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So far Kentucky Youth Advocates has created 950 blog entries.

Statement on Governor Beshear’s 2026 State Budget Address

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – There was good news in last night’s address by Governor Andy Beshear as he joined with Republican legislative leaders in prioritizing basic needs like housing stability and food security for our kids and families. Those two arenas are clearly common ground and are ripe for legislative action as this session unfolds.  That is a vital opening for [...]

By |2026-01-08T07:56:51-05:00January 8th, 2026|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, News Room, Youth Justice|
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KYGA26 Preview on Kids

Guest host Shannon Moody is joined by Shane Noem, a Republican lobbyist from Northern Kentucky with Roebling Solutions and a Kentucky Youth Advocates board member, Jared Smith, partner at the government and public relations firm Piper Smith based in Lexington, and Alicia Whatley, KYA’s Senior Policy and Advocacy Director. They discuss what to expect in the 2026 legislative session, including priorities impacting kids, state budget considerations, and the realities facing the Kentucky General Assembly. [...]

By |2025-12-30T09:48:25-05:00December 30th, 2025|Podcast|
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New Issue Brief: Strengthening Legal Representation for Kentucky Families

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org New Issue Brief: Strengthening Legal Representation for Kentucky Families An Analysis of Pre-Petition Legal Representation and Recommendations to Improve Outcomes LOUISVILLE, KY – When families have access to quality legal representation during child welfare involvement, children are more likely to remain safely with their parents, leading to improved long-term outcomes. Yet, most Kentucky families do not receive legal representation until after a child has been removed and a court petition has [...]

By |2025-12-17T13:48:25-05:00December 17th, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, News Room|
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A Look at the Latest Child Well-Being Data and Conversation with Legislators on Child Nutrition

Terry Brooks shares reflections on the 2025 Kentucky KIDS COUNT Data Dashboard, including trends of the latest child well-being data in economic security, education, health, and family and community. Additionally, Shannon Moody is joined by members of the Make America Health Again Kentucky Taskforce, Senator Shelley Funke Frommeyer and Representative Adam Moore. They discuss the taskforce’s focus on child nutrition and food access and priority areas for the 2026 Kentucky General Assembly.Learn more about the [...]

By |2025-12-15T16:58:54-05:00December 15th, 2025|Podcast|
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2025 Kentucky KIDS COUNT Data Dashboard Launches with a Snapshot on Childhood Obesity and Food Access

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org 2025 Kentucky KIDS COUNT Data Dashboard Launches with a Snapshot on Childhood Obesity and Food Access Featuring the latest county-level data for key measures of child health, education, economic security, and family and community Louisville, KY – The 2025 Kentucky KIDS COUNT Data Dashboard, released today by Kentucky Youth Advocates, features the latest data on measures of child well-being, showing whether outcomes for children across the Commonwealth have improved, worsened, or [...]

By |2025-12-11T09:12:26-05:00December 11th, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, News Room|
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Announcing the Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children 2026 State Policy and Budget Priority Agenda

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Louisville, KY – Kentucky Youth Advocates recently released the Blueprint for Kentucky's Children 2026 priority agenda, featuring state policy changes and budget investments that will impact kids and families across the Commonwealth. The Blueprint for Kentucky's Children speaks with a common voice to create brighter futures for all Kentucky kids and their families. The coalition is comprised of non-profit, public, and private organizations that stands on three pillars: thriving communities launch strong families, strong families [...]

By |2025-12-16T11:46:20-05:00December 2nd, 2025|Blog, News Room|
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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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