Federal Farm Bill: What It Means for Kids and How to Take Action

Congress has until September 30th to pass one of the largest pieces of federal legislation - the 2023 Farm Bill. This massive piece of legislation has a major impact on the lives of virtually every Kentucky kid and family, covering everything from food assistance programs to farmers markets and crop insurance to hemp. While the Farm Bill covers everything related to food and agriculture, the largest portion of the Bill covers federal nutrition programs, such [...]

By |2023-07-20T12:55:26-04:00July 20th, 2023|Blog, Economic Security, Health|

2023 Pandemic EBT Updates for Families

Updated August 7, 2023 Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) has been one of the most vital supports for children and families throughout the last couple of years, providing grocery money to families who would have usually received free and reduced school meals. We are excited to share that Kentucky has started distributing P-EBT benefits for certain populations. We do not know how every type of Pandemic EBT will be distributed yet, but we will be updating [...]

By |2023-08-07T17:16:43-04:00July 12th, 2023|Blog, Economic Security, Education, Health|

New School Year, New Opportunities to End Youth Vaping

With a new school year fast-approaching, families and educators are preparing for another first day of class but something outside of education continues to be on their mind – youth vaping. Kids and teens using tobacco products was once thought to be a thing of the past, but the rise of e-cigarettes or vapes has introduced a new generation of young tobacco users dependent on nicotine. Youth vaping – whether a young person uses these [...]

By |2023-07-12T11:00:42-04:00July 12th, 2023|Blog, Education, Health|

Health Youth Ambassadors are Heating Up: 2023-2024 Cohort Application Now Open!

The summer is heating up, and so is our excitement for the 2023-2024 Health Youth Ambassadors program! Are you a high school student looking to develop your advocacy and leadership skills? Are you interested in connecting with peers from around the Commonwealth to make positive changes in your community and throughout the state? Do you want to help Kentucky kids and families with their overall health and wellbeing? If so, apply TODAY to be a [...]

By |2023-07-05T16:31:25-04:00July 5th, 2023|Blog, Health, Kids Count|

Kentucky Ranks 40th in Child Well-Being While Inaccessible, Unaffordable Child Care Deeply Impacts Families and Economy

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org 502-895-8167 X122 Kentucky Ranks 40th in Child Well-Being While Inaccessible, Unaffordable Child Care Deeply Impacts Families and Economy Data Show Child Care Challenges Caused Over 1 in 9 Kentucky Parents to Miss, Quit, or Scale Back Work, the Annie E. Casey Foundation Finds LOUISVILLE, KY — Kentucky ranks 40th in child well-being, according to the 2023 KIDS COUNT® Data Book, a 50-state report of recent household data developed by the Annie [...]

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 [...]

How YOU Can Help Assess Kentucky’s Oral Health Landscape

June is National Oral Health Month, an optimal time to recognize the importance of oral health as a key part of overall health and well-being. Kentucky Youth advocates is joining the Kentucky Oral Health Coalition (KOHC) in celebrating throughout the month of June and highlighting opportunities to get involved. KOHC is a project of Kentucky Youth Advocates and is a statewide group of concerned citizens, oral health providers, parents, and many others working to improve [...]

By |2023-06-07T12:31:10-04:00June 7th, 2023|Blog, Health|

New Efforts to Boost WIC Participation in Kentucky

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for Women’s, Infant, and Children (WIC) provides vital support for the food and nutrition security of pregnant women, new moms, babies, and young children by providing food assistance via an EBT card, nutrition education, and breastfeeding support. While this support is critical for new parents and young children, the WIC program is out of date and does not reach everyone who is eligible. Kinship caregivers and Kentucky’s Latinx population face [...]

By |2023-05-25T21:43:43-04:00May 25th, 2023|Blog, Economic Security, Health, Race Equity|

Health Youth Ambassadors Reflects on the Importance of Mental Health Awareness

By: Trent Cox, Health Youth Ambassador Mental Health Awareness In Youth The awareness of mental health is something that people may recognize, but oftentimes it isn't recognized enough. Mental health issues can stem from a wide range of things such as problems at school, work, or even in the home.  Mental health issues are extremely prominent in our youth population. The National Institute of Mental Health states that 49.5% of adolescents report to suffer from mental [...]

By |2023-06-09T15:27:25-04:00May 19th, 2023|Blog, Health|

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 [...]

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