Shannon Moody, Author at Kentucky Youth Advocates

Op-Ed: Use KY’s Meta settlement to invest in ‘real life’ for kids

Op-Ed: Use KY’s Meta settlement to invest in ‘real life’ for kids

This was originally published in the Kentucky Lantern. Have you ever picked up your phone to text, only to find yourself mindlessly scrolling social media? You’re not alone. Social media companies design products to trigger addictive behavior—putting kids’ sleep, mental health, and self-image at serious risk. But there’s good news: Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman is doing something about it. Last week, General Coleman and his team landed a decisive [...]

By Shannon Moody|2026-10-09T08:56:28-04:00September 10th, 2026|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, News Room|

KYGA26: Bill Breakdown on Kids

KYGA26: Bill Breakdown on Kids

Every year, we at Kentucky Youth Advocates anxiously watch the final days and hours of the state legislative session, hopeful our legislators will send a few more ‘good for kids’ bills to the Governor’s desk – even as we know the realities of those odds are stacked against us. Of the 1,293 bills and resolutions filed this year, approximately 174 passed through both Chambers and were signed, vetoed and then overrode, or became [...]

By Shannon Moody|2026-04-23T16:37:29-04:00April 23rd, 2026|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, Youth Justice|

KYGA26: Budget Breakdown on Kids

KYGA26: Budget Breakdown on Kids

Every two years, our state lawmakers convene to shape the Commonwealth’s biennial budget – taking into consideration the needs across Kentucky, the limitations or opportunities of the revenue, and, especially of late, sustaining a healthy rainy day fund. Kentucky’s last few budgets were bolstered by federal COVID dollars. This time around, our lawmakers not only had to navigate less federal support, but also the budget realities that federal HR1 has brought to our [...]

By Shannon Moody|2026-04-23T16:48:55-04:00April 23rd, 2026|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health|

The Basics: Child Welfare System Legal Representation in Kentucky

The Basics: Child Welfare System Legal Representation in Kentucky

The legal system can often feel like a giant maze, filled with confusing language, unclear pathways, and intimidating rooms. Imagine being a kid introduced to the courts system for the first time at the age of three, or five or even fifteen, not really knowing what to expect. We're breaking down what legal representation looks like within Kentucky's child welfare system and beyond for children and families, including the benefits, who provides it, what [...]

By Shannon Moody|2025-03-26T17:40:57-04:00March 26th, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety|

Re-Visioned and Renewed Collaboration: Regional Action Plans are Live!

Re-Visioned and Renewed Collaboration: Regional Action Plans are Live!

The Regional Prevention Collaboratives, one of the Thriving Families, Safer Children Kentucky initiatives, continue to pave the way for proactive, community-driven resources and support for children and families. These collaboratives began during the summer of 2022 with convenings, called Visioning Sessions, where we gathered those living and working in communities to discuss local strengths and gaps, and then brainstormed ideas for community-led efforts that could prevent families from coming to the attention of the child [...]

By Shannon Moody|2025-01-02T17:13:58-05:00January 2nd, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety|

KYGA24: Major Updates for Kinship Families

KYGA24: Major Updates for Kinship Families

Co-authored by Kathleen Baldwin, Intern at Kentucky Youth Advocates During the 2024 legislative session we saw some MAJOR wins for kinship families in Kentucky, which will be going into effect over the coming months. Research shows that placement with family members or a safe adult known to the child, rather than traditional foster care, can have lifelong benefits for a child and their family. Children placed in kinship settings have more placement stability, are less [...]

By Shannon Moody|2024-07-03T15:10:37-04:00July 3rd, 2024|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security|

Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, and Fuel Stops

Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, and Fuel Stops

Greetings, from the road! The Sowing Resilience: A Bloom Kentucky Listening Tour is about halfway complete. We are making 19 stops in total across every region in Kentucky. We have powerful partners in every region that have been integral to the success of this Listening Tour series. Much like the motto used by the fabled Dillon Panthers in the hit TV show Friday Night Lights, our Kentucky Youth Advocates team members are focused and operating [...]

By Shannon Moody|2023-06-16T15:18:59-04:00June 13th, 2023|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, Race Equity, Youth Justice|

Sowing Resilience with Bloom Kentucky

Sowing Resilience with Bloom Kentucky

What does Bloom Kentucky and Mickey Mouse have in common this summer? They are both ALL EARS. As soon as the gavel fell for the 2023 state legislative session, Bloom Kentucky already had a plan to get advocates excited about 2024. Kentucky Youth Advocates and Bloom Kentucky want to hear from you! During May and June 2023, we’re hosting regionally-based listening sessions across the Commonwealth to bring local advocates and leaders together to identify strategies [...]

By Shannon Moody|2023-06-29T14:05:05-04:00May 10th, 2023|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, Race Equity, Youth Justice|

The Opioid Settlement and Impact for Kentucky Kids

The Opioid Settlement and Impact for Kentucky Kids

“Hope blooms when the time is ready.” – Debasish Mridha After seeing waves of the opioid epidemic pass through Kentucky since the late 1990s, Kentucky is ready and well-equipped to turn the tide. Due to actions taken by all three branches of Kentucky’s government, and major efforts by the Attorney General’s office specifically, we are set to see hundreds of millions of dollars come directly to Kentucky from the opioid settlement. With investments and persistence, [...]

By Shannon Moody|2024-12-04T17:38:39-05:00April 6th, 2023|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Race Equity|

Kinship Families Coalition of KY: Recognizing September as Kinship Care Month

Kinship Families Coalition of KY: Recognizing September as Kinship Care Month

September is National Kinship Care Month, and it is also recognized in Kentucky as Kinship Care Month by Governor Andy Beshear. It is important to continue lifting up the voices of our relative and fictive kin caregivers to ensure the children in their care have every opportunity to grow up to be successful and thriving Kentucky citizens. Kinship and fictive kin caregivers continue to step up for children in Kentucky to ensure they stay safely [...]

By Shannon Moody|2022-09-29T12:39:00-04:00September 29th, 2022|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Child Welfare & Safety|

About Shannon Moody