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Community Support for Our Community’s Youth: A Program to Help Students Get Back on Track in School

By Elizabeth Senn-Alvey One in seven teens and young adults (16- to 24-year-olds) in Kentucky were neither in school nor working in 2023 according to a report by Measure of America.    Many of the young people who “disconnect” left before graduating high school, often due to early or consistent exposure to violence or serious trauma, involvement in the child welfare or justice systems, recent immigration to the community, or unrecognized academic challenges. Young people experiencing [...]

By |2024-10-31T13:43:40-04:00October 31st, 2024|Blog, Education, Health, Race Equity, Youth Justice|
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Amendment 2: Perspectives, History, & a Little Nuance

Co-authored by Ellen Ward, Intern at Kentucky Youth Advocates In the heart of the Bluegrass State, the debate about Amendment 2 is heating up as we approach Election Day on November 5th, raising important questions about access, equity, and the future of education for Kentucky’s students. Amendment 2, while framed as a school choice measure, essentially puts it to Kentucky voters to grant legislative authority to explore what funding outside the public school system would [...]

By |2024-10-24T10:54:34-04:00October 24th, 2024|Blog, Education|
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Kentucky Won Big Against JUUL – but What Happens Now?

Kentucky kids need safe and healthy communities to grow up, free from harmful products like nicotine and tobacco. But for decades, tobacco manufacturers have found ways to evolve their products and marketing strategies to appeal to youth at a young age and keep them hooked.   Despite youth smoking rates declining over the past decade, current use rates remain a concern – with Kentucky youth using nicotine and tobacco at a higher rate than the national [...]

By |2024-10-16T17:36:06-04:00October 16th, 2024|Blog, Education, Health|
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A Look at the Connection Between ACEs and Physical Health

By Ellen Ward, Intern at Kentucky Youth Advocates Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), including trauma such as abuse, neglect, and family dysfunction, are widely recognized for their lasting effects on mental health. Not as obvious, however, is the physical toll ACEs take on the body, which is equally significant and long-lasting. Chronic stress stemming from childhood trauma can lead to a range of serious health issues. Traumatic experiences in childhood trigger a cascade of stress responses in [...]

By |2024-09-11T15:49:37-04:00September 11th, 2024|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Education, Health|
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Planting Seeds for Youth Substance Use Prevention

One of my favorite quotes is: "Legacy. What is a legacy? It's planting seeds in a garden you may never get to see." This particular iteration is from Hamilton, but you’ve likely encountered a variation of this quote either biblically or from someone in your life. This idea perfectly encapsulates the bold and forward-thinking action taken by Attorney General Russell Coleman in the recent meeting with the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission. During the meeting, [...]

By |2024-09-11T13:58:12-04:00September 11th, 2024|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Child Welfare & Safety, Education, Health|
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Together We Bloom Summit: Cultivating Kentucky’s Future

MARK YOUR CALENDARS on May 7, 2025, as community leaders, policymakers, and advocates will gather at the Shelbyville Conference and Welcome Center in Shelbyville for the Together We Bloom Summit, hosted by Bloom Kentucky. This one-day event will focus on cultivating positive childhood experiences through both policy and systems change across the Commonwealth, offering a unique platform to explore new strategies for fostering resilience and mitigating Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) in Kentucky’s children. The [...]

By |2024-09-11T10:01:07-04:00September 10th, 2024|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Race Equity|
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Child Care Access – Gathering Input from Centers and Families

We are in the final countdown! The final federal dollars from the American Rescue Plan will run out on September 30th, and the child care industry will be expected to stand on its own two feet.   Unfortunately, child care was barely surviving prior to the pandemic, and with the inflation that has occurred in the past four years, the industry is not set-up to be successful. The biggest challenge to overcome is the cost [...]

By |2024-10-24T09:10:38-04:00September 10th, 2024|Blog, Economic Security, Education|
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Making Kids Count in the 2024 Election

Kids cannot vote, but you can ensure that their voices are heard by engaging with candidates in local, state, and federal elections and being an informed voter.  The leaders we elect determine policies and budgets that will impact our daily lives for what may be generations to come. But how often do we pause to consider–specifically–how our choices at the ballot box will impact us, and particularly children who depend on us to make [...]

By |2024-10-14T10:47:51-04:00September 4th, 2024|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, Kids Count, Race Equity, Youth Justice|
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Kentucky Homeschool Strengths, Concerns, and Opportunities

By Casey Lane, Intern at Kentucky Youth Advocates As homeschooling in Kentucky appears to be on the rise, let’s further explore some of the components of homeschooling, including strengths, concerns, and opportunities to improve homeschool practices in Kentucky.  Flexibility and Family Preference Before and since the COVID-19 pandemic, parents have praised homeschooling’s flexibility, allowing families to travel and have a schedule that accommodates appointments, field trips, and other needs and preferences of the family. Homeschooling [...]

By |2024-08-29T16:24:51-04:00August 29th, 2024|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Education|
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Save the Date: Children’s Advocacy Week 2025

For more than 20 years, advocates for kids have gathered in Frankfort for Children’s Advocacy Day to fill the halls of the Capitol and ask their elected officials to step up for Kentucky kids. The critical mass of advocates in the Capitol building led to many policy wins and raising awareness of issues facing kids and their families.   During Children’s Advocacy Week, we host a series of virtual events with more opportunities to [...]

By |2024-08-26T09:32:38-04:00August 20th, 2024|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, Kids Count, Race Equity, Youth Justice|
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