With Kentucky lawmakers convening this week for a special session on redistricting, lobbyists are also gathering at the Capitol. Education is not on the special session agenda, but advocates today asked legislators to restore funding that was cut from child and kinship care programs. The funding was slashed to offset a $86 million budget shortfall. Children’s Alliance President Michelle Sanborn says given Kentucky’s $70 million surplus at the end of the last fiscal year, some funding should now be restored.“We believe that those cuts are detrimental to kids and families and they’ll only end up in the state’s custody and the foster care system, which we would like to prevent,” Sanborn said. A statement from the Cabinet for Health and Family Services says the surplus money, which was put in the state rainy day fund, cannot be applied in such a way under the state budget.
