Dear Governor Bevin: Why Family Resource and Youth Service Centers are Important in Kentucky Education

Dear Governor Bevin,

Congratulation on becoming the Governor of Kentucky. You have an immense job ahead of you. I understand that it is a very difficult challenge.

Governor, I know that we can both agree that education is important. Yet, students are much more than statistics on a spreadsheet or a name on a standardized test. They are humans with a story. Many of the students in our state are lacking in basic human needs. They may be worrying about where their next meal is going to come from. They squish their feet into shoes that are two sizes too small because their Mom and Dad can't afford a new pair right now. Students come to school wearing dirty clothes because they need to use less water to  help lower the family water bill. These are concerns that no child should have to worry about.

Students are dealing with many issues outside of the walls of our schools. When basic needs are not being met it would be difficult to expect them to care about algebra, reading, history, or science.

Family Resource and Youth Service Centers do a valued service for the students of Kentucky. A main objective is to help remove barriers in the lives of students so they can become successful. The 9% budget cut for next fiscal year and the 4.5% reductions for the current year will have drastic implications on the services provided in our communities.

The directors of school Family Resource and Youth Service Centers already manage right now to do a lot with very little. Activities and supplies are often subsidized from their own wallets. They do so out of the love for the children and families that they serve.  I have had the opportunity to meet quite few directors from centers across the state. They are some of the kindest, most compassionate and strongest people that I have ever met. They will do anything and everything to provide for "their" kids.

The job of FRYSC goes beyond basic needs. Early learning, tutoring, parent education, after -school programs, summer camps, college and career readiness and substance abuse education all fall under the FRYSC umbrella. Directors are also active in local communities. They serve on boards and form partnerships with community, civic and church organizations. You can find FRYSC staff and directors fixing a student's broken eye glasses, helping a parent fill out forms or providing a few dollars so a student can buy a ticket to the school dance.

These budget cuts will cause the services provided to become severely limited. These cuts demonstrate that the needs of Kentucky children are not highly valued.

I respectfully ask that Family Resource and Youth Service Centers be excluded from funding reductions.

Sincerely,

Emily Richter