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So far Kentucky Youth Advocates has created 944 blog entries.

New Issue Brief: Improving the Safety of Kentucky’s Youngest Children

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org New Issue Brief: Improving the Safety of Kentucky’s Youngest Children Understanding the Scope of Child Abuse in Child Centers and Proposed Recommendations LOUISVILLE, KY – Parents across Kentucky rely on child care options in order to go to work and provide for their family. While the vast majority of child care programs are safe and high-quality, recent data shows that incidents of child abuse emanating from child care centers have increased [...]

By |2025-11-20T10:23:11-05:00November 20th, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, News Room|
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Guest Post: Reshaping the Trajectories of Kentucky’s Grieving Children

By Leila Salisbury  November has been designated as Grieving Children and Families Month, a time to highlight the data points showing that grief and loss are at the heart of the most under recognized and under addressed population health crisis for our children in Kentucky. 1 in 9 children in Kentucky will experience the death of a parent or sibling by the age of 18.  These bereaved children are more likely to experience Substance Use [...]

By |2025-12-17T09:36:58-05:00November 12th, 2025|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Child Welfare & Safety, Education|
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The Economic Impact of ACEs and Building Community Resilience in Kentucky

Guest host Shannon Moody is joined by Dr. Wendy Ellis, the Founding Director of the Center for Community Resilience at George Washington University, researcher and assistant professor, Dr. Courtnee Melton-Fant, as well as Barry Allen of The Gheens Foundation and Hannah Edelen with Bloom Kentucky. They discuss the latest report from KYA and Bloom Kentucky -- "The Economic Impact of ACEs in Kentucky" -- and implications and opportunities as we look to Kentucky’s 2026 [...]

By |2025-10-24T16:29:58-04:00October 23rd, 2025|Bloom Kentucky, Podcast|
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More Than a Visit: Reimagining Parenting Time to Strengthen Families

By Jane Herms, President/CEO, Family Nurturing Center By shifting the focus from supervision to active parenting, child welfare systems are helping children stay connected, families heal, and reunification become possible. For children separated from their parents because of abuse, neglect, or other safety concerns, time spent together during that separation is more than a moment on a calendar — it’s a lifeline. Those visits are opportunities to preserve bonds, nurture relationships, and lay the groundwork [...]

By |2025-10-16T14:53:43-04:00October 16th, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety|
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Intern Insights: Kids COUNT in Nelson County

by Kelsey Raymer, Intern at Kentucky Youth Advocates Situated between Bullitt and Marion Counties, Nelson County is full of deep history, new educational opportunities, and diverse populations. As someone who grew up in the county, the most intriguing phenomenon to experience is the economic division, lack of resource accessibility, and educational growth within the county.  In the Anne E. Casey Foundation’s KIDS COUNT analysis of Nelson County, two major indicators stand out. From 2013 to [...]

By |2025-10-09T16:27:46-04:00October 9th, 2025|Blog, Kids Count|
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MAHA and Kentucky Kids

Guest host Shannon Moody is joined by Allison Adams, president and CEO of the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, Bruce Lesley, president of First Focus on Children, and Alicia Whatley, Senior Policy & Advocacy Director at Kentucky Youth Advocates. The advocates discuss the “Make America Healthy Again” movement – nationally and in Kentucky – and the impact on child health and well-being. Thank you to Aetna [...]

By |2025-09-30T17:30:27-04:00October 1st, 2025|Podcast|
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Statement on Recent Beshear Administration Update on KTAP

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – The Governor recently proclaimed September as Kinship Care Awareness Month. Typically, that would mean a time to honor those grandparents, relatives, and close family friends stepping up to care for children. Instead, Kinship Month is wrapping up on a distressing note. We can only hope that it's a case of unintended consequences and this harmful course can be reversed. Just days ago the Governor emphasized [...]

By |2025-09-26T15:23:25-04:00September 26th, 2025|Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, News Room|
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A Conversation with Dr. Marty Pollio on the State of K-12 Education

Terry Brooks is joined by Dr. Marty Pollio, former superintendent of Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) and incoming president of Ivy Tech Community College, to discuss the state of K-12 education, reflections from his time at JCPS, and opportunities for all community members to continue supporting kids in school settings. Thank you to Aetna Better Health of Kentucky for supporting the Making Kids Count podcast. Visit AetnaMedicaidKY.com/choose to learn more about [...]

By |2025-07-01T15:54:56-04:00July 2nd, 2025|Podcast|
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From Separation to Strength: A Mother’s Journey

By: Brandi Woods, a member of KY SEAT There are moments in life that etch themselves into your soul. For me, one of those moments was the day my daughter was born. The other was the day she came back home to me after six months in the foster care system. If you’re a parent walking the painful road of separation, let me tell you: I see you. I know the ache in your chest, [...]

By |2025-06-25T12:56:01-04:00June 25th, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety|
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New Report – Bloom Kentucky Examines the Economic Impact of ACEs and Offers Recommendations

New Report - Bloom Kentucky Examines the Economic Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences in Kentucky and Offers Key Strategies for Prevention Contact: Kelsey Dimar kdimar@kyyouth.org LOUISVILLE, KY – Adversity experienced in childhood has an annual estimated cost of $295 million on Kentucky’s economy, according to The Economic Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences in Kentucky report released today by Bloom Kentucky, an initiative powered by grantmaking partners from across the Commonwealth and backboned by Kentucky Youth [...]

By |2025-09-09T12:59:35-04:00June 16th, 2025|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Health, Justice, News Room, Race Equity|
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