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Youth Voice on Enforcing T-21: “Every loophole in legislation lets addiction thrive.”

The following testimony was shared on February 18, 2025 at the Senate Licensing & Occupations Committee on Senate Bill 100, sponsored by Senator Jimmy Higdon.  Testimony by Delanie, a freshman at Boyd County High School in Ashland and a Youth Advisory Board Member at #iCANendthetrend: My name is Delanie, and I’m here not just as a youth advocate, but as a representative of a generation that is being targeted and exploited by an industry that profits [...]

By |2025-02-19T10:47:00-05:00February 19th, 2025|Blog, Education, Health|
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Weathering the Storm: Adverse Climate Experiences and Resilience in Kentucky

Many moons ago, before I was born, and when my brother was just a little boy – the sky one day turned the color purple and in moments, the wind picked up and my family found themselves huddled under an old pick-up truck praying that the wind would subside. That day a tornado hit my home lane of Hillsboro and turned my family’s single-wide sideways. To this day, whenever the wind picks up, my father’s [...]

By |2025-02-18T15:30:51-05:00February 18th, 2025|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health|
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Make Your Voice Heard: Paid Family Medical Leave for State Employees

Paid family medical leave is an essential strategy for healthy moms and healthy babies. The benefits of employers offering paid leave includes: Mothers get to heal before returning to work after a delivery or c-section. Mothers have the time and opportunity to breastfeed their infants. Infants can spend time bonding with their mothers to establish a pattern of healthy social and emotional development. Infant mortality rates decrease. Families still have a steady source of income [...]

By |2025-02-13T14:47:40-05:00February 13th, 2025|Blog, Economic Security, Health|
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Taliyah’s Story of Losing Child Care: Roadblocking Dreams and Missing Early Learning

Every parent wants a stable child care option to keep their kids safe and help them learn and grow.  Taliyah's Story My world was turned upside down this summer when the daycare that my children attended told me that they could no longer serve my two-year-old son. The director explained that my son needed more one-on-one support and that the center was too short staffed to be able to provide the care he needed.  I [...]

By |2025-02-13T14:14:43-05:00February 13th, 2025|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education|
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Guest Post: Equipping Animal Control Officers to Help Keep Kids Safe

By Kiera Dunk Content warning: This blog, or pages it links to, contains information about sensitive subjects including abuse and violence.  The most recent data released shows that rates of child abuse are down since 2019, but still not enough. This is not acceptable, and I think you all will agree, the Commonwealth of Kentucky is CAPABLE of doing much better.  In 2023, I discovered a national organization called The National Link Coalition. This group has [...]

By |2025-02-14T16:04:48-05:00February 13th, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety|
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A Look at the Family Preservation and Accountability Act

On February 5, 2025, Kentucky Youth Advocates joined state Senator Julie Raque Adams and Representative Nick Wilson for a press conference in Frankfort about the Family Preservation and Accountability Act, companion bills that aim to support rehabilitation, keep families together, and improve outcomes for children.  House Bill 291 and Senate Bill 118 would require the courts to consider alternative sentencing options when the individual has committed a non-violent offense and is the primary caregiver [...]

By |2025-02-12T17:36:30-05:00February 6th, 2025|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Child Welfare & Safety, Justice|
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Children’s Advocacy Week 2025 — All You Need to Know!

With the 2025 state legislative session well underway in Frankfort, it’s time to provide updates on Children’s Advocacy Week 2025! This significant week will take place from March 3rd to 7th, and our goal is to equip you with the schedule and reminders to effectively advocate for the children of Kentucky. This year, we will offer both in-person and virtual events. Below, you’ll find a schedule of events along with their registration links. Please note [...]

By |2025-02-06T15:37:37-05:00February 6th, 2025|Blog|
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My Family’s Story and “What Could Have Been” with Alternative Response

By Theda Simpson-Mosby Is there such a thing as a “normal” family? What beliefs do we hold about how “normal” families should function daily? Is it the family with a spotless home, a mom and dad who both work in their chosen professions, parents who head the PTA and coach the little league teams, and children who arrive at school with immaculate clothing and not a hair out of place?  While this may be the [...]

By |2025-02-06T15:15:09-05:00February 6th, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety|
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Educator Sexual Misconduct: The Role of Technology and Prevention Efforts

A recently published study in the Journal of Child Sexual Abuse examines how technology has been used to facilitate educator sexual misconduct in Kentucky’s schools. The study’s author, Kotomi Yokokura, discusses the findings below. Between 2016 and 2021, 74 Kentucky educators had their licenses suspended, voluntarily surrendered, or permanently revoked by the Kentucky Education Professional Standard Board for educator sexual misconduct. Within these cases, over 120 students were affected. These students were as young as [...]

By |2025-02-04T12:00:43-05:00February 4th, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Education|
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OP-ED: “Say What?” Legislative Proposals for Kids

This originally appeared as an op-ed in the Herald Leader, NKY Tribune, and Courier Journal. By Terry Brooks “Say what?” Merriam Webster describes this idiom as “a way to express surprise or disbelief at what someone has said or at unexpected news.” It is also the most popular response to any question or request directed to my three teenage grandkids. I’m never sure if that teen response is genuine surprise or a very skilled stalling [...]

By |2025-01-31T16:17:58-05:00January 30th, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, Kids Count, Medicaid, News Room, Youth Justice|
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