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What Gets Measured Gets Changed: Leveraging Opioid Data Dashboard Updates

The saying, “what gets measured gets changed,” has long been a cornerstone of the Kentucky KIDS COUNT project, which has reported county-level data on critical measures of child well-being for more than 35 years. As Kentucky faces an unprecedented opportunity to address the opioid epidemic through Opioid Settlement funds, we can prevent future generations from suffering the impacts.  Kentucky Youth Advocates released new data this month on the Opioid Data Dashboard on Children and Families [...]

By |2025-05-14T14:47:54-04:00May 14th, 2025|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, Race Equity|
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Regional Prevention Collaboratives Taking Action on Educational Neglect

By Andrew Alvey and Shontelle Davis Many states, including Kentucky, have turned their attention to preventative efforts to ensure that children are safe and families are thriving. The goal of these prevention efforts is to intervene before a crisis occurs and keep families from engaging with the child welfare system or if CPS involvement is necessary to keep families together, when safe. The concept of meeting families where they are starts with acknowledging that [...]

By |2025-05-08T16:46:08-04:00May 8th, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety|
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Showing Support for Early Childhood Workforce on Provider Appreciation Day

Each year, the first full week of May is reserved for Teacher Appreciation Week, a week for students and families to say thank you to the teachers that have worked so hard all year to help their students be successful. This week has typically focused on the K-12 school system; however, there is a large group of teachers who deserve just as much recognition – the early childhood educators working in child care programs for [...]

By |2025-05-08T09:02:03-04:00May 8th, 2025|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Economic Security, Education|
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Experts, Policymakers, and Advocates Join Bloom Kentucky’s Together We Bloom Summit on ACEs Prevention

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org SHELBYVILLE, KY – Today, the Together We Bloom Summit, hosted by Bloom Kentucky, is bringing together hundreds of advocates, policymakers, and community leaders from across the Commonwealth focused on mitigating Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and cultivating Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs) through policy and systems change. The sold out, one-day conference offers attendees the opportunity to hear from experts on ACEs and resilience, attend workshops on messaging and advocating for policy [...]

By |2025-05-08T08:19:11-04:00May 7th, 2025|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Economic Security, Education, Health, News Room|
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A Look at Autism from the Perspective of a Mom and Advocate

There has been a great deal of information about Autism in the media lately.  These discussions about Autism have brought to life accurate information about this condition, as well as misconceptions.  As many organizations look at how to support individuals with Autism, it is essential to make sure that these supports are built on facts regarding the diagnosis. What is Autism? Autism is a developmental disability that predominantly affects the social and emotional domains of [...]

By |2025-05-01T14:26:59-04:00May 1st, 2025|Blog, Education, Health|
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Thriving Families, Safer Children Kentucky: A Focus on Prevention

In recent years, Kentucky has begun using a new lens in order to address issues related to child maltreatment and abuse. This new lens focuses on child and family well-being, in order to provide families with the support and resources they need before a crisis occurs. In 2022, Kentucky was selected as one of 22 sites to be a part of the Thriving Families, Safer Children national effort (TFSC). TFSC highlights the importance of community [...]

By |2025-04-30T18:53:24-04:00April 30th, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety|
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OP-ED: Child abuse prevention builds on small moments of support and connection

This originally appeared as an op-ed in the Kentucky Lantern on April 28, 2025. By Barry Dunn and Shannon Moody Photo Credit: Kentucky Lantern, Getty Images In a moment, so much can change in a family’s life. A last-minute work schedule change that leads to relying on an unsafe babysitter. An unsupportive reaction from a bystander that could have been a connection point for support and kindness rather than further shame and frustration. A [...]

By |2025-04-29T10:05:39-04:00April 29th, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, News Room|
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Keeping Families Together: The Case for Preventive Legal Services in Child Welfare

When families come into contact with the child welfare system, it is often because they are navigating challenges that could have been addressed earlier with the right support.  Preventive legal services, specifically pre-petition legal representation, are designed to provide that support before a court case is ever filed. These services help families resolve legal issues related to housing, custody, public benefits, and other concerns that are sometimes mistaken for neglect before a dependency petition is [...]

By |2025-04-24T19:50:15-04:00April 24th, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety|
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Why We Need Head Start

This year is the 60th anniversary of Head Start, the preschool program for 3- to 5-year-olds and their families that are experiencing poverty.  The Head Start program began with the goal of breaking the poverty cycle for young children. Head Start goes beyond just providing a classroom experience, these programs also provide medical and dental care for children, meals and baby formula, and education programs – like GED courses – for parents and caregivers. Additionally, [...]

By |2025-05-15T13:20:34-04:00April 23rd, 2025|Blog, Economic Security, Education|
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The Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission Awards Funds for Prevention and Recovery

KYA staff attended the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission announcement on March 27th in Louisville. At the end of March, the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission approved more than $19.8 million in new funding across the Commonwealth – investments that reflect a powerful alignment between values and action in Kentucky’s ongoing response to the opioid epidemic.  This latest cycle included two core funding opportunities: one focused on prevention efforts and the other on [...]

By |2025-04-25T10:09:03-04:00April 21st, 2025|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Child Welfare & Safety, Health|
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