To become foster parents, individuals must be selected, trained, and certified by their state's Department of Social Services.

2. Kinship care when children in foster care are placed with their own relatives.

3. Group care involves specialized homes and other institutional settings . This is the least common path, but serves a need for youth that require certain mental or physical health services.

Defining Neglect

Under the Federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA), and as amended by the CAPTA Reauthorization Act of 2010, child abuse and neglect is legally defined as:

"Any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker, which results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation"; or

"An act or failure to act which presents an imminent risk of serious harm."

The Federal CAPTA legislation and definitions set the minimum standard, but each state must set its own legal definitions and understanding of maltreatment and neglect.

The Removal Process

History

By The Numbers

Total Numbers

A recent study reported that within the United States, there were 615,000 victims of maltreatment (under age 18) in 2020. Of that number, 75% experienced neglect, about 20% were physically abused, 9% were sexually abused, and 6% were emotionally abused (percentages do not add to 100% due to multiple types of maltreatment in some cases). Further, a recent report, Fixing Our Child Welfare System to Help America's Most Vulnerable Kids , revealed that throughout the country, deaths from child maltreatment are on the rise, with nearly 2,000 deaths reported in 2020 .

Placements

Informal placements are the most common. This is often referred to as hidden foster care where the government finds a relative to place a child with but never technically removes the child into foster care.

Leaving Foster Care

Lifetime Impacts

The overall effects of time spent in foster care can vary greatly depending on the individual circumstances. There is no evidence that these are the effects of foster care. They are just as likely to be the effects of abuse and neglect before a child entered foster care. However, on average, people who have been in foster care tend to have more negative outcomes. According to the National Youth in Transition Database , almost 30% of former foster care youth experience homelessness by age 21 . This number rises to 43% among American Indian young adults . Another 20% of former foster care youth report being incarcerated by age 21, and 25% report having had a child. Research also shows "students in foster care score 16 to 20 percentile points below their peers in state standardized testing."

Compared to their peers not in the foster care system, those who turn 18 in foster care 50% lower earnings and employment rates 20% lower, even among peers with similar education levels. report

Role of Government

Federal

The FY2023 HHS budget comes to a total of $1.6 trillion in outlays, 2% of which goes to Children's Entitlement Programs. The full budget for ACF comes to $73.8 billion, and includes:

$10.8 billion for the mandatory foster care and permanency programs (including IV-E and the John H. Chafee Program);

$10.6 billion for foster care and adoption assistance;

$4.9 billion to expand services to prevent child maltreatment

$1.3 billion to support states for kinship placements;

$3 billion for programs to stabilize and support families and adoptive families;

$1 billion increase in support for transition to adulthood for youth who experienced foster care

Federal transfers to the states are determined by the number of children in the state-run foster care system .

Supporting Agencies

While there are many key foster care-related programs, both locally and state-based, additional key programs for foster care come from the Children's Bureau, and a number of other supporting mechanisms are coordinated by other agencies.

Legislative Branch

Agencies such as the Departments of Education and Health and Human Services are part of the executive branch. However, the legislative branch plays an important role by having jurisdiction over many of these executive departments and their programs. The following Congressional Committees have jurisdiction over many of the programs mentioned above and other areas related to foster care:

Within the House Committee on Ways and Means, the Subcommittee on Worker and Family Support has jurisdiction over bills and matters related to "public assistance provisions of the Social Security Act," including child care, child support, foster care, adoption, and family services.

Two Senate subcommittees have jurisdiction over the Administration for Children and Families and related programs, including the Foster Care and Adoption Assistance program. These are the Subcommittee on Children and Families , under the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions ; and the Subcommittee on Social Security, Pensions, and Family Policy , under the Senate Finance Committee .

State/Local

, every state's Department of Social Services (or likeness) investigates reports of child maltreatment. In the most serious cases, the agency devises and administers a plan to help reduce the problems that led to the investigation and improve the situation for all family members. If that is not a feasible option, the agency removes the child from the setting and finds placement for the child outside of the home.

Although the federal government pays for large portions of foster care costs, states usually provide at least half of the overall funding . States, tribes, and localities cover about 56% of child welfare costs, but the percentage ranges from 50% to 83% across the country. Additionally, states and tribes pay roughly half of the administrative costs and about 75% of certain training costs. State agencies spend about on child welfare purposes annually.

Variations By State
Foster Care Bill of Rights
(the most recent update), 15 states and Puerto Rico had enacted the Foster Children's Bill of Rights and 17 states had enacted the Foster Parent Bill of Rights. A number of states have also enacted their own bills of rights for foster children and parents. Foster Children's bills outline the rights available to foster care youth regarding "their safety, placement, health, education, finances, [and] court proceedings". Foster Parent bills outline rights available to foster parents, including the right to "training, consultation, and assistance in evaluating, identifying, and accessing services" as well as the right to "information concerning behavioral problems, health history, educational status, cultural and family background, and other issues relative to the child[.]"
Licensing Requirements
Nine states disqualify anyone with drug-related crimes on their records; 18 states have minimum square footage requirements for homes; and 26 require a non-smoking environment.

States only receive federal subsidies for licensed homes. Examples of unlicensed homes may include kinship placements when relatives step in to care for a child. This also may generate some incentives for states to lower , and while they are not binding, they do require states to explain how and why their licensing standards deviate from the national standards. The minimum quality standards include the requirement that; applicants must be able to communicate with the child, the applicant must be 18 years of age or older, and at least one applicant in the home must have functional literacy. licensure requirements . However, ACF has released minimum quality standards
Placements
Private Sector

Guidance

A number of organizations also provide guidance for foster care. For example, the American Academy of Pediatrics "is uniquely positioned to provide support and evidence-based guidelines to pediatricians caring for children and youth in foster and kinship care." The Academy's Council on Foster Care, Adoption, and Kinship Care recommends pertaining to health care issues children and youth in foster care face. The Academy also breaks down foster care models, programs, and projects by state .

Nonprofit Sector

Private organizations actually provide many public foster care services. Some states privatize almost all of their child welfare services, awarding contracts to nonprofit organizations (and in some cases, even for-profit entities).

A number of nonprofit organizations also work to provide foster care children with more support and resources. The Annie E. Casey Foundation 's Works Wonders curriculum includes courses, mentoring, job shadowing, and internships to connect foster care youths to careers that interest them. Foster Success 's programs are specifically geared towards educational success, financial empowerment, health and well-being, and workforce readiness for foster youth transitioning to adulthood. The goal of Starting Right Now is to end homelessness for foster youth by providing mentoring, stable living arrangements, employment opportunities, financial literacy, and life skills.

Challenges and Areas for Reform

Prevention vs Protecting Children

States are trying to reduce the number of children in foster care , and for this reason, many have focused on prevention measures. This was the idea behind the 2018 Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA). However, some states may be giving too much weight to the declining number of children in foster care and are overlooking child maltreatment numbers. "[A]gencies and family courts are much more concerned with adults' needs than with children's safety." - Naomi Schaefer Riley , Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute

To learn more about the challenges and how activism is impacting efforts to improve the child welfare system in detail, read Naomi Schaefer Riley's book, No Way to Treat a Child: How the Foster Care System, Family Courts, and Racial Activists Are Wrecking Young Lives.

Additionally, you can watch this short video to learn more about the need for reform within the current child welfare system.

Children and Parental Rights

Matt Anderson , social worker and Vice President at the Children's Home Society of North Carolina, explains the power of prevention, the rights of foster care youth, and how these ideas brought about the FFPSA (17 min).

Poverty vs. Neglect

is frequently linked to child maltreatment, such as in cases of foreclosures, evictions, housing insecurity, and food insecurity. Douglas Bersharov at the University of Maryland estimates roughly 85% of families investigated by Child Protective Services are below 200% of the federal poverty line. This is why some experts argue that poverty may be confused with neglect; Amelia Franck Meyer suggests these are the cases in which families need more support rather than separation. Children may not be properly fed or housed not because parents are neglectful but because they lack the means to do so . Stabilizing these at-risk families could help reduce demands on the foster care system. For more on this topic, see The Policy Circle's Poverty Brief .

This is not all cases; as of Penn State University argues, sometimes changes in the economic situation at home would not help because substance abuse and mental health conditions are prevalent in these homes. A Sarah A. Font recent study of almost 300 case files in California, for instance, found that "nearly all investigations of physical neglect (99 percent) included concerns related to substance use, domestic violence, mental illness, co-reported abuse or an additional neglect allegation (i.e., abandonment)." Lynn Johnson of All in Fostering Futures notes a key issue is that neglect is hard to define, varying by state and even between individual investigators, and adding poverty confuses the situation even more. Being able to look into the home life situation and understand why the maltreatment is occurring is the best way to know whether support or separation is appropriate, but the line of too much surveillance of a home can be challenging.

Billing Families

System-wide Problems

Lack of Resources

Placements
Congregate Care Family
Long-Term Impacts

Aging Out

Aging out of the system is connected to high rates of PTSD, homelessness, unemployment, unplanned pregnancy, and incarceration. Issues in school can turn into limited work and training opportunities, resulting in low paying jobs that make individuals vulnerable to poverty. This vulnerability also makes these young adults more likely to experience homelessness. An average of 25% of young adults previously in foster care will experience homelessness within four years of emancipation, in part also because they lack cosigners and credit history. Health is another dilemma . Some states offer Medicaid for youth in foster care until they are 21 years old, while others end Medicaid eligibility and other forms of public assistance earlier, leaving these young adults with little support after they age out. For more on these topics, see The Policy Circle's Briefs on and the Affordable Care Act.

Sarah Font of Penn State University explains it is rare for children in foster care to age out; most of those who age out entered foster care during their adolescence. This makes it a bit tricky to make any statements about causation; was it foster care that generated the lifetime impacts, the living situation prior to foster care, or the combination of both?

Even without clear causation, policies that connect these young adults to transition services have proven effective. At the state level, Indiana's Foster Youth Initiative started a voucher system from Public Housing Authorities to help the homelessness situation. In Mississippi , la wmakers created a fund "to help current and former foster youth pay for college tuition, fees, and room and board costs," and even make it easier for them to rent apartments after emancipation.

Victor Sims explains what it is like to age out of the system, and what other potential solutions and supports could look like (7 min).

Conclusion

The U.S. foster care system is large, but not always well equipped. The current system does not always have the means or coordination to achieve the end goal, and goals are sometimes at odds with each other. Confounding variables ranging from substance abuse to poverty complicate matters. Given the long-term impacts on children and youth as they transition to adulthood and become functioning members of society, it is crucial to get this right by engaging not only institutions but the whole community.

Ways to Get Involved/What You Can Do

: Find out what your state and district are doing

How many foster children are in your state? Use this to learn more about foster care statistics for your state.

What are the rates for different kinds of placements? What are the long-term impacts of foster care on young adults in your state?

What models, programs, and projects of foster care exist in your state?

What are the foster licensing requirements in your state ? What services exist?

Has your state enacted a bill of rights for foster parents or children?

: Who are the influencers in your state, county, or community? Learn about their priorities and consider how to contact them, including elected officials , attorneys general, law enforcement, boards of education, city councils, journalists, media outlets, community organizations, and local businesses.

: You are a catalyst. Finding a common cause is a great opportunity to develop relationships with people who may be outside of your immediate network. All it takes is a small team of two or three people to set a path for real improvement. The Policy Circle is your platform to convene with experts you want to hear from.

Find allies in your community or in nearby towns and elsewhere in the state.

Foster collaborative relationships with first responders, faith-based organizations, local hospitals, community organizations, school boards, or local businesses.

Faith-based organizations also share resources. To discover resources in your local community visit More Than Enough

The National CASA/GAL Association for Children supports and promotes court-appointed volunteer advocacy for children and youth who have experienced abuse or neglect

Don't hesitate to contact The Policy Circle team, communications@thepolicycircle.org, for connections to the broader network, advice, insights on how to build rapport with policymakers and establish yourself as a civic leader.

Find nonprofit organizations in your area dedicated to child welfare

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The Failures and Future of the U.S. Foster Care System - The Policy Circle

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Case Study Why It Matters A significant amount of government and private sector funding goes to foster care children, which has implications for both public budgets and children's futures.

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The baggage of inflation all across our world at the moment is evident. Yet, in our country it is effecting even the people we know. Food banks are not able to store and keep food supply because, high demand on food resources. Many people at the moment, are not able to afford hefty groceries that are able to suffice their household. This inflation problem and demand, is making it hard for the people that was insecure with food before the inflation, leaving them without.

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NORFOLK, Virginia - On a sultry evening at a neighborhood food pantry in this waterfront city, some in the line outside have come from work. Justine Lee, a teller at a credit union, had never gone to a food bank until prices went crazy this year. Now, she says with a laugh, inflation means "a lot of fussing between mothers and daughters."

She wants to use the moment to teach her 11-year-old the value of money. But on a recent shopping trip, her daughter wanted only Doritos, not the cheaper store-brand chips. Lee also drives to work and says she didn't used to think twice about filling the gas tank, but "it was empty yesterday." She decided to keep driving to a place down the road she thought would be 5 or 10 cents cheaper. "And then I caught myself, 'Wow, am I really doing this?' "

Lee is part of a new surge of people showing up at food banks all over the U.S. this year, a "drumbeat of increasing demand, month over month," says Katie Fitzgerald, president of Feeding America. Food is one of the items worst hit by the highest inflation in four decades. And the cost of food and other essentials, such as gas and rent, fall hardest on lower-income households with little wiggle room.

At the Norfolk pantry, school bus driver Monique Wilson started coming a few months ago "just to supplement my food budget." She and her husband have cut back on eating out, and to save on gas she uses the car as little as possible, "trying to make one trip do for all and get as many stops in as I can."

Robert Walton is a regular here. He and his wife are retired but raising two grandkids. Inside the building, he grabs a shopping cart and picks out bags with applesauce, juice and sunflower seeds.

"Little snacks like this, that's what the kids like when they can get it," he says.

And he doesn't mean only his own. Walton says he visits several pantries and brings food for other children in his neighborhood. He says a lot of people who lost jobs in the pandemic are still not working, and he can tell that their kids are missing meals. "It's been bad."

Walton is grateful for the food here. But he and others say they have noticed some favorite items missing, and meat has been especially hard to come by. That's because even as demand surges, food banks are finding it tougher to meet the need.

Food banks are struggling to meet higher demand because of inflation and other problems

At the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore, President and CEO Christopher Tan shows off a cavernous storage room with empty spots on its shelves. "This would normally be much fuller," he says.

In part, that's because food donations are way down. He says grocery stores got more efficient with online orders during the pandemic, so they don't have as much extra to give. Plus, supply chain delays are disrupting the normal turnover cycle. Items that used to be delivered in a few weeks may not show up for months.

"Breakfast cereal, pasta, pasta sauce. These are things that are the staples of almost every food bank, right?" Tan says. "It's very difficult to find."

The delays are so bad that he recently ordered turkeys for Thanksgiving, to be sure they arrive in time.

Then there's the cost. With fewer donations, Tan must buy more food on the open market and at prices driven higher by inflation. A budget item that was a bit less than a million dollars before the pandemic will be nearly $5 million this year. What's more, his fuel budget has doubled, and Tan says he's competing with Amazon and rising wages, generally, for drivers. He's currently short five delivery truck drivers out of eight.

But he can't pass those costs on to customers as private businesses are doing. "We don't get to say, like, 'We're going to double the cost of our food,' " he says. "Because doubling the cost of our food is still zero."

Fitzgerald, of Feeding America, says providers around the country are dipping into emergency reserves, switching to cheaper products, limiting how often people can visit or how much food they can get, and "stretching their inventory to be able to meet more people's needs."

All this comes as emergency pandemic assistance for rent, child care and food has ended or will soon. Fitzgerald's group has asked Congress for another infusion of emergency spending to help its pantries and other programs buy food. On Wednesday, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced $2 billion in new funding to strengthen food supply chains.

"Our experience is that this rise in food and fuel costs are creating just as precarious a situation for people who are trying to feed their families as was the case during the pandemic," Fitzgerald says.

America's charitable food system was designed for emergencies but has become a necessity

An Urban Institute survey found that 1 in 6 adults relied on charitable food, a share that was still above pre-pandemic levels. It found Black and Hispanic adults were nearly three times as likely as white adults to use food pantries, with no significant decline since the first year of the pandemic. And that data was from December, before inflation caused food prices to spike.

Additionally, though the overall economy may be booming, the unemployment rate for Black people is nearly double the national average.

Feeding America's Fitzgerald says low-income households feel rising prices the most because they spend a far greater share of their income on necessities. Food alone makes up nearly a third of their budget, on average.

But even beyond this crisis, Fitzgerald says persistent hunger has become a symptom of the country's wider inequality. For decades, wages have lagged - especially for those without a college degree - while costs for housing, health care and education have skyrocketed. The nation's charitable food system was not designed to compensate for such disparities.

"Thirty, 40 years ago, it was really an emergency food system for people who really had no other option," she says. "Today, we're seeing a lot of folks that are budgeting in charitable food to their monthly budget. And when that is happening in this country, something is fundamentally wrong, because a lot of these folks are working."

Everett Jones is retired after a career as a traveling stagehand. He and his wife live in a subsidized senior living apartment in Virginia Beach and get food stamps. And still, he says for years they have found food donations to be an "absolute necessity." Now, inflation is forcing painful choices.

"The gas prices are so high that I have to cancel doctor's appointments," he says. "They're too far away."

He has put off physical therapy for his bum knee, allergy shots, even a cardiology follow-up after he was hospitalized with a heart problem. Jones says he can hardly afford batteries for his hearing aids.

"It's a lot of stress, a lot of worry, a lot of self-denial of things that we should not have to deny ourselves."

Jones jokes he may get a horse and buggy to save on gas. But if prices stay this high for a lot longer, he doesn't know what else he'll be able to do without.

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Demand at food banks is way up again. But inflation makes it harder to meet the need

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High food and gas prices are squeezing working families, sending some to food pantries for the first time. But providers are struggling with high costs, fewer donations and supply chain woes.

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Here in America there is 0 reason for people to go hungry. Food is fundamental human right & so is water and air. Yet, so many people in our nation go without many of those and if they do have it, its not guaranteed healthy or clean. Over 7 million families was food insecure last year even with the assistance of governmental benefits. America is a country with wealthy people & wealthy governmental control. The lack of nutrition services is ridiculous compared to the power we have over it.

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The United States Can End Hunger and Food Insecurity for Millions of People

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Policymakers must reimagine the United States’ long-term approach to food production and distribution to build an equitable and sustainable system that works for all.

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'Sexism and misogyny' heightened; women's freedoms suppressed

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You'd think in 2023 sexism wouldn't be redundant but it is flourishing throughout our communities. This world is unfortunately a mans world, and we see it throughout art, politics, working, etc. In my community, I notice lots of misogyny and men putting put above women. Because of this factor, women are afraid to step out of their comfort zone or even step out of bad situations. In the article it says, "Sexism and misogyny, which are dominant factors in gendered censorship, have been heightened by the rise of populist, authoritarian and fundamentalist forces around the world”, And I couldn't agree with this more.

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Presenting her report on gender justice and free expression, Special Rapporteur on protecting freedom of opinion and expression, Irene Khan, said that "women's voices are suppressed, controlled or punished explicitly by laws, policies and discriminatory practices, and implicitly by social attitudes, cultural norms and patriarchal values".

Gendered censorship

As States continue to fail to respect and protect women's equal rights, gendered censorship has become so pervasive, that women's equality concerning freedom of expression remains a distant goal, according to the UN expert.

"Sexism and misogyny, which are dominant factors in gendered censorship, have been heightened by the rise of populist, authoritarian and fundamentalist forces around the world", she said.

In some countries, young women and gender non-conforming people are being policed by fundamentalists and, under the guise of protecting 'public morals', censored and criminalized by Governments.

"Such action is paternalistic at best, misogynistic at worst", underscored Ms. Khan.

No trade-offs

The Special Rapporteur said women journalists, politicians, human rights defenders and feminist activists were being targeted with vicious, coordinated online attacks and intimidation, aimed at driving them off social media platforms and out of public life.

Noting that this undermines human rights, media diversity and inclusive democracy, she called on States and social media companies to - within the framework of international human rights law - urgently and decisively make digital spaces safe for all women and non-binary people.

"There can be no trade-off between women's right to be free from violence and the right to freedom of opinion and expression", argued Ms. Khan.

"States must not use efforts to address online gender-based violence, hate speech and disinformation as a pretext to restrict freedom of expression beyond what is permitted under international law".

There can be no trade-off between women's right to be free from violence and the right to freedom of opinion and expression -- UN expert

She urged governments to close the gender digital divide, gender data gaps, and other barriers to women's right to information, including on sexual and reproductive health and rights.

" There is not just one divide but multiple divides that must be overcome " spelled out the Special Rapporteur.

Women 'front and centre'

The COVID-19 pandemic has created an additional imperative for stepped-up action.

"If women are to recover lost ground, if countries are to revive their economies and if governments are to regain public trust, then women's equal right to freedom of opinion and expression must be front and centre on national and international agendas", said Ms. Khan.

She added that gender justice requires "not only an end to unlawful interference with women's freedom of opinion and expression" but also an enabling environment in which women can "exercise their agency and participate safely, fully and equally in the political, social cultural and economic life".

Ms. Khan, who was appointed by the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council on 17 July 2020, is the first woman to hold the position since the establishment of the mandate in 1993.

She and all Special Rapporteurs are tasked with examining and reporting back on a specific human rights theme, or a country situation.

The positions are honorary, and the experts are neither UN staff, nor paid for their work.

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'Sexism and misogyny' heightened; women's freedoms supressed

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Gender-based violence, hate speech and disinformation are being used extensively online and offline, to chill or kill women's freedom of expression, an independent UN human rights expert told the General Assembly on Monday. |

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America as a whole is a wide contributor to plastic waste in our world. In america, on average each person produces about 287 pounds of plastic waste. This waste is hurting our lakes, ponds, oceans, air, and even more. With these things declining from plastic waste, so will our further generations that are yet to come. The world we leave with those generations, will be polluted and unsafe. We create as a whole, twice as much plastic waste than China and China is the biggest country in the world. Think about that.

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Plastic and other debris is seen on the beach on Midway Atoll in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands in 2019. (Caleb Jones/AP)

The United States ranks as the world's leading contributor of plastic waste and needs a national strategy to combat the issue, according to a congressionally mandated report released Tuesday.

"The developing plastic waste crisis has been building for decades," the National Academy of Sciences study said, noting the world's current predicament stems from years of technological advances. "The success of the 20th century miracle invention of plastics has also produced a global scale deluge of plastic waste seemingly everywhere we look."
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The United States contributes more to this deluge than any other nation, according to the analysis, generating about 287 pounds of plastics per person. Overall, the United States produced 42 million metric tons of plastic waste in 2016 - almost twice as much as China, and more than the entire European Union combined.

"The volume is astounding," said Monterey Bay Aquarium's chief conservation and science officer, Margaret Spring, who chaired the NAS committee, in an interview.

EPA finalizes its first national recycling strategy

The vast majority of plastics are made from fossil fuels, and some can take hundreds of years to decompose.

The researchers estimated that between 1.13 million to 2.24 million metric tons of the United States' plastic waste leak into the environment each year. About 8 million metric tons of plastic end up in the ocean a year, and under the current trajectory that number could climb to 53 million by the end of the decade.

That amount of waste would be the equivalent to "roughly half of the total weight of fish caught from the ocean annually," the report said.

Congress last year ordered the National Academy of Sciences study, which drew on expertise from American and Canadian institutions, when it passed Save Our Seas 2.0 in an effort to address plastic waste.

"This report is a sobering reminder of the scale of this problem," the legislation's co-author, Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), said in a statement. "The research and findings compiled here by our best scientists will serve as a springboard to our future legislative efforts to tackle this entirely solvable environmental challenge and better protect our marine ecosystems, fisheries, and coastal economies."

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (R.I.), the law's primary Democratic sponsor, said, "I look forward to working with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to keep making progress cleaning up this harmful mess."

Christy Leavitt, plastics campaign director for advocacy group Oceana, said in a statement that the findings show the extent of U.S. responsibility for a global problem.

"We can no longer ignore the United States' role in the plastic pollution crisis, one of the biggest environmental threats facing our oceans and our planet today," she said. "The finger-pointing stops now."

Spring said that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency would be best positioned to develop a national strategy to curb plastic waste.

"There's more activity and testing of solutions at the state level as compared with other countries that are taking it at a national level," she said. "Plastics and microplastics are ubiquitous in inland states too," Spring said, referring to rivers, lakes and other waterways.

The world created about 8 million tons of pandemic plastic waste, and much of it is now in the ocean

The EPA recently released a national recycling strategy, which some critics faulted for not taking aim at the current level of plastics production. Today's recycling system, scientists found in the new report, is "grossly insufficient to manage the diversity, complexity, and quantity of plastic waste in the United States."

"A lot of U.S. focus to date has been on the cleaning it up part," said Spring. "There needs to be more attention to the creation of plastic."

The American Chemistry Council, a trade association, endorsed the idea of a national approach but said it opposed efforts to curtail the use of plastics in society.

"Plastic is a valuable resource that should be kept in our economy and out of our environment," said the group's vice president of plastics, Joshua Baca, in a statement. "Unfortunately, the report also suggests restricting plastic production to reduce marine debris. This is misguided and would lead to supply chain disruptions."

The bipartisan oceans bill enacted last year also calls for a number of other analyses to be completed by the end of 2022, on topics ranging from the impacts of microfibers to derelict fishing gear.

"You can't just focus on one thing," Spring said. "This really all has to be done with the end in mind, which is what is going to happen to this stuff when you're finished with it."

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U.S. is top contributor to plastic waste, report shows

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Scientists reveal the U.S. role in the "deluge" of plastic littering the world's oceans in a congressionally mandated report.

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America says the healthcare is easily accessible for all, yet many communities around me and in the country is without healthcare access. In this article we read that elders in this community actually choose not to visit the ER when in need because of the issues behind insurance. With this unaccessible part for elders, its also hurting the generations after them. In these rural communities, insurance and healthcare is far away from where civilized communities are. Also, poverty levels are high in these areas making it harder to access as well. This causes a decrease in population density.

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Healthcare Access in Rural Communities Overview - Rural Health Information Hub

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Provides resources and answers frequently asked questions related to healthcare access. Discusses the importance of primary care for rural residents and covers barriers to healthcare access in rural areas, such as transportation, insurance, and workforce issues. Highlights strategies to improve acce…

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School shootings are disgustingly too normalized here in America. Some may say its the lack of gun laws and some might say its the people behind the gun. Yet, what we all should agree on is that no gun should even be near a school. Here in America school shootings happen frequently & are deadly. The community is obviously frustrated, why does this keep happening in America? A country with so many laws to protect us, yet put us in these situations of fear & worry. Kids who have been victim of a school shooting are more likely to not pursue education after high school, or even at all.

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Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR)

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Key Takeaways

More than 100,000 American children attended a school at which a shooting took place in 2018 and 2019.

Research indicates a higher rate of antidepressant use among those exposed to a school shooting in the years following the gun violence.

School shootings lead to drops in student enrollment and a decline in average test scores.

School shootings also lead to an increase in student absenteeism and the likelihood of needing to repeat a grade in the two following years.

Students exposed to shootings at their schools are less likely to graduate high school, go to college, and graduate college, and they are less likely to be employed and have lower earnings in their mid-20s.

As America reels from yet another school shooting - this one at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas - much of the public discussion has centered on the lives lost: 19 children and 2 teachers. The Uvalde massacre is the second deadliest on record, following the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

These shootings are only two on an already long list of horrific tragedies that have cut short the lives of too many children and their educators over the past decades. According to the Washington Post school shootings database, at least 185 children, educators, and others have been killed by gun violence at American schools since the Columbine massacre in 1999, leaving behind hundreds of grief-stricken family members, friends, and communities.

The costs of school shootings for the direct victims and their loved ones are unimaginable. And an increasing body of research shows that the death toll captures only one part of the broader lasting impact that gun violence at schools permeates throughout our society.

Hundreds of thousands of students exposed

Over the last two decades, the number of shootings at U.S. schools has doubled, and in my research with Marika Cabral, Bokyung Kim, Molly Schnell, and Hannes Schwandt, we estimate that more than 100,000 American children attended a school at which a shooting took place in 2018 and 2019 alone (Cabral et al., 2021). Although mass school shootings such as the one in Uvalde tend to receive significant media attention, the majority of shootings are thankfully much less deadly and also less widely publicized. In fact, about three-quarters of shootings in 2018 and 2019 led to no fatalities at all, and the vast majority had fewer than two deaths.

Researchers have been analyzing the impacts of exposure to shootings on the growing number of students experiencing them in American schools. While many students are physically unharmed, studies have consistently found consequences to their mental health, educational, and economic trajectories that last for years, and potentially decades, to come.

A large interdisciplinary body of research characterizes the neurological and physiological mechanisms through which trauma from exposure to violence can impact young people. In brief, such trauma can affect both the biological stress system as well as young developing brains (see, e.g.: Osofsky, 1999; De Bellis, 2001; Carrion et al., 2002, 2007, 2008, 2012; De Bellis and Zisk, 2014; Heissel et al., 2018; Miller et al., 2018).

Consistent with these mechanisms, large numbers of studies from different countries and contexts have documented negative effects of exposure to local community and domestic violence on children's educational and behavioral outcomes (see, e.g.: Cook and Ludwig, 2002; Aizer, 2007; Caudillo and Torche, 2014; Sharkey, 2010, 2018; Sharkey et al., 2012, 2014; Duque, 2017; Monteiro and Rocha, 2017; Gershenson and Tekin, 2018; Koppensteiner and Menezes, 2021).

At the same time, some have argued that children are very resilient and can "bounce back" from trauma, implying that childhood violence exposure - while being damaging in the short run - may not have lasting effects (Agaibi and Wilson, 2005; Goldstein and Brooks, 2005; Garrett et al., 2019).

A matter of location: Why school shootings differ from gun violence elsewhere

There are several reasons why shootings at schools may impact children differently than when they occur elsewhere. Recent studies show that local exposure to police killings of unarmed Black and Hispanic individuals adversely affects the mental health of Black adults (Bor et al., 2018) and educational outcomes of Black and Hispanic students (Ang, 2021).

The mechanisms driving these impacts may include the possibility that Blacks and Hispanics feel a stronger connection to same-race victims of police brutality and that they view these events as breaking their trust in institutions such as law enforcement. Similarly, children exposed to shootings at schools may suffer more acutely than when they are exposed to violence in other settings because of their connection to student and teacher victims and the loss of trust in their schools' ability to keep them safe.

Further, the intensive media coverage that comes with a school shooting is likely to have put many American students on edge. So much so that exposure to any gunshots in a school setting - even an accidental discharge - may be particularly traumatic if it invokes an intense amount of fear (Lowe and Galea, 2017). Also, compared with violence in other contexts, school shootings are likely to cause a greater amount of disruption to student learning, as they might affect teacher turnover rates, teaching quality, classroom resources, and the continuity of instruction.

Lastly, given that "peer effects" in schools are important - i.e., students' learning and well-being are highly influenced by what their peers do in the classroom setting - the adverse impacts of a student's own trauma from experiencing a school shooting may be amplified due to disruptions from other shooting-exposed peers (Carrell et al., 2018).

Early impacts on survivors: Mental health and education

Several studies demonstrate that school shootings have detrimental effects on the mental health and educational outcomes of surviving youth. In my work with Molly Schnell, Hannes Schwandt, Sam Trejo, and Lindsey Uniat (Rossin-Slater et al., 2020), we analyzed the impacts of 44 U.S. school shootings that took place between 2008 and 2013 on youth antidepressant use.

We compared the number of antidepressant prescriptions written by providers practicing within five miles of a school that experienced a shooting with those written by providers 10 to 15 miles away, both before and after the shooting. Our results indicated that the average monthly number of antidepressant prescriptions written to youth under age 20 by providers located near schools that experienced a fatal shooting was 21.3 percent higher relative to providers located farther away in the two to three years following a shooting than in the two years before.

Consistent with this evidence suggesting a deterioration in shooting-exposed children's mental health, Levine and McKnight (2020) document an increase in deaths (including suicides and accidents) among residents of Jefferson County, Colorado, who were between 14 and 18 at the time of the 1999 shooting at Columbine High School (which is located in that county).

When it comes to educational outcomes, studies have found that school shootings lead to drops in student enrollment and a decline in average test scores (Abouk and Adams, 2013; Poutvaara and Ropponen, 2018; Beland and Kim, 2016; Levine and McKnight, 2020).

In my research with Marika Cabral, Bokyung Kim, Molly Schnell, and Hannes Schwandt, we examined the effects of the 33 shootings that took place during school hours at public schools in Texas between 1995 and 2016 (Cabral et al., 2021). We used detailed administrative student-level data on all children in Texas public schools and analyzed changes in educational outcomes within the same students in the years before and after a shooting.

In order to control for general time trends, we compared these within-student changes to changes in students from control schools that were chosen to be similar based on their institutional and student demographic characteristics. We found that, in the two years following a shooting, exposed students experienced a 12.1 percent increase in the share of school days that they were absent, a 27.8 percent increase in the likelihood of being chronically absent, and a more than doubling of the likelihood of needing to repeat a grade.

The long haul: Educational and economic outcomes for shooting survivors

Our team also studied longer-term consequences of exposure to gun violence at schools. In this analysis, we studied the impacts of the eight shootings that took place at Texas public high schools between 1998 and 2006 on individual outcomes through age 26.

We compared cohorts of shooting-exposed students with cohorts that attended the same schools in the years before the shooting occurred. As in the short-run analysis, we compared these differences in cohort outcomes with the analogous cohort differences in matched control schools.

We found that students who were exposed to a shooting at their school in grades 10 and 11 were 3.7 percent at the mean less likely to graduate from high school; 9.5 percent less likely to enroll in any college; 17.2 percent less likely to enroll in a four-year college; and 15.3 percent less likely to obtain a bachelor's degree by age 26.

We also found that students exposed to shootings in grades 9 through 11 were 6.3 percent less likely to be employed and had $2,779.84 (13.5 percent) lower average annual earnings between the ages of 24 and 26. Our estimates imply a reduction of $115,550 (in 2018 dollars) in the present discounted value of lifetime earnings per shooting-exposed student. Given that approximately 50,000 children per year have been experiencing shootings at their schools in recent times, this amounts to an aggregate cost of $5.8 billion per year in terms of lost lifetime earnings among survivors.

Importantly - and thankfully - the shootings that we studied in Texas were not as deadly as the one in Uvalde. In fact, 18 of the 33 shootings had no fatalities, and no shootings had more than one death. And yet, our research indicates that these less deadly and mostly unpublicized acts of gun violence at schools have major and long-lasting consequences for many children who were on school grounds when they occurred.

Lessons learned and policy considerations

It is impossible to overstate the devastation caused by the lives lost to school shootings. But research indicates that even those who escape these events without any visible physical harm carry scars that could impair their lives for many years to come.

While it is undeniably clear that the United States urgently needs to take action to prevent school shootings from occurring in the first place, it is also important to remember the hundreds of thousands of children who have already experienced them.

Indeed, our team's estimates of the impacts of exposure to school shootings in Texas on children's long-run outcomes are comparable in magnitudes to those found by researchers who studied the survivors of the 2011 massacre in Utøya, Norway (Bharadwaj et al., 2021). The Utøya shooting was the deadliest event in recent Norwegian history, killing 69 people. It is therefore in some ways remarkable that we find similarly large negative impacts of exposure to shootings in Texas public schools in which at most one person was killed.

While Norway and Texas differ in a variety of ways, it is important to note that the Norwegian government provided substantial resources and support to the survivors of the Utøya attack, which likely buffered against some of the detrimental long-term effects. In comparison, we are not aware of governmental responses to the school shootings that we studied, and we did not find any changes in observable mental health resources to support students (e.g., as measured by the number of social support staff) at the school level.

Thus, as we mourn the 21 lives tragically cut short on May 24, 2022, in Uvalde, we must not forget about the hundreds of students who were also at school on that day. This loss of life underscores the devastating cost of America's continued inaction on gun control. And as policymakers debate what can be done to prevent school shootings, they must also act to help the hundreds of thousands of children who have already survived them.

Taking steps similar to those in Norway, Congress and statehouses throughout the U.S. can ensure that schools, families, and communities have access to mental health resources and financial support. This is of paramount importance if our society wants to give these children a chance at prevailing as happy, successful, and productive adults.
Maya Rossin-Slater is a SIEPR Senior Fellow and an Associate Professor of Health Policy in the Department of Health Policy at the Stanford University School of Medicine. Her research includes work in health, public, and labor economics. She focuses on issues in maternal and child well-being, family structure and behavior, and policies targeting disadvantaged populations in the United States and other developed countries.
References

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Aizer, Anna, "Neighborhood Violence and Urban Youth," in The Problems of Disadvantaged Youth: An Economic Perspective, University of Chicago Press, 2007, pp. 275-307.

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Surviving a school shooting: Impacts on the mental health, education, and earnings of American youth

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More than 100,000 American children attended a school at which a shooting took place in 2018 and 2019. Research indicates a higher rate of antidepressant use among those exposed to a school shooting in the years following the gun violence. School shootings lead to drops in student enrollment and a decline in average test scores.

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Another issue I see in my community is, abortion rights & the laws correlated to a woman's body. The control over women has been around for centuries, yet it has gotten even more scary this past year. With the right to safe abortions being taken away for women, so are our rights in the constitution. The community has reacted in various ways to this ban. While right leaning people are all for it & while the left side is disgusted by this overturn. With this right being taken away from my community, the risk of unsafe abortions are high & the fear of getting help when pregnant for young girls is too much.

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Gun violence is all around America & our world. Just in 2020, 60.9% of people was killed by gun violence. As a country, we have so many laws and rights surrounded by guns. Yet, people are dying in the hands of the gun & not the person shooting it. The failure to keep guns out of the reach of young children & the failure to regulate guns are a leading factor in these issues.

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How can governments stop gun violence?

Effectively implemented gun regulation and evidence-based violence prevention projects can stop the carnage.

As a first step, states should recognize firearm violence as a threat to people's human rights, in particular their rights to life, to physical integrity and security of person, and to health.

Gun regulation and gun licences

States can set up some basic systems to regulate how private individuals can own and use firearms and ammunition to prevent them from using firearms to abuse human rights.

International standards recommend prohibiting any possession of firearms without a licence; that states should register all firearms; and that unlicensed possession should be treated as a criminal offence.

A firearms licence should be subject to certain criteria. For example, the applicant should undergo a comprehensive background check to identify any risks, such as:

a criminal record - especially for violent behaviour in the home or community; history of gender-based, sexual or domestic violence;

history of problematic use of drugs/alcohol, emotional issues, mental health conditions and

any other circumstances which heighten the risks of the harm to self or others using firearms.

Gun licences should be time-limited and training on how to use the weapon should be mandatory. The number and type of weapons that an individual can possess should also be strictly limited in line with the principles of necessity and credible justification.

Some firearms and ammunition represent an unacceptable level of risk to public safety and should be banned for personal use. These should include, at a minimum, fully automatic firearms, semi-automatic assault rifles, semi-automatic shotguns and semi-automatic submachine guns.

Does gun reform work?

Yes, gun reform works. Almost all countries regulate gun acquisition, possession and use in some form. Most do this by licensing users and registering firearms.

Gun reform works in parts of the world where there are strict controls on access to firearms and well-enforced firearms regulations. This is the case for much of Western Europe, Australia, New Zealand and parts of Asia. For example, in Japan, South Korea and Singapore, the rate of firearm violence is extremely low.

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We have the right to be safe from gun violence.

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During the 2020-2022 Covid-19 pandemic, racism was more prominent in our world than it has been in years. At this time and to this day, people group together all asian people as the cause of the pandemic. Obviously, this is incredibly biased & you cannot group a whole community of people to one issue. People at this time were very on edge, and none of us knew the true meaning and reasoning behind the coronavirus. Yet, government officials encouraged the anti-asian racism by even presenting it WAS there fault.

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Covid-19 Fueling Anti-Asian Racism and Xenophobia Worldwide

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Governments should take urgent steps to prevent racist and xenophobic violence and discrimination linked to the Covid-19 pandemic while prosecuting racial attacks against Asians and people of Asian descent.

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A problem I notice in my community is hatefulness. As a whole, our world is so divided. If that isn't literally, morally or even politically. You'd think in 2023, racism wouldn't be around anymore yet it is still around us and thriving. As we can see from this article, someone laid out some offensive flyers & the community didn't bat an eye until a bystander finally spoke out on it in a negative way. Yet, there was a whole battle and discussion over if the person passing out these flyers, is liable to be punished for it. This shouldn't be a question in our community, racism isn't okay and comes with repercussions.

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A large problem that I notice in my community today is, food scarcity. We only have one local food bank sourced here, with a large population that doesn't accomadate that small food bank. Central Kentucky struggles the most in food scarcity, unfortunately where I am located. The food insecurity rate in Central Kentucky is 21.8%. With the Covid-19 pandemic, it took away many sources of food for the community & is a large cause for the food issues in Kentucky.

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LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) - A new national report finds food insecurity is worse in central and eastern Kentucky than in other parts of the state.

'Map the Meal Gap 2020,' which was compiled by the Feeding America hunger group, revealed the child food insecurity rate at 21.5% for central and eastern Kentucky compared to 16.5% for the overall population.

According to the report, which was released locally by God's Pantry Food Bank, overall food insecurity in Central and Eastern Kentucky ranges from a low of 11% of the population in Scott County up to 24.8% in Harlan County

The numbers don't reflect the impact on food insecurity as a result of COVID-19 pandemic.

"Sadly, across Central and Eastern Kentucky food insecurity remains a major concern. We know that the COVID-19 pandemic has likely increased the need," says Michael Halligan, CEO of God's Pantry Food Bank. "The Food Bank has been doing this work for 65 years, we are committed to feeding those who find themselves needing access to food, and will be here until the work is done."

God's Pantry Food Bank is a member of Feeding America's hunger-relief network comprised of 200 food banks and 60,000 food pantries and meal programs that together provide food assistance to more than 40 million people in the U.S. struggling with hunger.

God's Pantry Food Bank distributed 39.7 million pounds of food in 2019 to more than 200,000 recipients who needed food assistance.

Map the Meal Gap 2020 uses data from the Department of Agriculture, indicators of food insecurity (poverty, unemployment and homeownership), Current Population Survey, food price data and analysis provided by Nielsen, a global provider of information and insights. The study is supported by Conagra Brands Foundation and Nielsen.

The study's findings underscore the extent of need that remains in communities in central and eastern Kentucky and across the U.S., despite national measures from the USDA that indicate overall improvement.

This is the 10th consecutive year that Feeding America has conducted the 'Map the Meal Gap' study.

The Map the Meal Gap 2020 interactive map allows policymakers, state agencies, corporate partners, food banks and advocates to develop integrated strategies to fight hunger on a community level.

A summary of the findings, an interactive map of the United States, and the full report are available at map.feedingamerica.org.

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Food insecurity worse in the region than rest of state: Study - ABC 36 News

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This Pepsi ad uses ethos to convince the viewer that, the new elongated diet Pepsi can is able to make you skinny. They even use visual rhetoric by using a skinny font on the words to progress a slim vibe throughout the whole ad. It also uses logos by expressing it is new and different than what society is used to having at the time, making people want to branch out and try new things.

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This ad uses an emotional appeal to sway our thinking as a society. By showing a sad boy, with big pleading eyes & saying that he is starving and we're not. It shares as a reminder, of how good we have it as a society. Its appealing to the viewers hopes, making them want to share the post to create change.

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In this commercial, Gatorade uses the appeal of logos by using catchy rhymes to remind the viewers of the benefits of drinking Gatorade. They also use logos by laying down all the benefits of drinking it, to the table & reminding people it is a drink for people who sweat!

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Rhetorical Analysis on Gatorade commercial

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In this anti-meth campaign ad, we see the use of pathos by presenting us a dirty and poor looking man that is picking at his skin attentively because, the symptoms of meth. Obviously, nobody in their right mind wants this lifestyle for themselves. Also, logos was used against the audience by stating a fact, if you do meth, picking at your skin and thinking their is bugs under it is normal. Drug addiction follows many in our world, maybe we need to scare the addiction away?

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In this advertisement we see an ethos and pathos appeal with the visual of sushi, for human consumption yet, its made out of trash. This is to pressure society into cutting back on pollution/trash waste. With the ad also saying, "What Goes In The Ocean Goes In You" to once again remind us of the consequences of polluting our earth. They are using dramatic terms (pathos) to sway the thinking of whoever is seeing the advertisement. There is many ads out there for recycling, and most are going to be used as a way to shock us into change.

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Susan B. Anthony, used logic to help structure the audiences ideals of what she wanted in this world. It helps the people listening, be able to decide the outcome they want, themselves. In her speech of wishing for Women rights to vote, she says women are humans & humans are allowed to vote, so why is that right not applied to us? She says, "It is We, the people. Not we, the white male citizens." And with this speech and logistical way on words, shes changed the lives of women in America forever.

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The History Place - Great Speeches Collection: Susan B. Anthony Speech - Women’s Right to Vote

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At The History Place, a speech from 1873 railing against a system which prohibits women from voting.

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Read Martin Luther King Jr.'s 'I Have a Dream' speech in its entirety

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Martin Luther King Jr's speech, "I Have A Dream" changed the lives of African Americans and many other ethnicities in America & all around the world. Martin uses metaphors and repetition to shock the audience into listening to what he has to say. He also uses allusions to appeal to the audiences sense of emotions. He goes into detail, hurtful and heartfelt detail to make sure his ideal sinks into their hearts.

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Monday marks Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Below is a transcript of his celebrated "I Have a Dream" speech, delivered on Aug. 28, 1963, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. NPR's Talk of the Nation aired the speech in 2010 - listen to that broadcast at the audio link above.

Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.: Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.

But 100 years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself in exile in his own land. And so we've come here today to dramatize a shameful condition. In a sense we've come to our nation's capital to cash a check.

When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men - yes, Black men as well as white men - would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked insufficient funds.

But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt.

We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so we've come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.

We have also come to his hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism.

Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quick sands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.

It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. 1963 is not an end, but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual.

There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.

But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.

We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny.

And they have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone. And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back.

There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, when will you be satisfied? We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities.

We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their selfhood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating: for whites only.

We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote.

No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream.

I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive. Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our Northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed.

Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends.

So even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day down in Alabama with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification, one day right down in Alabama little Black boys and Black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.

This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning: My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrims' pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true. And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania. Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado. Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California. But not only that, let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia. Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee. Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, and when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, Black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: Free at last. Free at last. Thank God almighty, we are free at last.

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Read Martin Luther King Jr.'s 'I Have a Dream' speech in its entirety

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Americans across the U.S. are celebrating King's legacy this weekend. One way to reflect on his life and message is by revisiting his celebrated 1963 speech delivered at the Lincoln Memorial.

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This person, Devine Carama in my community talks to middle-highschool students on the choices in life that they must pick to be successful. He uses personal experiences, to support the ethos and pathos devices to motivate the audience. He also uses statistics of our community to make sure we realize the REAL numbers & the REAL help that is needed. Schools use speakers to motivate the students.

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WATCH | Activist, hip-hop artist Devine Carama tapped to lead Lexington's anti-violence initiative

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Activist, hip-hop artist Devine Carama tapped to lead Lexington's anti-violence initiative

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On this billboard we see a cow, to ethos appeal and logistically appeal to the people who may pass by it. They use the word "ME" in capital letters to show the connection between the life of the cow and the fact we take the life away for meat, to eat. They say this in a certain way to guilt trip carnivores into avoiding meat and going vegan.

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In this political cartoon we see rhetorical devices being used. As you can see, the driver is complaining about what the dog could possibly want. Yet, the dog is tied up on top of a car. This is an etho appeal to the fact the government swears as a country, we are better off. While, so many people are still struggling & obviously in need of help of a better life. It shows the other side of the picture.

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My Georgetown community is more than just diverse. We are inclusive too. Diversity is important from a young age, it teaches kids respect towards others & understanding how people can vary. All schools here in Scott County, are nicely divided up by all types of ethnicities & cultures to create a large family of difference and acceptance. My middle school, Georgetown Middle, was known for being diverse with many different people to offer you as a friend. While some other schools picked on us for being " the ghetto middle school" we didn't care. As Georgetown Middle School Buffaloes, we was all aware that it is better to have a diverse community than one that is all the same. Also, you'll notice all types of races living in neighborhoods, rather than certain races congregating to the same areas. Everybody is welcomed here in Scott County.

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In Scott County, gun control is a large problem. As a 17 year old girl, I know multiple people my same age that already carry behind the eyes of the law. It is way to easy to get ahold of guns in my community. This is dangerous for ourselves, other people and the culture of Georgetown. There has been a few instances where a student has brought a weapon to school, terrifying the students around them. Georgetown hasnt had a school shooting, but with these easy ways for kids to get ahold of a gun, the time is ticking and regulations need to be implemented. I wonder, how many kids my age own a gun? I also wonder, how many kids my age are afraid of them.

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4 teens arrested, found with stolen guns in Georgetown

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Georgetown police arrested four teens who were connected to a string of car break-ins throughout the Georgetown area on Monday.

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In my community, I notice an uprise in population and not enough things around here to adapt to that population. As the biggest Toyota plant opens up here in Georgetown, so does the portal of many new opportunities here in Scott County. This let many people searching for a better job, that Georgetown is fit for you & many people have jumped on this ideal. With this population demand, a new highschool was created but more grocery stores and needed places was left out. Going grocery shopping, is a chore here in Georgetown. Kroger and Walmart are always slammed, this is because its our only two main places for grocery shopping. People would be happier here in Scott County, if they could check out at an appropriate time in Kroger instead of waiting in line for 20 minutes.

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GEORGETOWN, Ky. (LEX 18) - Georgetown Mayor Tom Prather spent a full year working on a study, which would serve to compare how his city is doing financially in relation to 18 others of its kind. Some of the answers came as a shock.

"The extent to which residential growth has outpaced job growth was shocking to us," Prather said.

Prather also noticed that while his population is booming, he has many people coming in to town for work before going home to other cities like Lexington. While many have moved to Georgetown after accepting employment with Toyota - the city's largest employer - many still make the commute each day.

"65 percent of people who are employed in Georgetown, live outside of Georgetown," Prather noted.

Prather doesn't take that personally, but he does miss the payroll tax revenue he could be collecting. A tax, which by the way, is already very low at 1% which creates a difference of roughly 2.5 million dollars between Georgetown and other cities similar in size.

The big one, however, is the property tax rate across Scott County which is incredibly low given all that the city has to offer.

"We rank 395 th out of 405 cities in property tax rate," Prather said.

That rate stands at 63 cents for every $100, or $630 annually per $100,000 in assessed value. It's not a lot to ask of most anyone who can afford the mortgage payments on a home. That amount makes it virtually impossible to properly fund public services, such as fire and police. Right now the city has four police officers working the overnight shift for all of Georgetown.

Georgetown Assistant Chief of Police Robert Swanigan declined comment for this story, deferring to the Mayor. Prather knows just how strapped they are in that department.

"It adds stress to their job," he said. "If you're going to wear the label of the fastest growing city in Kentucky, then you have a responsibility to meet basic service requirements for your citizens," he continued.

So far those have been met. The city can always call in help from Scott County when needed. Often times, they do.

"Whoever is closest, will respond to that fire" Prather said.

But for how long can Georgetown operate like a small city when it is currently Kentucky's seventh largest (just behind Richmond) and growing?

"There's a day of reckoning, and I do believe there's a tipping point," he said.

That's usually what happens when too many jump on at once.

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Reaching a tipping point; Population growth across Georgetown has drawbacks

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Georgetown Mayor Tom Prather spent a full year working on a study, which would serve to compare how his city is doing financially in relation to 18 others of its kind.

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Here in my community of Georgetown, no kid or family goes hungry. During the pandemic, Covid-19, the fact that most kids wont be fed from school anymore was pressed. Obviously, we found a way around starvation. Schools daily, would pass out food to families that needed the help. Many kids here in Georgetown, go to school for their only meals of the day. With school not being in session, there was no exception in making sure families was fed. Also, we have multiple food banks that benefit poorer families. For example, the Amen House is free for anyone & is judgement free. Yet, as Scott County vividly and fastly becomes larger in population, food scarcity and needs of food is rising. Here in Georgetown, we could benefit from more ways to get food out to communities, and making the food chain stable for these families. No kid should go hungry.

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GEORGETOWN, Ky. ( FOX 56) - Area student-athletes spent Monday morning working as a team for a very crucial mission: ending hunger in Scott County.

Cars lined up in the parking lot of Southland Christian Church's Georgetown campus, where the AMEN House food pantry worked hand-in-hand with other volunteers to fill cars with valuable produce. It's a big mission, and Michele Carlisle with AMEN House was very happy to see so many young volunteers.

"I think we got the call on Thursday that God's pantry has extra produce; can you guys handle it? The coaches at Great Crossing High School and Georgetown Middle School football said, 'Absolutely, we'll be there.' We have kids out here doing the heavy lifting today, which is amazing, and we're very thankful that they came out to help us today," Carlisle said.

Being student-athletes, the volunteers work as a team by nature. Kamorah Tillman is a rising senior at Great Crossing High School, and she was very happy to work with her team to make a huge difference.

"On the field, we're all focused on the game, making sure we're doing our best there. Here, it's like a team bonding experience. We all get to talk to each other while we're also helping our community," Tillman said.

Loading up these cars with food can go a long way, which is what drives these volunteers to keep going.

"It makes me really happy to know that we're helping these people and to get them what they need while still working together and helping on and off the field to be better teammates to each other," Tillman said.

Ian Schweitzer, with Southland's Georgetown Campus, said there's nothing like watching the youth of today serve. He said it really speaks to their heart to serve.

"There's a lot of hope in our future generations," Schweitzer said. "We think they just have a heart to serve, and they want to be here doing it with joy. We're excited for that, and we're excited for AMEN House. They do incredible things for our community to end hunger in Scott County."

To learn more about AMEN House, visit amenhouse.org.

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Volunteers in Georgetown team up to help end hunger

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Area student-athletes spent Monday morning working as a team for a very crucial mission: ending hunger in Scott County.

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In my community, sports are heavily cared about & pursued by many. Sport programs are offered at all schools & recreations. Here in Georgetown, sports are an escape for many young kids looking for community in the sport they love. Sport programs usually get funded more than art programs here in Scott County. While that is unfair and an issue towards the people who love art, its important that kids get into sports for opportunities to come & to exercise. For example, the two highschools in this town have 2 football games each year called, "The Battle of The Birds." Families come out, represent their school and watch rival football. This is an important event in my community, and it brings students and people in general together.

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Battle of the Birds in Scott County - ABC 36 News

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Thousands of people gathered together at great crossing high school, a brand new school in Scott County.

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In my Georgetown community, we care deeply about events that go on downtown. If it isn't, the Horse Festival that takes place in September or the Thriller parade in October. Nonetheless, families gather downtown to enjoy the things offered for them. These parades, concerts, etc are important for the culture of Scott County. It gives the impression that, we are a community that does cool things together to entertain. These adventures are good for kids and even adults, alcohol is usually served still & kids are able to play games and interact with other kids. Overall, downtown is home for the Georgetown community. What else can we do, downtown to spark interest in our community?

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GEORGETOWN, Ky. - The 11th annual Georgetown Thriller is coming back to downtown Georgetown and this time, it's giving back for good.

"Georgetown Parks and Rec tumbling study does Thriller because we decided that we wanted something very unique for our community and a way to give back to our community," said Artie Mullen Janow, director of Georgetown Parks and Rec. "So instead of 'Thriller' we decided to call it 'Thrilled to Give' because we wanted to give back to the Amen House to give back to the community, and to Amen house, to collect canned goods and cash or monetary donations to help with their program."

A new Halloween tradition in many towns, participants are invited to come and learn the classic dance from Michael Jackson's 1982 hit "Thriller", and then perform it in public. This year's gathering will be on Oct. 22, with a rain date on Oct. 23 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. in downtown Georgetown. Participants are encouraged to bring canned goods or donations to support the Amen House, an organization dedicating to ending hunger in Scott County.

The event is designed for all ages. Learn more about the Amen House here.

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Georgetown Parks and Rec 'thrilled' to give back

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The annual "Thriller" gathering is in its 11th year

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In my community I notice, a normalcy in bullying. Since I was a young girl I have been a victim of bullying and I am sure many here in Georgetown, can vouch theyve been a victim of bullying too. Bullying happens and is ignored on social medias, in the classroom & even in the bathrooms of schools. Kids leaving mean notes on the stalls, for other kids to read and start rumors over. I also feel as if, the schools don't do enough to help control the hatred.

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In my community I notice, that there is nothing fun to do for teenagers or young adults. Adults here in Georgetown have bars and fun places they could meet up at. While, teens and young adults that cannot drink yet, go to Walmart and walk around for just something to do. If an event is planned, 99.9% of the time it is planned somewhere in Lexington, a 20 minute drive from Georgetown. Not everyone in this town has reliable transportation, to just go to Lexington for something to do. If there was more meaningful things to do in Georgetown, teens will likely become less depressed & get out of the house more.

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Georgetown offers plenty of things to do in Kentucky, indoors and out! Pet a thoroughbred champion horse, feel the thunder of a new engine roar to life or enjoy the architectural charm of a bustling Victorian-era downtown with locally-owned shops, restaurants, craft breweries and bourbon distillery.

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In my community I notice a lack of transportation. For example, my freshman year of highschool, the buses didn't even come to my route most weeks because of this issue. I was unfairly missing school, and racking up missing assignments all because we didn't have enough bus drivers. To add, we do not have an efficient amount of public transportation. The wait times and space on these buses should be lowered and expanded by, creating more ways of public transport.

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GTran, a division of the Bluegrass Community Action Partnership, has proposed an expanded bus route for Georgetown that would include Toyota and the Lane's Run Business Park.

Troy Roberts, the Executive Director of the BGCAP, said he hopes the expansion will take effect in 2022.

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GTran to expand bus routes by end of year

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GTran, a division of the Bluegrass Community Action Partnership, has proposed an expanded bus route for Georgetown that would include Toyota and the Lane's Run Business Park.

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In my community I notice a up-rise in drug problems. As someone who came from two drug addicts that grew up here in Scott County, I see head on how drug addiction here has let the generation that mothered me down. These drug issues all around me has influenced my decisions on drugs for sure, positively. Yet, these drug influences are not always positive on people. Are our future generations at risk of these same issues? Do other communities in Kentucky struggle with these addictions? Our lives are more important than a good time from a high.

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GEORGETOWN, Ky. (WTVQ) - Georgetown police seized over 400 grams of meth after two men were arrested Thursday.

According to a Facebook post by the Georgetown Police Department, around 8:40 a.m. officers were in the Outlet Center Drive area where they were called to investigate a drunk man who may have stolen items from a nearby store.

Once at the scene, officers say they saw two men; one was detained and the other ran and jumped a fence at the Tipsy Cow Bar. After a pursuit, officers caught the second man.

Police say they found over 400 grams of methamphetamine on Alandon Bramlett. He's charged with trafficking in methamphetamine, trafficking controlled substance unspecified, trafficking fentanyl, theft by unlawful taking, resisting arrest, feeling and evading, and underage possession of alcohol.

The other man, John McFarland, is charged with theft by unlawful taking, possession of controlled substance - methamphetamine and public intoxication.

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Georgetown police arrest 2, find over 400 grams of meth

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Georgetown police seized over 400 grams of meth after two men were arrested Thursday.