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Celebrating Community Collaboration: Spotlight on the Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental, and Intellectual Disabilities’ (DBHDID) Work Supporting Kentucky Families

As the Kentucky Thriving Families, Safer Children  (TFSCKY) initiative prepares to enter its fifth year, we’re proud to reflect on the remarkable efforts of our partners who share our mission of supporting families before a crisis occurs. At the heart of TFSCKY is a simple but powerful belief: by providing community support and increasing collaboration, we can keep families together and promote overall well-being, safety, and positive outcomes.  This month, we are spotlighting the Department [...]

By |2025-07-30T16:31:48-04:00July 30th, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Health|
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Support on Decision Making to Invest in the Future of Our “Forever Kentucky Home”

by Tara Grieshop-Goodwin The air conditioning unit at our house recently went out - at the peak of some of our hottest days of the summer. We had an older unit that our HVAC service person had been able to keep running with fixes and repairs for many years (even decades) past when most units last. But eventually the damage was too great for repair and we had a big expense to cover. We debated [...]

By |2025-07-24T12:51:49-04:00July 24th, 2025|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, Race Equity|
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Rising Temperatures, Rising Costs: Protecting Kentucky Families from Utility Disconnections

Updated September 18, 2025 Photo courtesy of Pkruger via Dreamstime It’s been a long, hot summer in Kentucky. This should come as no surprise since meteorologists predicted a hotter-than-average season for much of the U.S, but in recent years weather in Kentucky has been anything but predictable.  As weather fluctuates and temperatures rise, so does the cost of utilities for families.  Monthly utility costs in Kentucky have increased by 33% since 2017 and [...]

By |2025-10-07T15:43:34-04:00July 23rd, 2025|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Economic Security|
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Call for Photos: Show Us Your Cute KY Kids!

Kentucky Youth Advocates (KYA) is looking for photos of Kentucky kids to include in the 2025 Kentucky KIDS COUNT project and other KYA publications. You know how amazing your kiddos are and we are working to make Kentucky the best place to be young. Show off your little Kentucky stars by featuring them in our materials! We need your photos by September 1st so please start sending them in today! In order to use the [...]

By |2025-08-05T14:07:20-04:00July 17th, 2025|Blog|
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From Barbecues to Budget Cuts: How the New Federal Budget Impacts Families in Kentucky

This is part of Kentucky Youth Advocates’ series on the federal landscape and the impacts on Kentucky children and families.  Along with barbecues and fireworks, the 4th of July also brought a new federal budget signed into law. Although the reconciliation package saw several versions before final passage, many of the programs we have highlighted throughout the Summer will see significant changes under the new law.   Among the largest cuts in the program's history are [...]

By |2025-07-16T13:28:48-04:00July 16th, 2025|Blog, Health, Medicaid|
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988 Turns Three: Why This Lifeline Still Needs Support

This is part of Kentucky Youth Advocates’ series on the federal landscape and the impacts on Kentucky children and families.  On July 16, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline celebrates its third anniversary since launching as a shorter, easier-to-remember number. Since 2022, the line has become a vital support for people experiencing a mental health crisis, providing someone to talk to at any time through phone, text, or chat. The effectiveness of the line has [...]

By |2025-07-16T13:29:30-04:00July 16th, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety|
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The Power of Data: How We Know What Kentucky’s Kids Need

While many people are familiar with the Kentucky KIDS COUNT project, there is much more county, school district, and race level data that is collected and analyzed. The Annie E. Casey Foundation, who leads the national KIDS COUNT project, hosts a Data Center for all 50 states where additional information can be found. In addition to the data they display for the entire state and each congressional district, KYA tracks more information at the county [...]

By |2025-07-11T12:02:41-04:00July 11th, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, Kids Count, Medicaid|
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Juvenile Justice and Miranda Rights: Ensuring Kids Have the Support They Need to Make an Informed Decision

Many of us grew up watching TV shows and movies where police officers would read someone their Miranda rights, “You have the right to remain silent…”, without ever thinking about the people in our communities who may have experienced that in real life, including kids. More than 50 years ago, the Supreme Court acknowledged that children cannot “navigate the justice system without the “guiding hand” of counsel, including when interrogated by law enforcement”. With everything [...]

By |2025-10-28T09:07:27-04:00July 10th, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Justice, Youth Justice|
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Addressing the Rise in Child Abuse in Kentucky Child Care Programs

Originally published on Face It Movement Access to high quality, safe child care settings is critical for families across the Commonwealth. But recent data reports highlight an increase of child abuse and maltreatment cases in child care programs across Kentucky:  46% increase in hotline complaints from 2022–2024 73% increase in substantiated incidents of child abuse and neglect 64% increase in serious injuries to children in licensed child care impacting up to 764 children This increase [...]

By |2025-07-18T09:33:23-04:00July 10th, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety|
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What to Know as New Child Welfare Laws Take Effect

Originally published on Face It Movement As we enter the heat of summer, we are starting to see the implementation of many of the bills passed during the 2025 legislative session. Several of those laws are set to impact children directly, especially in school settings. Two of the new laws, Senate Bills 73 and 120, were 2025 Kosair for Kids Face It Movement Policy Priorities, aimed at preventing abuse and promoting child safety through education [...]

By |2025-07-18T09:39:18-04:00June 30th, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety|
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