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So far Kentucky Youth Advocates has created 966 blog entries.

Kinship Connections Shelbyville – Helping Families Navigate Resources Throughout Kentucky

This year, the Kinship Families Coalition of Kentucky in partnership with Kentucky Youth Advocates (KYA), through the support of Casey Family Programs, is hosting a series of free Kinship Connections events to increase awareness and support for kinship caregivers - grandparents, relatives, or close family friends raising children. The event in Shelby County on July 14th was one in a series: the first event took place on May 27th in Laurel County, and [...]

By |2026-07-23T15:47:40-04:00July 23rd, 2026|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety|
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KYA’s Next Chapter: A Conversation with New Executive Director

Guest host Mara Powell talks with Dr. Shannon Moody, KYA’s new executive director. They discuss what led Shannon to KYA, her reflections on the challenges and opportunities in child advocacy, and her hopes and vision for the podcast and the organization, especially as KYA embarks on its 50th year in 2027. Check out ways to support Kentucky Youth Advocates at kyyouth.org/sponsor/. Thank you to [...]

By |2026-07-15T08:59:40-04:00July 15th, 2026|Podcast|
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Guest Blog: Kinship Connections Events – Helping Families Navigate Resources Throughout Kentucky

By Tori Henderson, KYA intern This year, the Kinship Families Coalition of Kentucky in partnership with Kentucky Youth Advocates, through the support of Casey Family Programs, is hosting a series of free Kinship Connections events to increase awareness and support for kinship caregivers - grandparents, relatives, or close family friends raising children. The first event took place on May 27th in Laurel County, Kentucky. We will be hosting two more this [...]

By |2026-06-24T10:53:06-04:00June 24th, 2026|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety|
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5 Farewell Questions with Dr. Terry Brooks

What are you most proud of in your 20-year tenure at KYA? When I came to KYA in 2005, I was struck and actually angered that the aspiration of the broader child advocacy community was simply to make a lot of noise.  What’s that Texas phrase?”  “All hat.  No cattle.”  Have a rally.  Hold a press conference.  Wave some signs. And … literally, no one ever talked about winning.  Instead, [...]

By |2026-06-18T10:59:32-04:00June 12th, 2026|Blog|
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Kentucky Ranks 36th in 2026 KIDS COUNT Data Book as Kentucky Youth Advocates Urges Deepened Focus on How Kids and Families Fare

Contact: Mara Powell | mpowell@kyyouth.org | 502-895-8167 X122 Kentucky Ranks 36th in 2026 KIDS COUNT Data Book as Kentucky Youth Advocates Urges Deepened Focus on How Kids and Families Fare Annual National Report on Child Well-Being Shows Progress and Gaps for Kentucky LOUISVILLE, KY — Kentucky ranks 36th in child well-being, according to the 2026 KIDS COUNT Data Book, a 50-state report of recent data developed by the Annie E. Casey Foundation analyzing how kids [...]

By |2026-06-10T09:52:38-04:00June 8th, 2026|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, News Room|
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5 Questions to Get to Know Dr. Shannon Moody

What are you most proud of in your nearly 15-year tenure at KYA? Starting at KYA as an intern, I don’t think I could have imagined all of the ways I’ve gotten to engage with Kentuckians across the Commonwealth over the last several years. Getting to know and learn all the ways leaders across Kentucky support and care for kids has been an incredible experience - from hosting regional Family [...]

By |2026-08-07T16:09:30-04:00June 4th, 2026|Blog|
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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 |2026-10-09T08:59:46-04:00May 14th, 2026|Bloom Kentucky, Podcast|
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