5 Ways to Take Action for National Children’s Dental Health Month

This blog was originally posted by the Kentucky Oral Health Coalition.  February is National Children’s Dental Health Month, when the American Dental Association encourages grownups to spread awareness about the importance of children’s oral health. Here are 5 things to know about kids’ oral health in Kentucky, along with ways to take action!   What To Know: As noted in KOHC’s 2023 Landscape Assessment, fewer than half of Kentucky children on Medicaid or KCHIP received a routine [...]

By |2024-02-22T12:17:53-05:00February 22nd, 2024|Blog, Health|

Getting a Clearer Picture: Kinship Caregiver Resource List

By Norma Hatfield, kinship caregiver and president of the Kinship Families Coalition of Kentucky As a grandmother who has navigated the child welfare system while caring for two of my grandchildren, I found that I was desperate for information; especially at the beginning when you get the kids. Oftentimes, the kids come with what they are wearing at the moment and you have nothing else. You are starting all over.   Even more so,  I [...]

By |2024-02-22T16:46:25-05:00February 22nd, 2024|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Race Equity|

Empowering Communities: Leveraging Opioid Settlement Funds for Impact

*Updated March 13, 2024 What does Bloom Kentucky and a toolbox have in common? Both share a fundamental purpose of empowerment and repair, providing essential tools and strategies to build resilience and mend the fabric of affected lives and communities.  Here at Bloom Kentucky, we want to equip you and your community with the tools to leverage the historic opioid settlement funds for impact. On Wednesday, March 6th, Bloom Kentucky hosted a webinar with [...]

The Echoes of Youth Chants and Energy Goes Beyond Children’s Advocacy Day

By Leah Wade, Intern at Kentucky Youth Advocates  Children’s Advocacy Day at the Capitol is when people across the Commonwealth come together to lift up a united voice for Kentucky’s children. A highlight of the day always includes the presence of youth-serving organizations and school groups. This year, nearly 300 youth took the time to speak on behalf of themselves and their peers. Kentucky Youth Advocates wanted to briefly highlight how groups had an [...]

Child Fatality & Near Fatality External Review Panel Annual Report

By Bailey Brewer, Intern with Kentucky Youth Advocates Kentucky’s Child Fatality and Near Fatality External Review Panel released their 2023 Annual Report, which consists of a comprehensive review of every child death and near death within the state fiscal year 2022 referred to the panel by the Department for Community Based Services and Department for Public Health. This panel is required by state law to meet throughout the year to review each child’s case and [...]

By |2024-02-13T16:18:49-05:00February 13th, 2024|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety|

Statement on Senator Danny Carroll’s Horizons Act

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – In today’s bold move by Senator Danny Carroll, he is guaranteeing a quality future for kids, meeting the core needs of working families, and lifting local economies by bolstering Kentucky’s workforce. The Horizons Act puts into motion the state budget investments and policy changes necessary to stabilize Kentucky’s struggling child care sector and ensure parents can go [...]

CAW 2024 Retreat: Empowering Kentucky’s Youth to Light the Way

Two weeks ago, Frankfort became a buzzing hub of youthful energy and advocacy as over thirty dynamic young individuals from every corner of the Commonwealth convened for Kentucky Youth Advocates' annual youth retreat. This gathering, held on the eve of Children’s Advocacy Day, was not just any retreat – it was a vibrant confluence of minds eager to shape the future. Groups including KYA’s Health Youth Ambassadors, REFORM Louisville, True Up, and YouthBuild Louisville [...]

The Latest Child Maltreatment Report Shows Improvements but Still Too Many Victims in Kentucky

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org LOUISVILLE, KY – Kentucky now ranks 14th in the nation in child victims of maltreatment according to the latest Child Maltreatment report from the Children’s Bureau of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. While there has been a 48% reduction in child victims of maltreatment from 2018 to 2022, Kentucky is around 60% higher than the national rate (7.7 per 1,000) of child maltreatment at 12.3 per 1,000 children. [...]

By |2024-02-07T10:20:59-05:00February 7th, 2024|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, News Room|

Youth Voice: “My first encounter with vaping took place over five years ago in the 6th grade.”

The Kentucky 2024 General Assembly is well underway and legislators from around the state are considering a number of policy proposals that impact kids and families. As KYA monitors action in Frankfort, we also look to Kentucky youth to hear the issues they want to see prioritized by our state decisionmakers. A common message among young people in Kentucky – do something about the overwhelming youth access to vapes and nicotine products. Keep reading to [...]

By |2024-02-01T10:42:08-05:00February 1st, 2024|Blog, Education, Health|

Update on Kentucky’s Opioid Settlement Funds

Many individuals may start off the new year with resolutions or promises to be kept throughout the year. Here with Bloom Kentucky, our hope is that we keep our commitment to kids and families in the year of 2024 and beyond when it comes to communicating the message of how the distribution of dollars from the Opioid Settlement can be used to make an impact. Primer on Opioid Settlement Funds As a quick primer [...]

By |2024-02-02T09:36:02-05:00January 31st, 2024|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security|
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