Kentucky Youth Advocates, Author at Kentucky Youth Advocates

Statement on Passage of SB 100 Senate Licensing & Occupations Committee

Statement on Passage of SB 100 Senate Licensing & Occupations Committee

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – Kentucky kids have told us – as well as teachers, parents, coaches, and health care providers – vaping is happening among our high school and middle school students. And the reality is that, despite the Tobacco-21 law prohibiting sales of vapes and e-cigarettes to those under 21, two out of five youth nationally report getting these products [...]

By Kentucky Youth Advocates|2025-02-18T10:47:43-05:00February 18th, 2025|Education, Health, News Room|

Taliyah’s Story of Losing Child Care: Roadblocking Dreams and Missing Early Learning

Taliyah’s Story of Losing Child Care: Roadblocking Dreams and Missing Early Learning

Every parent wants a stable child care option to keep their kids safe and help them learn and grow. Taliyah's Story My world was turned upside down this summer when the daycare that my children attended told me that they could no longer serve my two-year-old son. The director explained that my son needed more one-on-one support and that the center was too short staffed to be able to provide the care he needed. I [...]

By Kentucky Youth Advocates|2025-02-13T14:14:43-05:00February 13th, 2025|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education|

Guest Post: Equipping Animal Control Officers to Help Keep Kids Safe

Guest Post: Equipping Animal Control Officers to Help Keep Kids Safe

By Kiera Dunk Content warning: This blog, or pages it links to, contains information about sensitive subjects including abuse and violence. The most recent data released shows that rates of child abuse are down since 2019, but still not enough. This is not acceptable, and I think you all will agree, the Commonwealth of Kentucky is CAPABLE of doing much better. In 2023, I discovered a national organization called The National Link Coalition. This group has [...]

By Kentucky Youth Advocates|2025-02-14T16:04:48-05:00February 13th, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety|

Statement on Passage of SB 73 by Kentucky Senate

Statement on Passage of SB 73 by Kentucky Senate

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – Kids’ safety was once again prioritized by the Kentucky Senate with their overwhelming bipartisan support of Senate Bill 73 today. Through the leadership of Senator Julie Raque Adams, SB 73 will empower victims of sexual extortion by holding perpetrators accountable and will prioritize prevention education among Kentucky’s most vulnerable to online risks. Online sexual extortion – or [...]

By Kentucky Youth Advocates|2025-02-12T15:25:59-05:00February 12th, 2025|Child Welfare & Safety, Education, News Room|

A Conversation with Attorney General Russell Coleman

A Conversation with Attorney General Russell Coleman

Terry Brooks is joined by Kentucky's Attorney General Russell Coleman to discuss his office's role in convening diverse stakeholders on issues impacting kids and families, as well as ongoing efforts around the Opioid Settlement Fund, protecting kids online, and a substance use prevention campaign targeting youth. Thank you to Aetna Better Health of Kentucky for supporting the Making Kids Count podcast. Visit AetnaMedicaidKY.com/choose to learn more about their health care benefits [...]

By Kentucky Youth Advocates|2025-02-11T13:13:41-05:00February 11th, 2025|Podcast|

My Family’s Story and “What Could Have Been” with Alternative Response

My Family’s Story and “What Could Have Been” with Alternative Response

By Theda Simpson-Mosby Is there such a thing as a “normal” family? What beliefs do we hold about how “normal” families should function daily? Is it the family with a spotless home, a mom and dad who both work in their chosen professions, parents who head the PTA and coach the little league teams, and children who arrive at school with immaculate clothing and not a hair out of place? While this may be the [...]

By Kentucky Youth Advocates|2025-02-06T15:15:09-05:00February 6th, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety|

Statement on Passage of SB 73 by Senate Judiciary Committee

Statement on Passage of SB 73 by Senate Judiciary Committee

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – As Kentucky kids learn and socialize increasingly in online spaces, it’s as important as ever to put safeguards in place to prevent and address exploitation and promote child safety. In recent years, there has been a significant increase in cases of online sexual extortion, or “sextortion” – where perpetrators use social media platforms, gaming sites, and messaging [...]

By Kentucky Youth Advocates|2025-02-06T09:59:09-05:00February 6th, 2025|Child Welfare & Safety, Education, News Room|

Statement on Passage of SB 17 by Senate Health Services Committee

Statement on Passage of SB 17 by Senate Health Services Committee

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – Kentucky kids’ health depends on access to safe and equitable care – beginning even before they are born. Senate Bill 17, sponsored by Senator Shelly Funke Frommeyer, will remove barriers to critical perinatal care options so that more Kentucky moms and their babies have the chance to thrive. Freestanding birth centers are small health care facilities that offer [...]

By Kentucky Youth Advocates|2025-02-05T17:47:04-05:00February 5th, 2025|Health, News Room, Race Equity|

OP-ED: “Say What?” Legislative Proposals for Kids

OP-ED: “Say What?” Legislative Proposals for Kids

This originally appeared as an op-ed in the Herald Leader, NKY Tribune, and Courier Journal. By Terry Brooks “Say what?” Merriam Webster describes this idiom as “a way to express surprise or disbelief at what someone has said or at unexpected news.” It is also the most popular response to any question or request directed to my three teenage grandkids. I’m never sure if that teen response is genuine surprise or a very skilled stalling [...]

By Kentucky Youth Advocates|2025-01-31T16:17:58-05:00January 30th, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, Kids Count, Medicaid, News Room, Youth Justice|

Statement on Auditor’s Report on Foster Children Sleeping in DCBS Offices

Statement on Auditor’s Report on Foster Children Sleeping in DCBS Offices

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – With the release of the preliminary report on foster children staying in Department for Community Based Services office buildings, State Auditor Allison Ball and the Office of the Ombudsman exemplifies how to be a catalyst for change for some of the Commonwealth’s most vulnerable kids. The report outlines a few important takeaways for us to consider when it [...]

By Kentucky Youth Advocates|2025-01-29T14:20:49-05:00January 29th, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, News Room|

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