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What’s at Stake Federally for Kentucky Kids?

By Chase Pasarella, Intern at Kentucky Youth Advocates, and the KYA Policy Team As we move toward the final days of the Kentucky legislative session, the federal government has also been busy negotiating a budget bill. Late last week, Congress passed a continuation budget that funds government programs and offices at mostly current levels through September 2025.  Since taking office in January, the Trump Administration and leaders in Congress have made it clear that priority [...]

By |2025-03-17T17:01:51-04:00March 17th, 2025|Blog, Economic Security, Education, Health, Kids Count, Medicaid|
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Youth Voices Leading the Charge: Insights from Substance Use Prevention Focus Groups

Last fall, Kentucky Youth Advocates (KYA), through the Bloom Kentucky initiative, conducted six focus groups across the Commonwealth to elevate youth perspectives in shaping the Attorney General’s youth substance use prevention campaign, “Better Without It”. With participation from 70 middle and high school students, we engaged young people from Mayfield, Springfield, Louisville, Hazard, and Covington, while a virtual focus group connected youth from Shelby, Warren, Taylor, and Boyle Counties. These conversations—held both in-person and virtually—provided [...]

By |2025-03-13T16:03:10-04:00March 13th, 2025|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Education, Health|
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Youth Voice: “Our voices matter today and every day.”

By Zach Crouch, member for the Health Youth Ambassadors Zach shared the following speech as the opening of the 2025 Rally for Kentucky Kids in the Rotunda at the annual Children’s Advocacy Day at the Capitol.  Welcome to our 2025 Children’s Advocacy Day! My name is Zachary Crouch. Words can not describe how it makes me feel to see this Rotunda packed full of youth advocates and many elected officials joining today. Thank you, Governor [...]

By |2025-03-21T11:10:08-04:00March 6th, 2025|Blog, Education, Health|
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Governor Beshear, House and Senate Leadership Join Hundreds of Youth and Advocates for Children’s Advocacy Day at the Capitol 2025

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org FRANKFORT, KY – Hundreds of child advocates are convening this week for Children’s Advocacy Week, urging elected leaders to support the Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children, a unified policy agenda focused on creating brighter futures for all Kentucky kids and families. Today is Children’s Advocacy Day at the Capitol, where community organizations, professionals who work with kids and families, and young people from across the Commonwealth gather in Frankfort to meet with their legislators, attend committee [...]

By |2025-03-04T20:33:42-05:00March 5th, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, News Room, Youth Justice|
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Phoenix’s Story: The Impacts of Eviction in Childhood

By Phoenix Berry, member of the 2025 Housing Policy Ambassadors cohort The feeling of loss is something we all experience, whether that's losing an item, ourselves, or another. I first remember losing my housing when I was in elementary school. My family was evicted from our home due to a public nuisance violation after the police were called because my mother was attempting to flee her abusive partner. We lost everything from baby photos to [...]

By |2025-02-27T15:01:43-05:00February 27th, 2025|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, Race Equity|
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Positive Childhood Experiences: Feeling a sense of belonging in high school

Did you know that positive experiences in childhood can shape lifelong resilience and well-being? These moments, known as Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs), create a strong foundation for emotional and social development. While Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) focus on difficulties and trauma, PCEs emphasize the relationships, environments, and opportunities that nurture a child’s growth. In the Bloom Kentucky blog series, we explore how fostering these positive experiences can support children across the Bluegrass. Today, we’re [...]

By |2025-02-26T17:09:57-05:00February 26th, 2025|Blog, Bloom Kentucky|
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Latest Child Fatality & Near Fatality External Review Panel Annual Report

Kentucky’s Child Fatality and Near Fatality External Review Panel has released its 2024 Annual Report, which includes a comprehensive review of every child death and near-death in the state fiscal year 2023 referred to the panel by the Department for Community Based Services and the Department for Public Health. This state-mandated panel meets throughout the year to review each case and make policy recommendations aimed at preventing future incidents. This report should be considered alongside [...]

By |2025-02-20T10:42:21-05:00February 20th, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety|
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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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