On Wednesday, February 8th, Bloom Kentucky Grantmakers from across the Commonwealth rallied together in Frankfort on behalf of Kentucky’s kids and families.

The 2023 Children’s Advocacy Day at the Capitol was a packed schedule–and certainly a packed house! Bloom grantmakers joined youth, fellow advocates, and elected officials in the Capitol Rotunda for the Rally for Kentucky Kids which featured youth performances and remarks from both young people and state leaders.

Following the Rally, grantmakers and youth met with Lt. Governor Coleman. Topics of discussion included how elected officials and stakeholders can continue to best support Kentucky’s kids and families. At the Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children Showcase, grantmakers had the opportunity to hear from the Kentucky Youth Advocates’ Policy Team regarding the 2023 Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children policy agenda which includes the 2023 Bloom policy priorities. Following the policy showcase, the Youth and Advocate Reception provided an opportunity to connect with legislators on the Bloom Kentucky initiative and combatting Adverse Childhood Experiences in the Commonwealth. 

We would like to thank our Bloom Kentucky grantmakers for joining the 2023 Children’s Advocacy Day at the Capitol! 

To stay engaged throughout the 2023 legislative session, here are a few steps you can take to continue this important advocacy:

  1. COMPLETE this brief survey to help us make next year’s Children’s Advocacy Week even better for youth and advocates; it should take 10 minutes or less.
  2. WATCH recordings of the virtual Children’s Advocacy Week events.
  3. REVIEW the 2023 Bloom Kentucky State Policy Priorities and accompanying fact sheets to learn more about priorities that are good for kids and families.
  4. LOOK UP your state Senator and Representative. Take note of their contact information, the legislative committees they are a member of, and bills that they are sponsoring. Reach out to your legislators to invite them to learn more about the Bloom Kentucky policy priorities.
  5. BOOKMARK the Bill Tracker to keep up-to-date on the progress of Bloom Kentucky priority bills and other bills that are good for kids. The tracker will continually be updated as bills are filed and progress through the legislature.