Whatever It Takes: Improving the Wellbeing of Children and Youth in the Commonwealth
Our children are our greatest resource, yet Kentucky is ranked 37th in child well-being, 38th nationally in child poverty, 40th in child death rate, 33rd in teen deaths, 33rd in teen birth rate, 37th in percentage of low birth-weight babies, 43rd in percent of teens who are high school dropouts, 46th in percent of teens not attending school and not working. One in 5 Kentucky children lives in a family at the poverty level, and the number of overweight Kentucky children has almost doubled in the last two decades.
Responding to these challenges is Christopher Flaherty, of UK’s College of Social Work. He has developed an initiative aimed at enhancing the safety, well-being, and quality of life of children from birth through college graduation. It specifically focuses on improving the condition of youngsters in low-income circumstances by developing a system for "rapid responses" on issues plaguing Kentucky's youth and children as well as to improve Kentucky's standing among the states by responding to and addressing the challenges facing children in the Commonwealth.
This project will build and maintain a clearinghouse for activities ranging from research and service in pediatrics, education, public health, dentistry, social work, psychiatry and nursing, along with efforts involving economic development and the environment. It will organize these activities in a format that showcases both the work and the outcomes. Program staff will have data to provide rapid responses for comments and findings for policy makers, child advocacy organizations, the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, medical providers, community leaders, and faculty from other universities who are interested in child and youth research.
Actions and Outcomes to Date
The UK child and Adolescent Health and Welfare Clearinghouse website has been completed and is available at Child Health and Welfare Clearinghouse.
It includes information on UK programs and research related to improving the health and welfare of Kentucky children and adolescents. The database includes information relating to child protection, dentistry, education, the environment, medicine, medical health, nursing, nutrition, public health, and rehabilitation. It also provides information on other related programs and research, gives links to major resources for children and adolescents, along with links to state and national statistics. Program and research information include project title, principal investigator, project goal, abstract, and contact information. Additions to the database will follow regularly.