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Creating Hope and Change: Reflections for Child Abuse Prevention Month in Kentucky

By Theda Simpson-Mosby, member of KY SEAT Child Abuse Prevention Month is a time for reflection, advocacy, and an urgent call to action to protect our families and communities. For me, this month holds profound personal significance. As a mother, advocate, and member of the Kentucky Statewide Birth Parent Advisory Council (KY SEAT), my journey through the complexities of the Child Welfare System has shaped my commitment to fostering change and providing hope for families [...]

By |2025-04-15T17:07:46-04:00April 15th, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety|
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2025 Bloom Kentucky Legislative Recap

By Hannah McCarty & Hannah Edelen  The Bloom Kentucky initiative is focused on statewide policy changes and budget investments that aim to prevent and mitigate the multi-generational impact of childhood adversity so that all kids and families can flourish.  Bloom Kentucky identified several policy priorities for the 2025 state legislative session to prevent ACEs and address the systemic barriers that families face.  Here’s a recap of how our 2025 Bloom policy priorities fared:  Enact Caregiver [...]

By |2025-04-09T13:22:24-04:00April 9th, 2025|Blog, Bloom Kentucky|
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Positive Childhood Experiences: Feeling supported by friends

Did you know that creating positive experiences in childhood can lay the groundwork for lifelong resilience and well-being? These experiences are known as Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs). PCEs highlight the nurturing moments, relationships, and environments that build a child’s inner strength and emotional health. In the Bloom Kentucky blog series, we explore how we can nurture these positive experiences to support children across the Commonwealth.  Today’s spotlight is on the PCE of feeling supported [...]

By |2025-04-02T12:01:15-04:00April 2nd, 2025|Blog, Bloom Kentucky|
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KYGA25 Reflections: Wins, Missed Opportunities, and Head Scratchers

As we enter April and we look forward to warmer days, Kentucky Youth Advocates is reflecting on another legislative session in the Commonwealth – one that brought wins, missed opportunities, and some puzzling moments for Kentucky kids. Review the recap of the 2025 state legislative session and final status of Blueprint for Kentucky's Children priorities below and check out ways you can still take action for kids.  2025 Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children State Policy Wins [...]

By |2025-04-01T16:27:12-04:00April 1st, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice|
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The Basics: Child Welfare System Legal Representation in Kentucky

The legal system can often feel like a giant maze, filled with confusing language, unclear pathways, and intimidating rooms. Imagine being a kid introduced to the courts system for the first time at the age of three, or five or even fifteen, not really knowing what to expect.  We're breaking down what legal representation looks like within Kentucky's child welfare system and beyond for children and families, including the benefits, who provides it, what [...]

By |2025-03-26T17:40:57-04:00March 26th, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety|
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Countdown to the Together We Bloom Summit!

It’s hard to believe that we are just over a month away from the inaugural Together We Bloom Summit hosted by Bloom Kentucky on May 7, 2025 in Shelbyville, Kentucky!  This one-day event will bring together community leaders, policymakers, and advocates from across the Commonwealth to focus on cultivating positive childhood experiences through policy and systems change.  We’re thrilled to welcome an incredible lineup of speakers including:  Dr. Robert Sege, MD, PhD, FAAP, is a [...]

By |2025-03-26T17:18:30-04:00March 26th, 2025|Blog, Bloom Kentucky|
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“Being Seen, Heard, and Respected” at Children’s Advocacy Day 2025

By Tyler Hunter Hey there fellow Kentuckians! As a former foster care alumni, I find it highly important to support, attend, and participate in Children’s Advocacy Day (CAD) and the events surrounding the week. For the past seven years, I have had the opportunity to attend the CAD rally in our Capitol Rotunda. The moment I step foot into the rotunda, I immediately experience being seen, heard, and respected. These people are in attendance for [...]

By |2025-03-20T16:20:21-04:00March 20th, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety|
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Children’s Advocacy Week 2025 Reflections from Youth

Imagine the halls of Kentucky’s Capitol buzzing with the energy of hundreds of young voices all united for a single purpose. On March 5th, 2025, Frankfort witnessed this powerful scene as young advocates from across the Commonwealth convened for Kentucky Youth Advocates’ annual Children’s Advocacy Day at the Capitol – their participation throughout Children’s Advocacy Week 2025. However, the excitement didn’t start there. On the eve of Children’s Advocacy Day, we hosted a retreat [...]

By |2025-03-21T11:02:53-04:00March 20th, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health|
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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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