Children
Kentucky child care ‘Horizons Act’ passes Senate committee
FRANKFORT — The Horizons Act, which proposes supporting child care in Kentucky with $300 million in state funding over the next two years, sailed out of a Senate committee Tuesday morning 9-1 after about half an hour of discussion.? The lone “no” vote was Sen. Lindsey Tichenor, R-Smithfield, who said she worries the bill’s focus […]
House committee advances child care bill that could free up zoning issues
A bill that encourages local governments to examine available zoning for child care centers in Kentucky passed out of a House committee Thursday 12-2 with one pass.? House Bill 561 sponsor Rep. Samara Heavrin, R-Leitchfield, said her bill encourages local officials to “??make sure there’s not any regulation preventing childcare centers from opening in their […]
GOP bill would give Kentucky teachers 20 days of maternity leave
FRANKFORT —?If a Republican-backed bill passes, Kentucky public school teachers would gain maternity leave, something not currently available to them. Senate Bill 205, sponsored by Sen. Lindsey Tichenor, of Smithfield, would provide 20 days of maternity leave to? public school employees after giving birth. Under the bill, employees could? begin to use sick leave after […]
Lawmakers pitched on economic, educational value of increasing state support for child care
FRANKFORT — Kathy Donelan doesn’t like the options facing her Northern Kentucky child care and preschool center if the state doesn’t put money into the child care industry this session.? “I could close,” Donelan told members of the Senate Families and Children Committee Tuesday as she testified in support of the Horizons Act, a $300 […]
Bill loosening Kentucky child labor laws clears House committee
FRANKFORT — Some Kentucky teenagers could work longer and later hours —? something critics say threatens youngsters’ safety and success in life — under a bill approved by a House committee Thursday with Republican support. House Bill 255, sponsored by Rep. Phillip Pratt, R-Georgetown, would repeal Kentucky’s existing child labor laws and align them with […]
Republican lawmaker seeks to put hope on horizon for early childhood, Kentucky parents
FRANKFORT — When Jessie Schook, the vice president of workforce and economic development for the Kentucky Community and Technical College System, tells people she is expecting her first child in June, many want to know: “Are you on a (child care) list?”? The wait to get a new baby into a child care center can […]
Education measures aim to protect students, certify more substitute teachers, examine funding
FRANKFORT — A renewed effort to help schools avoid new hires who have a history of sexual misconduct, a response to the substitute teacher shortage and a fresh look at the school funding formula are among education legislation introduced in this session of the Kentucky General Assembly. House Education Committee Chair Rep. James Tipton, R-Taylorsville, […]
Republican senator will ask Kentucky lawmakers to put $300 million into strengthening child care
Republican state Sen. Danny Carroll has announced his anticipated child care legislation will come with a $300 million, two-year price tag.? The ambitious proposal, called the Horizons Act, would have Kentucky spend far more than the $104 million over the biennium approved by the House for the child care sector and the $141 million that […]
‘A woman’s health matters’: Abortion access allowed New Hampshire woman to become a mom
Amanda D’Angelo only had a few weeks to get used to the idea that she was going to be a twin mom, before her eight-week scan revealed one had died. It’s a relatively common occurrence early on in twin pregnancies, and while it was upsetting, she took comfort in still being pregnant. She went on […]
Congress is looking at expanding the child tax credit again. Who would benefit?
WASHINGTON — The bipartisan tax package passed by the U.S. House last month is not a done deal, but the proposal’s supporters say it could restore some poverty-reducing benefits that reached millions under the pandemic-era child tax credit expansion. A majority of low-income families who do not currently qualify for the full credit would see […]
Bill helping ‘kinship care’ families wins unanimous Senate support
FRANKFORT — A bill aimed at giving more financial help to “kinship care” Kentuckians who are raising a minor relative — such as a grandchild or niece — passed unanimously out of the Senate on Thursday.? Senate Bill 151 would allow kinship caregivers to change their placement status from temporary custody to a child-specific foster […]
Kentucky water utilities could opt out of putting fluoride in drinking water under advancing bill
FRANKFORT — Kentucky water utilities would no longer be required to add or adjust fluoride in tap water supplies — a state requirement since the mid-20th century aimed at improving? Kentuckians’ dental health — under a bill approved by a legislative committee Thursday.? House Bill 141 is the latest effort by Rep. Mark Hart, R-Falmouth, […]