May 21, 2025 • 29 mins
On this Memorial Day weekend, Kentucky Focus with Scott Fitzgerald shine a light on two groups whose sacrifices often go unseen — the spouses of our service members and the children in Kentucky’s foster care system. Dr. Elisa Borah shares how we can better support military families, while state leaders call on volunteers to step up for vulnerable youth. It’s a powerful reminder of the difference everyday people can make in the lives of quiet heroes.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to Kentucky Focus. I'm Scott Fitzgerald. Coming up this week,
two powerful stories about unsung heroes making a real difference
in the lives of others. First, thousands of Kentucky children
aren't foster care and twenty six counties aren't urgent volunteers
to help guide their futures. We'll tell you how just
one day a month can make a big difference. Then,
(00:21):
military spouses play of vital, often invisible role in supporting
our nation's service members, but too often they face career roadblocks, isolation,
and lack of resources. We hear from two local leaders
working to change that and highlight new efforts giving these
families the support they've long deserved.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Welcome to Kentucky Focus on the Kentucky News Network, the
show that looks at issues affecting the Commonwealth and its citizens.
We cover state politics, in history, human interest stories, sports,
and even entertainment. It's Kentucky Focus on kNN.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
Statistics show that roughly twenty veteries die by suicide every
day in the United States, and each day over one
thousand dogs are euthanized in shelters across the country. Canines
for Warriors is the leading nonprofit organization providing highly trained
service dogs to veterans with PTSD and other invisible wounds
(01:16):
of war.
Speaker 4 (01:17):
Hannah and I says, we've been together. We have done
so much. There's nothing I won't do now as long
as Hanna is by my side. Without Hannah, I'll probably
still be stuck in the living room with the curtains drawn,
with my back to the wall, with probably gone on
my op.
Speaker 3 (01:33):
The majority of service dogs from Canines are rescues, and
with each pairing, two lives are changed. Forever we rescue
the dog, the dog rescues the warrior. To learn more
about how Canines for Warriors is saving lives at both
ends of the leash, please visit Canines for Warriors dot org.
That's Canines for Warriors dot org.
Speaker 5 (01:54):
We are discussing child development with some experts. Tell me
what's the normal development of say a two year old?
Thanks so saying two to forward phrases and engaging in
pretend to play?
Speaker 6 (02:05):
And what about social development?
Speaker 5 (02:08):
Ah being enthusiastic about the company of other children.
Speaker 6 (02:11):
Thank you.
Speaker 7 (02:12):
It's time to change how we view a child's growth.
It's not just physical. There are milestones your child should
reach in how he plays, learns, speaks, and acts. A
delay in any of these areas could be a sign
of a developmental problem, even autism. The good news is
the earlier it's recognized, the more you can do to
help your child reach his full potential. Talk with a doctor.
(02:33):
Visit CDC dot gov, slash act early, or call one
eight hundred CDC info a message from the US Department
of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Learn the signs act early.
Speaker 8 (02:44):
In Kentucky, call five oh two eight five two, seven,
seven nine nine, or visit Kyautism dot org.
Speaker 9 (02:53):
Childhood should be the happiest time of life, but for
many children living in poverty, with blindness, facial deformity, and
other crippling conditions, it's riddled with pain, rejection, shame, and isolation.
At Mercy Ships, we're answering the cries of some of
the world's most forgotten children and adults through free, life
(03:13):
changing surgeries, surgeries that turn despair into hope. These once
heartbroken boys and girls, and many men and women too,
are now restored, accepted, and on their way to new
lives full of opportunity and joy. No one can change
the world on their own, but with God's help, we
can transform it by restoring hope to one person, one
(03:35):
child at a time, volunteers from your community and around
the globe, or joining Mercy Ships to bring life changing,
healing and hope to the forgotten poor. To learn how
you too can help change the world, one child at
a time, go to mercyships dot org.
Speaker 6 (03:51):
Today, welcome back to Kentucky Focus. I'm Scott Fitzgerald.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
Today we're highlighting a critical volunteer opportunity that could really
change a child's life. Across Kentucky, citizens Foster Care Review
Boards or cfcrbs are looking for caring individuals to serve
as volunteers to help review the cases of children placed
in foster care due to abused, neglect, or other difficult circumstances.
These volunteers are a vital part of course of ensuring
(04:17):
each child's best interests are represented in the system. Joining
us now is Mika Tyler, State Vice Chair of the
Citizen's Foster Care Review Board. She just gonna talk with
us for a little bit about the urgent need for
volunteers and how folks across the Commonwealth can step up
and get involved.
Speaker 6 (04:32):
Mika Hello, Ho and welcome to the show.
Speaker 10 (04:34):
Hi Scott, thanks for having us on today. Absolutely I
know were here about a year ago and had great
results from it, so excited to be here to share
a little bit about the need that we have going on.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
So, for those who may not be familiar, what is
the Citizen's Foster Care Review Board and what's its main goal?
Speaker 10 (04:51):
Citizens Foster Care Review Board or CFCRB, how we like
to refer to it a little bit shorter, It's a
volunteer board that operates out of the Department of Family
and Juvenile Services with the Administrative Office of the Court.
So it is a completely volunteer board that is appointed
by your local Family Court judge to serve your area.
(05:16):
So what we do is we review cases of children
that are placed in the state's care due to dependency, neglect,
or abuse situation. So a lot of times these children
are currently in foster care or there may be just
in custody of the cabinet with services placed in the
(05:38):
home that they were previously located in. So we review
these cases every six months. Our goal is basically to
make sure nothing's falling through the cracks. We always want
to make sure that the main focus of the case
is to achieve permanency for that child or you know,
(05:58):
the children that are in that case. So our reviews
that we do they take place once a month. Interested
parties are invited. So those interested parties can be the youth,
you know, if they're of age, if they're small children, babies,
obviously they're not going to be in our meetings, but
also biological parents, foster parents, case workers, therapists, causes, attorneys,
(06:24):
all those parties that are part of a case plan
are invited to take part in our reviews. You know.
We basically just go through some questions, see where the
case is, see what progress has been made on the
case by the involved parties as well, and then we
write a report and make recommendations to the judges. So
(06:46):
if there are additional services that could be beneficial to
any of the parties, or if the parents have made
wonderful progress on their case plans, then we make sure
we point out those facts too. So basically, we review,
like I said, and then we make the recommendations to
the judge on how the case is going. It's not
(07:11):
a situation that everybody wants to be involved with, obviously,
because these aren't good situations we're reviewing. But we're here
as a volunteer group to kind of be just a
second set of eyes outside of the court system, DCBs
foster parents. So I say a second like a third,
you know, additional set of eyes on there. And it
(07:32):
is required by statue. So there is a state and
federal statue that requires that these reviews take place every
six months.
Speaker 6 (07:40):
As well. Minka Tyler's joining us.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
She is state vice chair the Citizens Fostered Care Review Board,
and there were urgent need for volunteers to step up,
as Miko was just saying, and help those advocate for
those who can't advocate for themselves. And Minka, while why
is there such an urgent need, especially in the twenty
six counties you're currently recruiting it.
Speaker 10 (08:00):
Obviously there is a board or boards in each county
across the state of Kentucky. So a lot of times
are volunteers. You know, this typical volunteer time you will
see is usually about six years. Myself this is probably
it's over fifteen. At this point, I think you just
(08:21):
kind of get you know, it's a volunteer position, so
it's not a job for us, So it's something that
we do in our spare time or the spare time
we can make. So there's a cycle that goes with volunteering,
and so a lot of times it's someone will feel like, Okay,
it's time to step away and allow someone else to step.
Speaker 1 (08:42):
Up to that.
Speaker 10 (08:43):
So I can say currently there's one hundred and seventy
two boards across the state and we're reviewing over eight
thousand children that are currently in care. So many of
the counties out of the entire list, some of those
counties maybe only have one board. But then myself, I'm
located in Harden County. We have four boards here in
(09:06):
Harden County. We have three hundred and fifty kids that
we review, So we would very much like to add
an additional board in order to meet that need to
review those cases, because, like I said, it's a statue,
we have to review those cases and make that submission.
You have Kenton County, of course, up in northern Kentucky.
They have nine boards within they're reviewing currently four hundred
(09:27):
and seventy two RM in care. It's one day a month,
is what the commitment is. If you're in a county
with a smaller caseload, you might not be there all day.
If you're in a larger county like Harden or Kenton County,
it usually is an all day process that you're going through.
But the one great thing about it, Scott, is that
it is all virtual, So you can do this from
(09:49):
your home, from your lake house, from your farm, wherever
you might be. As long as you have internet access
and can log into a zoom meeting, you're able to
conduct these cases.
Speaker 6 (10:00):
Mika Tyler's joining us.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
She of course state vice chaired the Citizen's Foster carry
viewboard in there and need to volunteers here in the Commonwealth,
as Mika has pointed out to us. And quick question
two for you, Mika, do volunteers need a background in
child welfare, a legal experience or is this something anyone
can do if they really have the right heart.
Speaker 10 (10:19):
This is something anyone can do. No back. You know,
you know, you don't have to have a background there
if you just have a heart to volunteer. Well, a
couple of things that are required. There is an application
process and you do have to pass a background check.
After you've reached those two factors, then they do a training.
We do ongoing virtual trainings throughout the year. So like
(10:42):
I just finished up a couple of trainings last week
that are annual trainings. So you'll take part in annual
trainings and then your initial training, but then after that
your judge signs off on you and you're good to go.
So at that point you would be assigned to a
board and you're working with season and individuals. You're not
going to get thrown on a board where note you know,
(11:03):
everyone's brand new. So a lot of times the volunteers,
it takes them a couple of times, maybe a couple
of meetings in order to kind of get used to
the process, used to some of the questions. I mean,
me myself, I'm a I'm an insurance agent in my
day to day.
Speaker 6 (11:18):
They so nice.
Speaker 1 (11:20):
Well, we're talking togain with Mika Tyler again, State vice
chair of the Citizen's Foster Care Review Board. Always look
forward to this interview every year because you do do
such good work.
Speaker 6 (11:29):
It's so needed, Mica.
Speaker 1 (11:30):
And what would you say to someone right now that's
listening and maybe they're just.
Speaker 6 (11:34):
Kind of on the fence, like, uh, that's some time
I've got to commit. I just don't know if I
have it. I want to do it. Why should they
take that first step.
Speaker 10 (11:41):
Well, I can tell you as someone that's been volunteering
in this in this capacity for several years, it is
not the best situations we're looking at, but a very
rewarding way to volunteer. There's nothing like when you are
reviewing a case and maybe it's a case that you have.
I have been able to review several times and you
(12:04):
kind of get to see and see the work the
parents are doing or the work the child is doing,
and seeing the goal that everyone has there to get
some permanency for this situation. So you have those rewarding
cases on there, but then you also have the situations
where maybe they're older youth and they're in this system
(12:26):
for a reason, But then they can recommit and they
can come back to the cabinet and to see the
children that went through not the best situations during their
childhood and growing up, and to see what they can
overcome and see what they can do with their life
with the opportunities that they are given. That is very,
very rewarding. I encourage people it's something that interest you.
(12:50):
Fill out the application, do the training, the training virtual.
It's not an intensive training and just to see what
it's like. Maybe at that point in time side that
it is not for you and it is not anything
you were committed to. This is volunteer and you know
you can resign from your board. But we find, honestly,
(13:10):
most of the time, once a volunteer, once someone gets involved,
unless it's health reasons, like, people usually don't step away
just because once they get in there, they see it
and they see the need for it and they continue
for many years.
Speaker 1 (13:27):
So last question for you, Meika again, Mika Tyler's joining
us stay vice chair of the Citizens Foster Carried You Board.
They do such good work again advocating for those who
can't advocate for themselves.
Speaker 6 (13:37):
Where can people go to learn more or submit their
application and is there a timeline Mika that they should
be aware of.
Speaker 10 (13:44):
We are always taking applications for volunteers year round, three
hundred and sixty five days a year. One of the
timelines that you could face is that sometimes maybe there's
a window of time that you'll have to wait for
that initial training, because that is a scheduled training that
will happen a few times a year. So just as
long as you can get into that initial training, but
(14:04):
in order to complete the application, an individual can go
to www dot Ky Courts dot gov and from there
you go to court Programs and you will find the
Citizen's Foster Care Review Board. There's a tab there with
an application in order to submit. We do have a
(14:25):
page on Facebook that has some links as well in
order to get to the application.
Speaker 1 (14:30):
Nika Tyler again, always a great conversation, State Vice Chair
of the Citizens Foster Care Review Board. If you're listening
to this and you would like to help someone advocate
for themselves who can't do it themselves necessarily, this might
be the place for you.
Speaker 6 (14:44):
Mika.
Speaker 1 (14:44):
Always great to catch up with you, and I appreciate
all your time and all the best to.
Speaker 6 (14:48):
All of you. They're doing such good work.
Speaker 10 (14:50):
Thank you, Scott. We appreciate you inviting us on.
Speaker 1 (14:53):
Thank you again to Mika Tyler, the cf CRB State
Vice Chair, and again for more information.
Speaker 6 (14:58):
Simply reach out to the Content Tucky Administrative.
Speaker 1 (15:01):
Office of the Courts. I'm Scott fitz Jones. You're listening
to Kentucky Focus. We're back after this.
Speaker 3 (15:09):
Hi, I'm Gary Sonise.
Speaker 1 (15:11):
At the end of your.
Speaker 11 (15:12):
Workday, do you know you've made a difference the veterans,
affairs medical staff do the doctors, nurses, counselors, and health
technicians get to care for perhaps the most deserving of
all Americans, the men and women who have served in
our nations aren't forces. Visit VA Careers dot VA dot
(15:32):
gov to find out how you can make a difference.
Speaker 8 (15:35):
To We are Kentucky Broadcasters, your hometown radio and television stations.
We bring you breaking news, We keep you safe. We
serve your community in good times and in bad. Your
local broadcasters are always there. We are deeply rooted in
your small towns and your big cities. We champion a
(15:55):
strong sense of civic pride. No matter how we connect
over the air, online, and on your device, we are
Kentucky Broadcasters there when it matters.
Speaker 1 (16:06):
I'm Scoff fitzgeraldan welcome back. Today we're shedding a light
on a group whose strength often goes unseen, but whose
support is absolutely vital to the US military mission. We're talking,
of course, about the spouses and partners of military service members.
Behind every service member is a family moving from base
to base, navigating deployments, and managing day to day life
with extraordinary resilience.
Speaker 6 (16:27):
For many military spouses.
Speaker 1 (16:29):
The lifestyle comes with a sacrifice, careers disrupted by frequent relocations,
a sense of isolation, and all too often the lack
of support they deserve. The latest Blue Star Families and
Military Lifestyle Survey gives us a clearer picture of these challenges,
especially around employment and mental well being. But there's also
hope new initiatives are making a difference, helping military spouses
(16:50):
find meaningful work, across resources and connecting with others who
understand their journey. Joining us is doctor Lisa Borishi is
director for the Institute for Veterans and Family Wellness. She's
going to talk a little bit about that with us.
Good morning, doctor Borr, How are you great?
Speaker 12 (17:05):
How are you? Thanks for having me and focusing on
this key issue.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
Oh absolutely, it is a big time issue, that's for sure.
As a former military person myself, I totally understand and
can appreciate what military spouses are up against. So doctor
Borr to start, tell me what are the most pressing
issues military spouses are facing today?
Speaker 12 (17:23):
Well, as you noted, employment is the top issue that
we hear them report to us across several different studies
that have been done and related to that, of course,
is financial strain that the families are facing. That is
another top issue, and so they go hand in hand,
of course, and then a part of that is another
piece of the puzzle, which is childcare. They routinely remark
(17:44):
that childcare, lack of accessibility, cost, et cetera, affects their
ability to achieve the employment they're looking for. And as
you mentioned, this is all compounded by the fact that
they're moving around on average every two and a half years,
and they're rebuilding their whole lives every time they move.
So this is just really, really difficult.
Speaker 1 (18:01):
Doctor Elisa Bora, director of the Institute for Military and
Veteran Family Wellness, is joining us talking about some of
the challenges that military spouses are facing in Doctor Borah,
before we get too far into the conversation, tell us
a little bit about the Institute for Military and Veteran
Family Wellness.
Speaker 6 (18:18):
What do you all do? Oh?
Speaker 12 (18:19):
Thank you. We focus on research that will improve the health,
wellness and quality of life of military and veteran families,
and in particular for spouses because they are a unique
segment of this population who are often under supported and
don't receive the array of supports that veterans also receive
(18:40):
post service, and so we just think it's really important
to understand their needs and focus on that. We also
do research with the Department of Defense and with the VA.
Speaker 1 (18:49):
Very nice doctor Alsa Bora director again, she's with the
Institute of Military and Veteran Family Wellness, and we're here
talking about military spouses and the challenges they face.
Speaker 6 (18:59):
Now, Bor for listeners who may not be familiar with
the lifestyle, I was telling you off the ear.
Speaker 1 (19:04):
I'm prior military, so I certainly can appreciate what spouses
are up against.
Speaker 6 (19:08):
Can you paint a picture of.
Speaker 1 (19:09):
What day to day life looks like for a typical
military spouse or family.
Speaker 12 (19:13):
They are highly dedicated to the cause. They're very patriotic.
They value the service that their family is committed to
for the United States of America. Not to be too stereotypical,
but they truly are committed to the family's service and
they're willing to make personal sacrifices for that. They do
have to manage all of this frequent relocation of the
(19:35):
entire family to different installations or military bases. They're very
supportive of the military service member's needs. So you know,
often the service member may be gone for long amounts
of time, whether that be for long trainings or deployments,
and the spouses are the ones that are staying home,
maintaining everything, keeping everything running, making sure the kids are settled,
(19:56):
and finding the right supports, navigating healthcare. There's just an
array of all of the various responsibilities that the spouses
take on and manage in support of the service member's service.
Speaker 6 (20:08):
So that's kind of just a.
Speaker 12 (20:08):
Picture of what they're going through. And then as they
relocate frequently, they're re establishing all of those necessary community
resources that families need, such as healthcare, employment, if the
spouse can find it, communities that they join related to
school or faith, or just re establishing themselves every few years.
It's really a challenge.
Speaker 6 (20:28):
Great conversation. Doctor Lisa Bora joins us.
Speaker 1 (20:31):
She is director of the Institute for Military and Veteran
Family Wellness, and we're talking about the challenges military spouses
are facing. Their new surveys out the latest Blue Star
Families Military Family Lifestyle Survey giving us a kind of
broader picture of what military spouses are up against. And
doctor Bora, you know, not only do you have the
mechanics that you talked about there. That's like getting kids
(20:53):
to school and getting them to a new school, and
getting employment and finding ways to make things happened almost
as a single parent. But with that can sometimes come
mental health challenges as well. I mean, I'm sure it's
daunting for young people to start a new school, especially
if they move around a lot, and then the military
(21:13):
spouse having this all put on them without that support system.
Can you kind of speak a little bit to how
these are affecting military spouses.
Speaker 6 (21:21):
Thank you.
Speaker 12 (21:21):
That's a great question. Military spouses mental health is affected
by all of this military lifestyle, the moves, the uncertainty.
Sometimes you don't know if your partner is going to
be deployed in the next years. You know, that can
really affect you. But just the lack of stability and
the constant change can to really take the toll. It's
something we're doing at the University of Texas at Austin,
within our institute is we've built the Veteran Spouse Network Program,
(21:46):
which is a large national peer support and education program
where we train existing military and veteran spouses to become
peer leaders who then deliver group, individual and educational based
peer support so that spouses are really learning from other
spouses how to navigate all these challenges and getting warm
(22:08):
handoffs to really valuable resources that are available across the country.
So there are some national nonprofit programs that deliver employment
and career support for military spouses like Hiring Our Heroes,
Onward Opportunity, et cetera. But we make sure that they
hear about it through this very connected network.
Speaker 1 (22:27):
Doctor a Lisa Bora joining us now again with the
Institute for Military and Veteran Family Wellness. So what you're
telling me, doctor Moore, is that if there's a spouse
out there that's listening right now, and we of course
have Fort Campbell in our backyard here in Kentucky, and
we have Fort Knox, and we have other institutions around
and they need some help, they can reach out to you.
Speaker 6 (22:46):
Where can they go to find that help? Where do
they even start?
Speaker 12 (22:49):
Great, they can definitely go look at the Veteranspouse Network
dot org and on our website we have a page
resource Page, which is a carefully curated list of really
high quality support programs across the country that are accessible
from any installation. You can join these programs virtually. They
even offer scholarships for education for spouse's seeking additional higher
(23:12):
ED degrees. They do have lots of great employment supports
as well, and so some of those I mentioned did
the Onward Opportunity through Syracuse University. There's also Hiring our Heroes.
There's a Higher Heroes USA, and all of those in
our list also include a spouse component because there are
some organizations that are purely vetter and focused, but we
(23:33):
wanted to make sure the resource list we offer is
very spouse focused. That's where to look for resources in programming.
But if you want to really dig into the research
and learn more about what we found and what Blue
Star Families Survey their annual survey is finding, definitely go
check out the Blue Star Family's website. And then PMIUS
has just recently released this new Serving on the home
(23:54):
Front Report, which really synthesizes all of this information. It's
very accessible, readable report, and it looks at all the
challenges that military and veteran spouses are facing.
Speaker 1 (24:04):
Doctor Elisa Borr, director of the Institute for Military and
Veteran Family Wellness, joining us on this Memorial Day weekend
as we celebrate our well and remember our fallen veterans
but also take time out to understand military spouses and
the challenges that they face. Doctor Borr, just off the
top of your head, are there certain programs or resources
(24:25):
that prove pretty much more effective than others? Are our
most effective in helping military spouses find and keep meaningful employment.
Speaker 12 (24:33):
It's more about hearing that they have a community of
support and access to organizations, programming, et cetera that are
really focused on their needs. The programs I've mentioned are effective.
They make sure that spouse's programming is tailored to their
unique needs. It can be a one on one mentoring approach.
You can get a mentor to support your career engagement
(24:56):
and the jobs that you're looking for. I think that's
kind of what we've learned, is that tailored approach is
the most effective instead of the one size fits all
that it really needs to focus on the individual's needs.
Speaker 1 (25:06):
So let's talk about the community outside. What can employers,
community leaders, and even everyday folks listening right now do
better to support military spouses and their families.
Speaker 12 (25:18):
I think employers can do so much just by increasing
their awareness of these concerns. There are a number of
employers that are well aware and they've got strong programs
that ensure that military spouses have preference or at least
have a good shot at obtaining a position. Just recognizing
the challenges, realizing that remote work jobs that can follow
(25:39):
spouses as they move around are all really best practices
for ensuring that spouses are gaining really strong employment.
Speaker 1 (25:45):
What's the one thing you wish more people understood about
military spouses in the role they play in national service?
Speaker 12 (25:51):
Oh, just how critical they are to the success of
the military. It can't be understated how important their role is,
but so often it is and understood or appreciated. They
really keep everything running and everything put together for the entire.
Speaker 6 (26:06):
Family percent for sure.
Speaker 1 (26:08):
Last for you, doctor Bora, again, where can folks go
that are listening to this that if they just want
to know, maybe they're just a person that wants to
refer somebody to you, or they're a spouse that's listening,
where's a great place to start.
Speaker 12 (26:18):
Check out that Ourspouse network dot org and then you'll
see the array of programs that are available there, the
resource page, the research that we've done, and then we
always reference other amazing organizations research that they're putting out
as well. We all want to work together collaboratively to
make sure we address this key issue for them.
Speaker 6 (26:36):
Doctor Lisa Bora.
Speaker 1 (26:37):
She is the director of the Institute for Military and
Veteran Family Wellness. Of course we're talking about the Blue
Star Families Military Family Lifestyle Survey where they found amazing,
amazing facts and information about what military spouses are up against.
Speaker 6 (26:52):
Doctor Borah, thanks so much for your time.
Speaker 1 (26:54):
We appreciate you being around and we'll make sure we
get the word out to folks.
Speaker 6 (26:57):
Thank you so much for having me again.
Speaker 1 (26:59):
Thank you too, Doctor Alissa Bora from the Institute for
Military and Veteran Wellness. We're back after this wrap things up.
I'm Scott Fitzgerald. You're listening to Kentucky Focus.
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Speaker 1 (27:27):
Welcome back to Kentucky Focus. I'm Scott Fitzgerald and a
big thank you to our guest today, doctor Alissa Bora
from the Institute for Military and Veteran Wellness and JB.
Speaker 6 (27:36):
Simcole of PMI US for sharing their insides and for the.
Speaker 1 (27:40):
Important work they're doing to support our military families across
the country. And if you're in Kentucky and you want
to make a difference closer to home, don't forget twenty
six counties are an urgent need of volunteers to serve
on the citizens Fostered Care review boards just one day
a month and.
Speaker 6 (27:55):
Change a child's future.
Speaker 1 (27:56):
For more information, visit Administrative Office of the Courts.
Speaker 6 (27:59):
Don't get your point out in the right direction.
Speaker 1 (28:02):
Finally, as we mark this Memorial Day weekend, we pause
with deep gratitude and palm respect for the men and
women who gave their lives in service to our country.
Their sacrifice is the very reason we enjoy the freedoms
we sometimes and all too often take for granted. Behind
every name edged in stone is a story, and behind
every fallen hero is a family, a friend of community.
(28:23):
Left to carry the memory forward to those who knew
or loved someone lost to military service, Please know that
you are not forgotten. Here at Kentucky Focus and across
the Kentucky News Network, we keep you in our prayers.
We're forever thankful for the ultimate sacrifice your loved one
made for all of us. On this weekend of remembrance,
we honor not only with words, but with a promise.
Speaker 6 (28:45):
To live lives worthy of their legacy.
Speaker 1 (28:49):
Thank you for joining us on this Memorial Day edition
of Kentucky Focus. Until next time, take care of yourselves,
take care of one another, and never forget.
Speaker 6 (28:59):
I'm Scott Fitzger.
Welcome to Kentucky Focus. I'm Scott Fitzgerald. Coming up this week,
two powerful stories about unsung heroes making a real difference
in the lives of others. First, thousands of Kentucky children
aren't foster care and twenty six counties aren't urgent volunteers
to help guide their futures. We'll tell you how just
one day a month can make a big difference. Then,
(00:21):
military spouses play of vital, often invisible role in supporting
our nation's service members, but too often they face career roadblocks, isolation,
and lack of resources. We hear from two local leaders
working to change that and highlight new efforts giving these
families the support they've long deserved.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Welcome to Kentucky Focus on the Kentucky News Network, the
show that looks at issues affecting the Commonwealth and its citizens.
We cover state politics, in history, human interest stories, sports,
and even entertainment. It's Kentucky Focus on kNN.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
Statistics show that roughly twenty veteries die by suicide every
day in the United States, and each day over one
thousand dogs are euthanized in shelters across the country. Canines
for Warriors is the leading nonprofit organization providing highly trained
service dogs to veterans with PTSD and other invisible wounds
(01:16):
of war.
Speaker 4 (01:17):
Hannah and I says, we've been together. We have done
so much. There's nothing I won't do now as long
as Hanna is by my side. Without Hannah, I'll probably
still be stuck in the living room with the curtains drawn,
with my back to the wall, with probably gone on
my op.
Speaker 3 (01:33):
The majority of service dogs from Canines are rescues, and
with each pairing, two lives are changed. Forever we rescue
the dog, the dog rescues the warrior. To learn more
about how Canines for Warriors is saving lives at both
ends of the leash, please visit Canines for Warriors dot org.
That's Canines for Warriors dot org.
Speaker 5 (01:54):
We are discussing child development with some experts. Tell me
what's the normal development of say a two year old?
Thanks so saying two to forward phrases and engaging in
pretend to play?
Speaker 6 (02:05):
And what about social development?
Speaker 5 (02:08):
Ah being enthusiastic about the company of other children.
Speaker 6 (02:11):
Thank you.
Speaker 7 (02:12):
It's time to change how we view a child's growth.
It's not just physical. There are milestones your child should
reach in how he plays, learns, speaks, and acts. A
delay in any of these areas could be a sign
of a developmental problem, even autism. The good news is
the earlier it's recognized, the more you can do to
help your child reach his full potential. Talk with a doctor.
(02:33):
Visit CDC dot gov, slash act early, or call one
eight hundred CDC info a message from the US Department
of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Learn the signs act early.
Speaker 8 (02:44):
In Kentucky, call five oh two eight five two, seven,
seven nine nine, or visit Kyautism dot org.
Speaker 9 (02:53):
Childhood should be the happiest time of life, but for
many children living in poverty, with blindness, facial deformity, and
other crippling conditions, it's riddled with pain, rejection, shame, and isolation.
At Mercy Ships, we're answering the cries of some of
the world's most forgotten children and adults through free, life
(03:13):
changing surgeries, surgeries that turn despair into hope. These once
heartbroken boys and girls, and many men and women too,
are now restored, accepted, and on their way to new
lives full of opportunity and joy. No one can change
the world on their own, but with God's help, we
can transform it by restoring hope to one person, one
(03:35):
child at a time, volunteers from your community and around
the globe, or joining Mercy Ships to bring life changing,
healing and hope to the forgotten poor. To learn how
you too can help change the world, one child at
a time, go to mercyships dot org.
Speaker 6 (03:51):
Today, welcome back to Kentucky Focus. I'm Scott Fitzgerald.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
Today we're highlighting a critical volunteer opportunity that could really
change a child's life. Across Kentucky, citizens Foster Care Review
Boards or cfcrbs are looking for caring individuals to serve
as volunteers to help review the cases of children placed
in foster care due to abused, neglect, or other difficult circumstances.
These volunteers are a vital part of course of ensuring
(04:17):
each child's best interests are represented in the system. Joining
us now is Mika Tyler, State Vice Chair of the
Citizen's Foster Care Review Board. She just gonna talk with
us for a little bit about the urgent need for
volunteers and how folks across the Commonwealth can step up
and get involved.
Speaker 6 (04:32):
Mika Hello, Ho and welcome to the show.
Speaker 10 (04:34):
Hi Scott, thanks for having us on today. Absolutely I
know were here about a year ago and had great
results from it, so excited to be here to share
a little bit about the need that we have going on.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
So, for those who may not be familiar, what is
the Citizen's Foster Care Review Board and what's its main goal?
Speaker 10 (04:51):
Citizens Foster Care Review Board or CFCRB, how we like
to refer to it a little bit shorter, It's a
volunteer board that operates out of the Department of Family
and Juvenile Services with the Administrative Office of the Court.
So it is a completely volunteer board that is appointed
by your local Family Court judge to serve your area.
(05:16):
So what we do is we review cases of children
that are placed in the state's care due to dependency, neglect,
or abuse situation. So a lot of times these children
are currently in foster care or there may be just
in custody of the cabinet with services placed in the
(05:38):
home that they were previously located in. So we review
these cases every six months. Our goal is basically to
make sure nothing's falling through the cracks. We always want
to make sure that the main focus of the case
is to achieve permanency for that child or you know,
(05:58):
the children that are in that case. So our reviews
that we do they take place once a month. Interested
parties are invited. So those interested parties can be the youth,
you know, if they're of age, if they're small children, babies,
obviously they're not going to be in our meetings, but
also biological parents, foster parents, case workers, therapists, causes, attorneys,
(06:24):
all those parties that are part of a case plan
are invited to take part in our reviews. You know.
We basically just go through some questions, see where the
case is, see what progress has been made on the
case by the involved parties as well, and then we
write a report and make recommendations to the judges. So
(06:46):
if there are additional services that could be beneficial to
any of the parties, or if the parents have made
wonderful progress on their case plans, then we make sure
we point out those facts too. So basically, we review,
like I said, and then we make the recommendations to
the judge on how the case is going. It's not
(07:11):
a situation that everybody wants to be involved with, obviously,
because these aren't good situations we're reviewing. But we're here
as a volunteer group to kind of be just a
second set of eyes outside of the court system, DCBs
foster parents. So I say a second like a third,
you know, additional set of eyes on there. And it
(07:32):
is required by statue. So there is a state and
federal statue that requires that these reviews take place every
six months.
Speaker 6 (07:40):
As well. Minka Tyler's joining us.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
She is state vice chair the Citizens Fostered Care Review Board,
and there were urgent need for volunteers to step up,
as Miko was just saying, and help those advocate for
those who can't advocate for themselves. And Minka, while why
is there such an urgent need, especially in the twenty
six counties you're currently recruiting it.
Speaker 10 (08:00):
Obviously there is a board or boards in each county
across the state of Kentucky. So a lot of times
are volunteers. You know, this typical volunteer time you will
see is usually about six years. Myself this is probably
it's over fifteen. At this point, I think you just
(08:21):
kind of get you know, it's a volunteer position, so
it's not a job for us, So it's something that
we do in our spare time or the spare time
we can make. So there's a cycle that goes with volunteering,
and so a lot of times it's someone will feel like, Okay,
it's time to step away and allow someone else to step.
Speaker 1 (08:42):
Up to that.
Speaker 10 (08:43):
So I can say currently there's one hundred and seventy
two boards across the state and we're reviewing over eight
thousand children that are currently in care. So many of
the counties out of the entire list, some of those
counties maybe only have one board. But then myself, I'm
located in Harden County. We have four boards here in
(09:06):
Harden County. We have three hundred and fifty kids that
we review, So we would very much like to add
an additional board in order to meet that need to
review those cases, because, like I said, it's a statue,
we have to review those cases and make that submission.
You have Kenton County, of course, up in northern Kentucky.
They have nine boards within they're reviewing currently four hundred
(09:27):
and seventy two RM in care. It's one day a month,
is what the commitment is. If you're in a county
with a smaller caseload, you might not be there all day.
If you're in a larger county like Harden or Kenton County,
it usually is an all day process that you're going through.
But the one great thing about it, Scott, is that
it is all virtual, So you can do this from
(09:49):
your home, from your lake house, from your farm, wherever
you might be. As long as you have internet access
and can log into a zoom meeting, you're able to
conduct these cases.
Speaker 6 (10:00):
Mika Tyler's joining us.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
She of course state vice chaired the Citizen's Foster carry
viewboard in there and need to volunteers here in the Commonwealth,
as Mika has pointed out to us. And quick question
two for you, Mika, do volunteers need a background in
child welfare, a legal experience or is this something anyone
can do if they really have the right heart.
Speaker 10 (10:19):
This is something anyone can do. No back. You know,
you know, you don't have to have a background there
if you just have a heart to volunteer. Well, a
couple of things that are required. There is an application
process and you do have to pass a background check.
After you've reached those two factors, then they do a training.
We do ongoing virtual trainings throughout the year. So like
(10:42):
I just finished up a couple of trainings last week
that are annual trainings. So you'll take part in annual
trainings and then your initial training, but then after that
your judge signs off on you and you're good to go.
So at that point you would be assigned to a
board and you're working with season and individuals. You're not
going to get thrown on a board where note you know,
(11:03):
everyone's brand new. So a lot of times the volunteers,
it takes them a couple of times, maybe a couple
of meetings in order to kind of get used to
the process, used to some of the questions. I mean,
me myself, I'm a I'm an insurance agent in my
day to day.
Speaker 6 (11:18):
They so nice.
Speaker 1 (11:20):
Well, we're talking togain with Mika Tyler again, State vice
chair of the Citizen's Foster Care Review Board. Always look
forward to this interview every year because you do do
such good work.
Speaker 6 (11:29):
It's so needed, Mica.
Speaker 1 (11:30):
And what would you say to someone right now that's
listening and maybe they're just.
Speaker 6 (11:34):
Kind of on the fence, like, uh, that's some time
I've got to commit. I just don't know if I
have it. I want to do it. Why should they
take that first step.
Speaker 10 (11:41):
Well, I can tell you as someone that's been volunteering
in this in this capacity for several years, it is
not the best situations we're looking at, but a very
rewarding way to volunteer. There's nothing like when you are
reviewing a case and maybe it's a case that you have.
I have been able to review several times and you
(12:04):
kind of get to see and see the work the
parents are doing or the work the child is doing,
and seeing the goal that everyone has there to get
some permanency for this situation. So you have those rewarding
cases on there, but then you also have the situations
where maybe they're older youth and they're in this system
(12:26):
for a reason, But then they can recommit and they
can come back to the cabinet and to see the
children that went through not the best situations during their
childhood and growing up, and to see what they can
overcome and see what they can do with their life
with the opportunities that they are given. That is very,
very rewarding. I encourage people it's something that interest you.
(12:50):
Fill out the application, do the training, the training virtual.
It's not an intensive training and just to see what
it's like. Maybe at that point in time side that
it is not for you and it is not anything
you were committed to. This is volunteer and you know
you can resign from your board. But we find, honestly,
(13:10):
most of the time, once a volunteer, once someone gets involved,
unless it's health reasons, like, people usually don't step away
just because once they get in there, they see it
and they see the need for it and they continue
for many years.
Speaker 1 (13:27):
So last question for you, Meika again, Mika Tyler's joining
us stay vice chair of the Citizens Foster Carried You Board.
They do such good work again advocating for those who
can't advocate for themselves.
Speaker 6 (13:37):
Where can people go to learn more or submit their
application and is there a timeline Mika that they should
be aware of.
Speaker 10 (13:44):
We are always taking applications for volunteers year round, three
hundred and sixty five days a year. One of the
timelines that you could face is that sometimes maybe there's
a window of time that you'll have to wait for
that initial training, because that is a scheduled training that
will happen a few times a year. So just as
long as you can get into that initial training, but
(14:04):
in order to complete the application, an individual can go
to www dot Ky Courts dot gov and from there
you go to court Programs and you will find the
Citizen's Foster Care Review Board. There's a tab there with
an application in order to submit. We do have a
(14:25):
page on Facebook that has some links as well in
order to get to the application.
Speaker 1 (14:30):
Nika Tyler again, always a great conversation, State Vice Chair
of the Citizens Foster Care Review Board. If you're listening
to this and you would like to help someone advocate
for themselves who can't do it themselves necessarily, this might
be the place for you.
Speaker 6 (14:44):
Mika.
Speaker 1 (14:44):
Always great to catch up with you, and I appreciate
all your time and all the best to.
Speaker 6 (14:48):
All of you. They're doing such good work.
Speaker 10 (14:50):
Thank you, Scott. We appreciate you inviting us on.
Speaker 1 (14:53):
Thank you again to Mika Tyler, the cf CRB State
Vice Chair, and again for more information.
Speaker 6 (14:58):
Simply reach out to the Content Tucky Administrative.
Speaker 1 (15:01):
Office of the Courts. I'm Scott fitz Jones. You're listening
to Kentucky Focus. We're back after this.
Speaker 3 (15:09):
Hi, I'm Gary Sonise.
Speaker 1 (15:11):
At the end of your.
Speaker 11 (15:12):
Workday, do you know you've made a difference the veterans,
affairs medical staff do the doctors, nurses, counselors, and health
technicians get to care for perhaps the most deserving of
all Americans, the men and women who have served in
our nations aren't forces. Visit VA Careers dot VA dot
(15:32):
gov to find out how you can make a difference.
Speaker 8 (15:35):
To We are Kentucky Broadcasters, your hometown radio and television stations.
We bring you breaking news, We keep you safe. We
serve your community in good times and in bad. Your
local broadcasters are always there. We are deeply rooted in
your small towns and your big cities. We champion a
(15:55):
strong sense of civic pride. No matter how we connect
over the air, online, and on your device, we are
Kentucky Broadcasters there when it matters.
Speaker 1 (16:06):
I'm Scoff fitzgeraldan welcome back. Today we're shedding a light
on a group whose strength often goes unseen, but whose
support is absolutely vital to the US military mission. We're talking,
of course, about the spouses and partners of military service members.
Behind every service member is a family moving from base
to base, navigating deployments, and managing day to day life
with extraordinary resilience.
Speaker 6 (16:27):
For many military spouses.
Speaker 1 (16:29):
The lifestyle comes with a sacrifice, careers disrupted by frequent relocations,
a sense of isolation, and all too often the lack
of support they deserve. The latest Blue Star Families and
Military Lifestyle Survey gives us a clearer picture of these challenges,
especially around employment and mental well being. But there's also
hope new initiatives are making a difference, helping military spouses
(16:50):
find meaningful work, across resources and connecting with others who
understand their journey. Joining us is doctor Lisa Borishi is
director for the Institute for Veterans and Family Wellness. She's
going to talk a little bit about that with us.
Good morning, doctor Borr, How are you great?
Speaker 12 (17:05):
How are you? Thanks for having me and focusing on
this key issue.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
Oh absolutely, it is a big time issue, that's for sure.
As a former military person myself, I totally understand and
can appreciate what military spouses are up against. So doctor
Borr to start, tell me what are the most pressing
issues military spouses are facing today?
Speaker 12 (17:23):
Well, as you noted, employment is the top issue that
we hear them report to us across several different studies
that have been done and related to that, of course,
is financial strain that the families are facing. That is
another top issue, and so they go hand in hand,
of course, and then a part of that is another
piece of the puzzle, which is childcare. They routinely remark
(17:44):
that childcare, lack of accessibility, cost, et cetera, affects their
ability to achieve the employment they're looking for. And as
you mentioned, this is all compounded by the fact that
they're moving around on average every two and a half years,
and they're rebuilding their whole lives every time they move.
So this is just really, really difficult.
Speaker 1 (18:01):
Doctor Elisa Bora, director of the Institute for Military and
Veteran Family Wellness, is joining us talking about some of
the challenges that military spouses are facing in Doctor Borah,
before we get too far into the conversation, tell us
a little bit about the Institute for Military and Veteran
Family Wellness.
Speaker 6 (18:18):
What do you all do? Oh?
Speaker 12 (18:19):
Thank you. We focus on research that will improve the health,
wellness and quality of life of military and veteran families,
and in particular for spouses because they are a unique
segment of this population who are often under supported and
don't receive the array of supports that veterans also receive
(18:40):
post service, and so we just think it's really important
to understand their needs and focus on that. We also
do research with the Department of Defense and with the VA.
Speaker 1 (18:49):
Very nice doctor Alsa Bora director again, she's with the
Institute of Military and Veteran Family Wellness, and we're here
talking about military spouses and the challenges they face.
Speaker 6 (18:59):
Now, Bor for listeners who may not be familiar with
the lifestyle, I was telling you off the ear.
Speaker 1 (19:04):
I'm prior military, so I certainly can appreciate what spouses
are up against.
Speaker 6 (19:08):
Can you paint a picture of.
Speaker 1 (19:09):
What day to day life looks like for a typical
military spouse or family.
Speaker 12 (19:13):
They are highly dedicated to the cause. They're very patriotic.
They value the service that their family is committed to
for the United States of America. Not to be too stereotypical,
but they truly are committed to the family's service and
they're willing to make personal sacrifices for that. They do
have to manage all of this frequent relocation of the
(19:35):
entire family to different installations or military bases. They're very
supportive of the military service member's needs. So you know,
often the service member may be gone for long amounts
of time, whether that be for long trainings or deployments,
and the spouses are the ones that are staying home,
maintaining everything, keeping everything running, making sure the kids are settled,
(19:56):
and finding the right supports, navigating healthcare. There's just an
array of all of the various responsibilities that the spouses
take on and manage in support of the service member's service.
Speaker 6 (20:08):
So that's kind of just a.
Speaker 12 (20:08):
Picture of what they're going through. And then as they
relocate frequently, they're re establishing all of those necessary community
resources that families need, such as healthcare, employment, if the
spouse can find it, communities that they join related to
school or faith, or just re establishing themselves every few years.
It's really a challenge.
Speaker 6 (20:28):
Great conversation. Doctor Lisa Bora joins us.
Speaker 1 (20:31):
She is director of the Institute for Military and Veteran
Family Wellness, and we're talking about the challenges military spouses
are facing. Their new surveys out the latest Blue Star
Families Military Family Lifestyle Survey giving us a kind of
broader picture of what military spouses are up against. And
doctor Bora, you know, not only do you have the
mechanics that you talked about there. That's like getting kids
(20:53):
to school and getting them to a new school, and
getting employment and finding ways to make things happened almost
as a single parent. But with that can sometimes come
mental health challenges as well. I mean, I'm sure it's
daunting for young people to start a new school, especially
if they move around a lot, and then the military
(21:13):
spouse having this all put on them without that support system.
Can you kind of speak a little bit to how
these are affecting military spouses.
Speaker 6 (21:21):
Thank you.
Speaker 12 (21:21):
That's a great question. Military spouses mental health is affected
by all of this military lifestyle, the moves, the uncertainty.
Sometimes you don't know if your partner is going to
be deployed in the next years. You know, that can
really affect you. But just the lack of stability and
the constant change can to really take the toll. It's
something we're doing at the University of Texas at Austin,
within our institute is we've built the Veteran Spouse Network Program,
(21:46):
which is a large national peer support and education program
where we train existing military and veteran spouses to become
peer leaders who then deliver group, individual and educational based
peer support so that spouses are really learning from other
spouses how to navigate all these challenges and getting warm
(22:08):
handoffs to really valuable resources that are available across the country.
So there are some national nonprofit programs that deliver employment
and career support for military spouses like Hiring Our Heroes,
Onward Opportunity, et cetera. But we make sure that they
hear about it through this very connected network.
Speaker 1 (22:27):
Doctor a Lisa Bora joining us now again with the
Institute for Military and Veteran Family Wellness. So what you're
telling me, doctor Moore, is that if there's a spouse
out there that's listening right now, and we of course
have Fort Campbell in our backyard here in Kentucky, and
we have Fort Knox, and we have other institutions around
and they need some help, they can reach out to you.
Speaker 6 (22:46):
Where can they go to find that help? Where do
they even start?
Speaker 12 (22:49):
Great, they can definitely go look at the Veteranspouse Network
dot org and on our website we have a page
resource Page, which is a carefully curated list of really
high quality support programs across the country that are accessible
from any installation. You can join these programs virtually. They
even offer scholarships for education for spouse's seeking additional higher
(23:12):
ED degrees. They do have lots of great employment supports
as well, and so some of those I mentioned did
the Onward Opportunity through Syracuse University. There's also Hiring our Heroes.
There's a Higher Heroes USA, and all of those in
our list also include a spouse component because there are
some organizations that are purely vetter and focused, but we
(23:33):
wanted to make sure the resource list we offer is
very spouse focused. That's where to look for resources in programming.
But if you want to really dig into the research
and learn more about what we found and what Blue
Star Families Survey their annual survey is finding, definitely go
check out the Blue Star Family's website. And then PMIUS
has just recently released this new Serving on the home
(23:54):
Front Report, which really synthesizes all of this information. It's
very accessible, readable report, and it looks at all the
challenges that military and veteran spouses are facing.
Speaker 1 (24:04):
Doctor Elisa Borr, director of the Institute for Military and
Veteran Family Wellness, joining us on this Memorial Day weekend
as we celebrate our well and remember our fallen veterans
but also take time out to understand military spouses and
the challenges that they face. Doctor Borr, just off the
top of your head, are there certain programs or resources
(24:25):
that prove pretty much more effective than others? Are our
most effective in helping military spouses find and keep meaningful employment.
Speaker 12 (24:33):
It's more about hearing that they have a community of
support and access to organizations, programming, et cetera that are
really focused on their needs. The programs I've mentioned are effective.
They make sure that spouse's programming is tailored to their
unique needs. It can be a one on one mentoring approach.
You can get a mentor to support your career engagement
(24:56):
and the jobs that you're looking for. I think that's
kind of what we've learned, is that tailored approach is
the most effective instead of the one size fits all
that it really needs to focus on the individual's needs.
Speaker 1 (25:06):
So let's talk about the community outside. What can employers,
community leaders, and even everyday folks listening right now do
better to support military spouses and their families.
Speaker 12 (25:18):
I think employers can do so much just by increasing
their awareness of these concerns. There are a number of
employers that are well aware and they've got strong programs
that ensure that military spouses have preference or at least
have a good shot at obtaining a position. Just recognizing
the challenges, realizing that remote work jobs that can follow
(25:39):
spouses as they move around are all really best practices
for ensuring that spouses are gaining really strong employment.
Speaker 1 (25:45):
What's the one thing you wish more people understood about
military spouses in the role they play in national service?
Speaker 12 (25:51):
Oh, just how critical they are to the success of
the military. It can't be understated how important their role is,
but so often it is and understood or appreciated. They
really keep everything running and everything put together for the entire.
Speaker 6 (26:06):
Family percent for sure.
Speaker 1 (26:08):
Last for you, doctor Bora, again, where can folks go
that are listening to this that if they just want
to know, maybe they're just a person that wants to
refer somebody to you, or they're a spouse that's listening,
where's a great place to start.
Speaker 12 (26:18):
Check out that Ourspouse network dot org and then you'll
see the array of programs that are available there, the
resource page, the research that we've done, and then we
always reference other amazing organizations research that they're putting out
as well. We all want to work together collaboratively to
make sure we address this key issue for them.
Speaker 6 (26:36):
Doctor Lisa Bora.
Speaker 1 (26:37):
She is the director of the Institute for Military and
Veteran Family Wellness. Of course we're talking about the Blue
Star Families Military Family Lifestyle Survey where they found amazing,
amazing facts and information about what military spouses are up against.
Speaker 6 (26:52):
Doctor Borah, thanks so much for your time.
Speaker 1 (26:54):
We appreciate you being around and we'll make sure we
get the word out to folks.
Speaker 6 (26:57):
Thank you so much for having me again.
Speaker 1 (26:59):
Thank you too, Doctor Alissa Bora from the Institute for
Military and Veteran Wellness. We're back after this wrap things up.
I'm Scott Fitzgerald. You're listening to Kentucky Focus.
Speaker 12 (27:11):
Listen, retirement is the long game.
Speaker 10 (27:14):
We can't play about our future or our finances. Let's
put ourselves in the right.
Speaker 7 (27:18):
Position start building your retirement plan at This ispretirement dot Org,
brought to you by AARP and the AD Council.
Speaker 1 (27:27):
Welcome back to Kentucky Focus. I'm Scott Fitzgerald and a
big thank you to our guest today, doctor Alissa Bora
from the Institute for Military and Veteran Wellness and JB.
Speaker 6 (27:36):
Simcole of PMI US for sharing their insides and for the.
Speaker 1 (27:40):
Important work they're doing to support our military families across
the country. And if you're in Kentucky and you want
to make a difference closer to home, don't forget twenty
six counties are an urgent need of volunteers to serve
on the citizens Fostered Care review boards just one day
a month and.
Speaker 6 (27:55):
Change a child's future.
Speaker 1 (27:56):
For more information, visit Administrative Office of the Courts.
Speaker 6 (27:59):
Don't get your point out in the right direction.
Speaker 1 (28:02):
Finally, as we mark this Memorial Day weekend, we pause
with deep gratitude and palm respect for the men and
women who gave their lives in service to our country.
Their sacrifice is the very reason we enjoy the freedoms
we sometimes and all too often take for granted. Behind
every name edged in stone is a story, and behind
every fallen hero is a family, a friend of community.
(28:23):
Left to carry the memory forward to those who knew
or loved someone lost to military service, Please know that
you are not forgotten. Here at Kentucky Focus and across
the Kentucky News Network, we keep you in our prayers.
We're forever thankful for the ultimate sacrifice your loved one
made for all of us. On this weekend of remembrance,
we honor not only with words, but with a promise.
Speaker 6 (28:45):
To live lives worthy of their legacy.
Speaker 1 (28:49):
Thank you for joining us on this Memorial Day edition
of Kentucky Focus. Until next time, take care of yourselves,
take care of one another, and never forget.
Speaker 6 (28:59):
I'm Scott Fitzger.
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