Health

Too Many Kentucky Young People Exit Foster Care Without Permanent Families and Unprepared to Thrive on Their Own

Too Many Kentucky Young People Exit Foster Care Without Permanent Families and Unprepared to Thrive on Their Own

Too Many Kentucky Young People Exit Foster Care Without Permanent Families and Unprepared to Thrive on Their Own Fostering Youth Transitions 2023 Urges Improvements to Extended Foster Care Transition LOUISVILLE, KY – Permanent families and supportive adult connections, stable housing, and postsecondary education remain beyond the reach of too many young people with foster care experience, according to Fostering Youth Transitions 2023: State and National Data to Drive Foster Care Advocacy, a data brief released [...]

By Kentucky Youth Advocates|2023-05-10T11:49:46-04:00May 10th, 2023|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, News Room, Race Equity|

Action Needed to Eliminate Student Hunger

Action Needed to Eliminate Student Hunger

The USDA school nutrition programs, like the National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs, are crucial to ensuring that kids have access to consistent, nutritious meals throughout the school year. With over 1 in 6 Kentucky kids not having enough to eat and research finding that school meals are some of the healthiest meals students consume, these programs are vital for the health and nutrition of Kentucky kids. Despite how vital these programs are, we [...]

By Karena Cash|2023-05-02T12:55:39-04:00May 2nd, 2023|Blog, Economic Security, Education, Health|

Health Youth Ambassadors Participate in the Kentucky Youth Tobacco Control Workshop

Health Youth Ambassadors Participate in the Kentucky Youth Tobacco Control Workshop

On April 12th, two of Kentucky Youth Advocates’ Health Youth Ambassadors took part in the Kentucky Youth Tobacco Control Workshop hosted by the Networking for Kentucky Youth (N4KY) and #iCANendthetrend Youth Advisory Board. This youth-developed and youth-led tobacco control workshop was a full-day immersive experience which offered a chance for students from across the state to connect, network, and learn both with and from one another. Throughout the day, students took part in team [...]

By Melissa Collins|2023-04-27T13:03:37-04:00April 27th, 2023|Blog, Education, Health, Kids Count|

A Focus on Black Maternal Health & Outcomes

A Focus on Black Maternal Health & Outcomes

Since 2002, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Minority Health recognizes April as National Minority Health Month, established to support efforts to educate on and eliminate health disparities for ethnic and racial minority groups. This year, the Office is highlighting the importance of providing healthcare services, information, and resources that are linguistically and culturally competent to create better and more equitable health outcomes for everyone. April is also when Black Maternal [...]

By Cortney Downs|2023-04-27T12:40:08-04:00April 27th, 2023|Blog, Health, Race Equity|

Bloom Kentucky: Recapping KYGA23 Efforts to Address ACEs

Bloom Kentucky: Recapping KYGA23 Efforts to Address ACEs

While the 2023 Kentucky General Assembly saw many confounding moments, we also saw continued positive momentum when it came to addressing childhood adversity. Kentucky’s policymakers, once again, found common ground when it came to the impacts of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) on Kentucky’s kids and families. This year, Bloom Kentucky identified four policy areas to focus on throughout the 2023 legislative session which included 1) supporting the health and well-being of new moms and their [...]

By Melissa Collins|2023-04-17T17:27:37-04:00April 17th, 2023|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Economic Security, Health|

A Look at SB 65 and Its Impact on Adult Medicaid

A Look at SB 65 and Its Impact on Adult Medicaid

As we continue to reflect on the 2023 legislative session, Kentucky Youth Advocates is recapping an item of particular interest for families across the Commonwealth – the adult Medicaid expansion and Senate Bill 65. How did we get here? In October 2022, Governor Beshear announced an expansion of the dental, vision, and hearing benefits available for adults on Medicaid. This change included several new dental services covered for adults. The additions were largely restorative procedures [...]

By Alicia Whatley|2023-04-13T14:13:57-04:00April 13th, 2023|Blog, Health, Medicaid|

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|

KYGA23: Impacts for Kids and Families

KYGA23: Impacts for Kids and Families

The actions of the General Assembly during the 2023 legislative session confounded us at times. While we certainly don’t agree with any legislator 100% of the time, there are still ways we can find common ground and at the very least agree on a process. In the juvenile justice realm – we’ll go into bill details below – members of the House and Senate demonstrated thoughtful and careful consideration. The much debated House Bill 3 [...]

By Kentucky Youth Advocates|2023-04-26T15:38:36-04:00April 5th, 2023|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Health, Race Equity, Youth Justice|

Social Workers Breaking Barriers for Kids

Social Workers Breaking Barriers for Kids

March is National Social Work Month! The theme for 2023 is Social Work Breaks Barriers. Did you know there are over 750,000 social workers in the nation? Social workers have a responsibility to serve others through lenses of compassion, diversity, equity, and inclusion. Social workers implement their core values of service, social justice, the importance of human relationships, dignity and worth of the person, integrity, and competence into their job duties every day. With so [...]

By Tamara Vest|2023-03-29T17:16:48-04:00March 29th, 2023|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, Race Equity, Youth Justice|

Slam Dunks for School Nutrition

Slam Dunks for School Nutrition

For most Kentuckians, March brings up thoughts of basketball and brackets. For our school nutrition professionals and students, however, March is the home of National Nutrition Month. The USDA school nutrition programs, like the National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs, are a slam dunk for Kentucky kids, ensuring they have access to at least two meals a day during the school year. With over 1 in 6 Kentucky kids not having enough to [...]

By Karena Cash|2023-03-23T13:15:01-04:00March 23rd, 2023|Blog, Economic Security, Education, Health|