On Wednesday, March 5th a group of Kentucky United Methodist Children's Homes (KyUMH) employees and volunteers headed to Frankfort for Children’s Advocacy Day. They joined hundreds of advocates and children at the capital to connect with state legislators and push for policies that prioritize the wellbeing of Kentucky’s youth and families.
Our group attended eight meetings with elected officials. There they were able to express the growing need for better Medicaid behavioral health service rates for young people.
Donna Jackson, a volunteer with KyUMH, said that “personally meeting Senators and Representatives, seeing their offices, meeting their support people and hearing about the inner working of our legislators help[ed] me feel more informed and more connected to my community.”
Children’s Advocacy Day also hosted a rally in the Capitol Rotunda, where people gathered in solidarity to raise their voices for the future of Kentucky’s children. Those who attended include youth leaders, organization directors, state legislators, and Governor Andy Beshear.
When addressing the crowd of attendees, Beshear stated, “we’ve got to fight for a future where all of our children grow up in safe and healthy environments in Kentucky where no child ever suffers.”
“I love[d] the energy of the Children's Advocacy Day event and having all the children there on site,” said Karen Perce, a KyUMH volunteer.
After a long but productive morning, our employees and volunteers met up for lunch to discuss how the day went.
Though Children’s Advocacy Day is over, KyUMH will continue to advocate for Kentucky’s youth and push for legislative action that benefits the families of the Commonwealth.
It was an honor to attend and sponsor Children’s Advocacy Day. Thank you to Kentucky Youth Advocates, Aetna Better Health of Kentucky, and all the sponsors that made this event possible. Thank you to St. Paul United Methodist Church for hosting our team as well as Frankfort First United Methodist Church for providing a shuttle bus for our group. Thank you to our volunteers, including college students from Union Commonwealth University for attending the event. We also want to thank our legislative lobbyists Baldwin Consulting for providing the support we needed to prepare for the legislative meetings.
Want to get involved? Sign up here for KyUMH’s action alerts to stay informed on how you can advocate for Kentucky’s youth during this year’s legislative session.
