FacebookInstagramXYouTubeEmail

About Kentucky Youth Advocates

This author has not yet filled in any details.
So far Kentucky Youth Advocates has created 950 blog entries.

National Grandfamilies Report Emphasizes Focus on Resilience Building

By Tamara Vest and Shannon Moody When children cannot stay safely with their parents, research tells us the best option for their success lies in being cared for by grandparents, relatives, or close family friends. Kentuckians value family and we see these caregiving arrangements in many homes across the Commonwealth.  It is estimated that 55,000 children live with and receive care and support from a relative that is not their biological parent in the state [...]

By |2024-01-04T13:18:07-05:00January 4th, 2024|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security|
Read More

Journey to Success KY: Week of Action on Chafee

By Keisha Lyon, member of Journey to Success Kentucky Earlier this month, the Journey to Success Kentucky team traveled to Washington DC hoping to elevate youth voices to our federal legislators. Among them were two lived experience experts who joined nationwide JTS advocates at Capitol Hill. Our main  goals were asking Congress to: Increase Chafee program funding by at least $100 million per year. Improve communications to ensure that all eligible youth are aware of [...]

By |2023-12-27T11:53:31-05:00December 27th, 2023|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety|
Read More

It’s Easy to Feel Like the Grinch When Your Parent is Locked Up

By Dequantay Smith, member of REFORM Louisville Holidays are really the hardest times for kids whose parents are locked up. Those are the days that are supposed to be family days. You think, “I’m supposed to be with my family today.”  I had that experience when Memorial Day came around. I was staying with my aunt and great-grandmother during that time. We had a family gathering at a park for the holiday. Everybody was happy, [...]

By |2023-12-21T11:56:53-05:00December 21st, 2023|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Justice|
Read More

Statement on Governor Beshear’s 2024 State Budget Address

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – It’s become almost a cliché and yet it is very true. A budget is really not about dollars and cents but rather a profound statement of values and priorities. So, what can we learn about Governor Beshear’s vision for Kentucky’s kids in his second term from tonight’s state budget address? First, tonight’s budget proposal underscores what we [...]

By |2023-12-19T08:36:48-05:00December 18th, 2023|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Medicaid, News Room, Youth Justice|
Read More

A Conversation with Author Cara Fitzpatrick on School Choice

Terry Brooks is joined by Bill Goodman, executive director of Kentucky Humanities, for a conversation with Cara Fitzpatrick, author of “The Death of Public School: How Conservatives Won the War Over Education in America." They discuss Fitzpatrick's book, the national landscape of school choice, and what it means for Kentucky. Thank you to Aetna Better Health of Kentucky for supporting the Making Kids Count podcast. Visit AetnaMedicaidKY.com/choose to learn more about [...]

By |2023-12-11T16:17:58-05:00December 12th, 2023|Podcast|
Read More

Announcing the Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children 2024 State Policy and Budget Priorities Agenda

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Louisville, KY – Today, Kentucky Youth Advocates and partners from across the Commonwealth released the Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children 2024 priority agenda. The Blueprint speaks with a common voice to create brighter futures for all Kentucky kids and their families. The Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children is a coalition of non-profit, public, and private organizations that stands on three pillars: thriving communities launch strong families, strong families launch successful kids, and successful [...]

By |2023-12-06T10:13:43-05:00December 6th, 2023|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, Kids Count, Medicaid, News Room, Race Equity, Youth Justice|
Read More

OP-ED: Five things we can do for kinship families

This originally appeared as an op-ed in Kentucky Today and the Herald Leader on November 30, 2023. By Norma Hatfield As we approach a new year, let’s not forget kids in kinship care.  Kinship care is when a child is living with relatives or close family friends other than their parents.  These children may be victims of abuse and neglect and/or formally in the child welfare system, while many for a myriad of reasons are informally [...]

By |2023-11-30T17:40:54-05:00November 30th, 2023|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Health|
Read More

2023 Kentucky KIDS COUNT County Data Book: A Look at Child Well-Being & the “Kid Workforce”

Terry Brooks discusses the 2023 Kentucky KIDS COUNT County Data Book, including the latest data on 16 measures of child well-being and an analysis of the "kid workforce" -- the committed adults that support and impact the well-being of Kentucky’s children and youth. View the County Data Book, our press release, county profiles, and more at https://kyyouth.org/kentucky-kids-count/. The 2023 Kentucky KIDS COUNT County Data Book was made possible with support from the Annie E. Casey Foundation [...]

By |2023-11-20T16:57:05-05:00November 21st, 2023|Podcast|
Read More

National Adoption Month: The Smith Family’s Story

By Leah Wade, Intern at Kentucky Youth Advocates  November is National Adoption Month, which acknowledges adoption's importance in many families’ lives. The goal of foster care is to reunite children with their parents; when that is not an option, alternatives for permanency are pursued, like adoption. The Children’s Bureau reported that in Kentucky in 2021, 2,453 children are awaiting adoption following the termination of parental rights. In Kentucky, adoption can be pursued through private foster [...]

By |2023-11-20T16:09:15-05:00November 20th, 2023|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety|
Read More

A Focus on Youth Mental Health and Improving Outcomes

By Yelena Bagdasaryan, Intern at Kentucky Youth Advocates  Mental health is an integral part of kids’ everyday lives and a focus area nationally as mental health issues among youth have increased in recent years. Addressing these concerns is vital for youth since mental health struggles are leading causes for poor health outcomes and difficulties in school and relationships. Since the pandemic, mental health among youth has declined drastically in Kentucky, which can be attributed to [...]

By |2023-11-22T11:13:23-05:00November 20th, 2023|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Education, Health, Kids Count|
Read More
Go to Top