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So far Kentucky Youth Advocates has created 950 blog entries.

Kentucky Youth Advocates Announces Executive Director Transition; Dr. Shannon Moody to Succeed Dr. Terry Brooks After 21 Years of Leadership

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org 502-895-8167 X122 Kentucky Youth Advocates Announces Executive Director Transition; Dr. Shannon Moody to Succeed Dr. Terry Brooks After 21 Years of Leadership Dr. Moody named as incoming leader, bringing nearly 15 years of experience at KYA LOUISVILLE, KY — May 27, 2026 – As Kentucky Youth Advocates approaches its 50th anniversary, the Board of Directors announced today that Dr. Shannon Moody, currently KYA’s Chief Policy & Strategy Officer, will succeed Dr. [...]

By |2026-05-27T09:54:57-04:00May 27th, 2026|Blog, News Room|
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New Report – KYA and True Up Examine Education Outcomes of Kentucky Foster Youth

New Report – KYA and True Up Examine Education Outcomes of Kentucky Youth with Foster Care Experience Interactive report features key data on outcomes and barriers to success and offers policy recommendations Louisville, KY – Students with foster care experience bring unique strengths and perspectives to our classrooms; they also face trauma and systemic hurdles that can make the climb toward graduation and beyond more difficult. To support more informed, data-driven responses, Kentucky Youth Advocates [...]

By |2026-05-20T17:03:47-04:00May 20th, 2026|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Education, News Room|
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Bipartisan Federal Bills Aim to Better Support Foster Youth on Their Path to Adulthood

By Claire Elmore, Intern at Kentucky Youth Advocates While Kentucky’s 2026 legislative session has officially ended, federal lawmakers are still working on important legislation that could strengthen supports for young people with foster care experience.  On April 29th, the House Ways and Means Committee unanimously advanced six bipartisan bills to modernize the John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood and the Education and Training Voucher program. The six bills [...]

By |2026-05-19T20:23:18-04:00May 19th, 2026|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education|
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The Intersection of Youth Mental Health and Social Media

Guest host Shannon Moody is joined by three community leaders and experts to discuss youth mental health and the impacts of social media. Guests include state Representative Kim Moser of Kenton County, Sarah Kidder, Executive Director of the Kentucky Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs, and Dr. Amy Brausch, a licensed clinical psychologist and scholar with the LifeSkills Center for Child Welfare Education and Research at Western Kentucky University. If you or someone you [...]

By |2026-05-14T15:18:27-04:00May 14th, 2026|Podcast|
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KYGA26 Recap and Reflections with Child Advocates

Shannon Moody is joined by three statewide child advocacy partners to reflect on themes, wins, and challenges of the 2026 Kentucky General Assembly and the impact on children and families. Guests include Nickie Jones, Executive Director of Family Enrichment Center, Inc. in Bowling Green, Liz McQuillen, Chief Policy Officer at Metro United Way in Louisville, and Shane Noem, President of Roebling Solutions and a Kentucky Youth Advocates board member from Northern Kentucky. Check out [...]

By |2026-04-29T09:41:47-04:00April 29th, 2026|Podcast|
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Op-Ed: The power of persistence in child abuse prevention — in wake of legislation, commitment is key

This op-ed was originally posted by the NKyTribune on April 27, 2026. By Shannon Moody and Barry Dunn "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.” The Little Engine That Could taught many of us the power of persistence – not giving up when the going gets tough and maintaining a sense of hopefulness when all seems lost. That mantra, backed by the persistence of our community partners, helps the Kosair for Kids Face [...]

By |2026-04-28T10:31:23-04:00April 28th, 2026|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, News Room|
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2026 Other Legislative Item House Bill 778

Other Legislative Item House Bill 778 Strengthen Child Safety  Summary HB 778 would prohibit any registered sex offender from being approved for foster or fictive kin placement, reduces barriers to recommitment to care for youth over 18, and requires training on pediatric ingestion or inhalation of controlled substances, among several other components. Status HB 778 is sponsored by Representative Nick Wilson. It has passed the Kentucky House and Senate and [...]

By |2026-04-14T12:40:31-04:00April 14th, 2026|Bill Tracker|
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Guest Post: A Final Push to Protect Kids with Kyan’s Law

By Kiera Dunk As many people focus on the headlines coming out of the federal government, they often overlook what is happening at the state level. While the state government has a direct impact on our daily lives, people have more power than they realize to influence it. Two years ago, I started this journey with Kyan’s Law, sharing his story and hoping to bring him justice while preventing other deaths like his. Currently, that [...]

By |2026-04-02T09:18:06-04:00April 2nd, 2026|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety|
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Statement on Passage of HB 6 by the Kentucky Senate

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – Child care advocates are cheering as House Bill 6 passed the Kentucky Senate floor this afternoon. With the leadership of Representative Samara Heavrin, this robust legislation thoughtfully strengthens Kentucky’s child care infrastructure for the bottom line of families, businesses, and the state budget.  Among its many components, HB 6 will impact accessibility, affordability, and availability of quality [...]

By |2026-03-31T17:33:47-04:00March 31st, 2026|Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, News Room|
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Statement on Passage of Child Safety Legislation to Address Grooming and Educator Sexual Misconduct

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – On the eve of Child Abuse Prevention Month, the Kentucky General Assembly has taken critical action on two legislative priorities related to child safety and abuse prevention – House Bill 253, including provisions of House Bill 102, and House Bill 4 – both of which are now headed to the Governor’s desk to be signed into law.  [...]

By |2026-03-31T17:27:45-04:00March 31st, 2026|Child Welfare & Safety, News Room|
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