By Aunt Tara With some recent family moves, I’ve been lucky to have my young nephews living closer. It is reminding me of how simple activities like counting can be so exciting through the eyes of a child. Recently on a trip for ice cream around Halloween, I asked my young nephew, “How many eyes does your monster ice cream cone have?” His eager response was, “it used to have 2, but now it has [...]
By Valencia Dickerson and Leila Salisbury “Define your grief?” That is one of the first questions I asked young people who walk through my door looking for a safe place to land their emotions and feelings when experiencing a death. November is National Children’s Grief Awareness Month and November 21st is Children's Grief Awareness Day, a time during which grief support centers, schools, therapists, and other professionals can advocate and spread the word that [...]
Kentucky kids access education in a variety of ways, including public schools, private schools, and homeschool settings. Over the past several years, the number of families choosing homeschool for their children has grown substantially. There are many reasons that families choose to homeschool their children, but whatever motivation the family has for initiating homeschool education, it is important to ensure that all Kentucky kids are in a safe learning environment where they receive a high [...]
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). Unlike Adverse Childhood Experiences, which focus on negative impacts, PCEs highlight the nurturing moments, relationships, and environments that build a child’s strength and emotional health. By fostering a supportive environment where children feel safe, valued, and heard, we help them develop the resilience they need to navigate [...]
By Elizabeth Senn-Alvey One in seven teens and young adults (16- to 24-year-olds) in Kentucky were neither in school nor working in 2023 according to a report by Measure of America. Many of the young people who “disconnect” left before graduating high school, often due to early or consistent exposure to violence or serious trauma, involvement in the child welfare or justice systems, recent immigration to the community, or unrecognized academic challenges. Young people experiencing [...]
In October, we had the privilege of hosting an informative retreat for the Housing Policy Ambassador Cohort in Frankfort, Kentucky. This gathering brought together five young adults passionate about housing policy and advocacy. About the Housing Policy Ambassador Cohort The Housing Policy Ambassador Cohort is designed for young leaders across Kentucky who are ready to share their experiences to make effective changes related to housing instability. Running from October 2024 to December 2025, this [...]
Kentucky Youth Advocates is excited to welcome Dr. Scottie Day, Dr. Darlene M. Davis Goodwine, and Dr. Aimee Green-Webb to our Board of Directors. This new class of board members bring expertise and passion to the table as we work collectively to make Kentucky the best place in America to be young. We asked them a couple of questions to introduce them to the KYA community. Get to know our new board members below! Dr. [...]
Co-authored by Ellen Ward, Intern at Kentucky Youth Advocates In the heart of the Bluegrass State, the debate about Amendment 2 is heating up as we approach Election Day on November 5th, raising important questions about access, equity, and the future of education for Kentucky’s students. Amendment 2, while framed as a school choice measure, essentially puts it to Kentucky voters to grant legislative authority to explore what funding outside the public school system would [...]
The Fall season has arrived in Kentucky, complete with chilly weather and visits to pumpkin patches. Another hallmark of this time of year in Kentucky is the upcoming release of the annual Kentucky KIDS COUNT Data Book, coming up on November 20th. For decades now, many of us have come to rely on the information from the Kentucky KIDS COUNT project to assess how kids are faring, measure our progress on improving opportunities, and identify [...]
Kentucky kids need safe and healthy communities to grow up, free from harmful products like nicotine and tobacco. But for decades, tobacco manufacturers have found ways to evolve their products and marketing strategies to appeal to youth at a young age and keep them hooked. Despite youth smoking rates declining over the past decade, current use rates remain a concern – with Kentucky youth using nicotine and tobacco at a higher rate than the national [...]
