Other Legislative Item Senate Bill 304 Ensure Safe Storage of Firearms to Keep Kids Safe Summary SB 304 would require gun owners to secure their firearms in a lock box or with a gun lock when not un use and to report any lost or stolen firearms or ammunition to the police. Status SB 304 is sponsored by Senator Gerald Neal and is awaiting committee assignment. Awaiting Committee Assignment [...]
Guest host Shannon Moody is joined by Jane Herms, president and CEO of Family Nurturing Center in NKY; Sonja Grey, executive director of ECHO; and Laura Wills-Coppelman, co-founder of ICKY Schools. This panel of advocates discuss several bills being considered by the General Assembly to address and prevent child sexual abuse and grooming. Learn more about the Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children 2026 priorities at kyyouth.org/blueprintKY. Learn more about the Kosair for Kids Face It [...]
On March 4th, youth, advocates, and leaders from across the Commonwealth joined Kentucky Youth Advocates for the 2026 Children's Advocacy Day at the Capitol and the first ever Town Hall on Kentucky Kids. In addition to remarks from a young person and adult advocates, attendees heard a conversation with a panel of state legislative leaders, including Senate President Pro Tem David Givens, House Speaker David Osborne, and Senate Minority Whip Cassie Chambers Armstrong. Event [...]
Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – Kentucky’s economy counts on a strong child care workforce and availability of high quality child care for every child so parents can go to work knowing their child is safe, learning, and cared for. Yet, child care deserts and increasing waitlists are causing child care programs to operate at the highest adult-to-child ratios that the state will allow, [...]
Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – State Auditor Allison Ball and Ombudsman Jonathan Grate once again exemplify how the Office of the Ombudsman can serve as a catalyst for change for some of Kentucky’s most vulnerable kids. In a report released today, decisionmakers and advocates can look deeper at the reality facing foster children in Nontraditional Placements (NTP) across the Commonwealth, such as [...]
Blueprint Legislative Priority Support Families' Access to Clean Diapers House Bill 865 would exempt diapers from state sales tax. Review the Blueprint for Kentucky's Children policy priority fact sheet. HB 865 is a Bloom Kentucky policy priority. Status HB 865 is co-sponsored by Representative Josh Calloway and Representative T.J. Roberts and is awaiting committee assignment. Awaiting Committee Assignment
Blueprint Legislative Priority Ensure the Basic Legal Rights of Kids Senate Bill 358 would require peace officers or court designated workers to arrange for a child to consult with an attorney prior to an interview or interrogation and before waiving their Miranda rights. Review the Blueprint for Kentucky's Children policy priority fact sheet. Status SB 358 is sponsored by Senator Jason Howell and is awaiting committee assignment. Awaiting Committee Assignment [...]
By Aleah Stigall, former member of the Health Youth Ambassadors Aleah shared the following speech as the opening of the 2026 Town Hall on Kids in the Capitol Education Center at the annual Children’s Advocacy Day at the Capitol. Welcome to this year’s Children’s Advocacy Day Town Hall on Kids! I am Aleah Stigall, a senior at Boyle County High School. From a young age, I was raised to advocate for myself, especially as a [...]
Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – It’s become increasingly obvious the toll social media has had on Kentucky adolescents with our young people facing increasing rates of anxiety, depression, cyberbullying, and sextortion. And that reality is apparent in the data – one in six Kentucky kids were diagnosed with depression or anxiety and nearly one in five Kentucky high school students seriously considered [...]
Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org FRANKFORT, KY – Hundreds of child advocates are convening this week for Children’s Advocacy Week, urging elected leaders to support the Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children, a unified policy agenda focused on creating brighter futures for all Kentucky kids and families. Today is Children’s Advocacy Day at the Capitol, where community organizations, professionals who work with kids and families, and young people from across the Commonwealth gather in Frankfort to meet with their legislators, attend [...]
