Description

As Kinship caregivers, your opinions are important and necessary in order to understand how we as a state can better serve our kinship families.  By sharing your thoughts and views effectively, you can help others understand the unique challenges in caring for relative and non-relative children, including ways we can create more effective services to support kinship families.  In this webinar, we will talk with Shannon Moody of Kentucky Youth Advocates to explore the importance of advocacy in creating change, how kinship caregivers can advocate, current advocacy efforts in Kentucky, and how you can participate! Come, listen, and learn how to Make Your Voice Heard for Kinship Care in Kentucky!

Presented By:

Shannon Moody, PhD, MSSW, CSW, Chief Policy and Strategy Officer at Kentucky Youth Advocates, has over a decade of experience within the child policy sphere, working closely with advocates, lawmakers, individuals with lived experience, government agency administrators and professionals who serve kids and families directly. Dr. Moody has been instrumental in engaging kinship caregivers, youth in the foster care system, parents and professionals in identifying policy and state-level program solutions to address barriers to equitable access to critical supports. Prior to systems change experience, Shannon worked directly with youth in the education, juvenile justice and child welfare systems and worked with adults with traumatic brain injury and severe autism.

Norma Hatfield is a grandmother and child advocate raising two grandchildren in Elizabethtown, Kentucky; she is the President of the Kinship Families Coalition of Kentucky and a member of the Grand Voice Network with Generations United.  After going through the family court system for 18 months, she wanted to see a change in policies that affected relative and fictive kin caregivers and the children they care for.  Norma led a state-wide petition for Kinship Care in Kentucky in 2016-2017 which resulted in two bi-partisan legislative bills to be considered and one passed.  She served as the CASA of the Heartland Director in Hardin County KY for 2 1/2 years.  She is often asked to speak at a variety of conferences, summits and other forums across the state and at the national level such as the National Governor’s Association.  She has testified in numerous legislative committees and often asked by legislators and the media to provide detailed insight into what’s happening with kinship caregiver families.  Norma is currently a kinship consultant or advisor with organizations such as Child Welfare League of America, Casey Family Programs, Annie E. Casey Programs, William T. Grant Foundation and many more.  She has currently been working on a 21st Century Child Welfare Agenda at the National Level.  Norma is a United States Air Force Veteran and served in the Federal Government for approximately 30 years.

Disclaimer: The information presented in this webinar and PowerPoint is current as of December 5, 2023. Please be aware that information can change as needed, directed, or required by law or governing institutions.