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Utilizing the ALICE Lens to Better Understand Economic Well-Being

In terms of data, what does economic well-being in Kentucky look like to you? Employment vs unemployment, public benefits access, housing costs, and child poverty are typically points that come to mind. Specifically for children and families, I would like to shout out the valuable information found on the KIDS COUNT Data Center, breaking down child and family economic well-being at the state and county level in several key arenas.  However, expanding frames [...]

By |2026-07-14T14:03:25-04:00July 14th, 2026|Blog, Economic Security|
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Sponsorship Opportunities: Investing in KYA is Investing in Kids

Kentucky Youth Advocates invites businesses, foundations, community partners, and other mission-driven organizations to invest in a better future for Kentucky’s children. Sponsorship is a meaningful way to support KYA’s advocacy efforts and community engagement opportunities that help make Kentucky the best place to be young. Through sponsorship, your organization can help expand youth engagement, strengthen advocacy efforts, and support trusted data and awareness initiatives that inform decision-makers and community leaders across [...]

By |2026-07-14T11:34:04-04:00July 14th, 2026|Blog|
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Building Resilience Together: A Look at Bounce Coalition’s Training Offerings

In every community, there are children and adults carrying the weight of trauma, often silently. The Bounce Coalition -- an initiative of Kentucky Youth Advocates -- exists to change that reality by equipping organizations with the knowledge and tools to build resilience, respond with compassion, and create environments where kids and families can truly thrive. Bounce’s training offerings are designed to support schools, nonprofits, youth-serving organizations, healthcare providers, residential facilities, workforce and community [...]

By |2026-07-09T09:34:24-04:00July 7th, 2026|Blog|
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Progress Takes Persistence: Continuing the Push for Quality Child Welfare Legal Representation

During the 2026 Kentucky General Assembly, advocates, attorneys, judges, individuals with lived experience, and policymakers continued an important conversation: How can Kentucky strengthen legal representation for the children and families involved in child welfare cases? This conversation led to meaningful amplification of an important issue, even if the related bills did not reach the finish line this session.  Why Legal Representation Matters? Quality legal representation is vital in [...]

By |2026-07-02T12:52:16-04:00July 2nd, 2026|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety|
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Turn Down the Heat on Youth Substance Use

Kentucky’s opioid settlement funds came at great cost. Too many families lost loved ones when pharmaceutical companies immorally pushed opioids that were known to cause addiction. We as adults have an obligation to Kentucky children, especially those who have been harmed by opioid use in their families. We must support youth so they grow up healthy and strong and create experiences and environments that bolster their development. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) – like [...]

By |2026-06-30T12:19:32-04:00June 30th, 2026|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Health|
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Guest Blog: Kinship Connections Events – Helping Families Navigate Resources Throughout Kentucky

By Tori Henderson, KYA intern This year, the Kinship Families Coalition of Kentucky in partnership with Kentucky Youth Advocates, through the support of Casey Family Programs, is hosting a series of free Kinship Connections events to increase awareness and support for kinship caregivers - grandparents, relatives, or close family friends raising children. The first event took place on May 27th in Laurel County, Kentucky. We will be hosting two more this [...]

By |2026-06-24T10:53:06-04:00June 24th, 2026|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety|
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Kids Count on Good Data

Last week, the Annie E. Casey Foundation released its 2026 KIDS COUNT Data Book, offering a snapshot of how children and families across the country are doing. For Kentucky, the message of this year's data is familiar but urgent: progress is happening, but it’s not happening fast enough. Kentucky ranks 36th in the nation for overall child well-being in the 2026 report. The ranking reflects a mix of improvements and setbacks across the [...]

By |2026-06-17T13:22:38-04:00June 17th, 2026|Blog, Economic Security, Education, Health, Kids Count|
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Want to Influence Child Well-being and Community Funding until 2040? Start now!

In 2027, local governments will have the opportunity to influence how much federal funding they get through 2040 for crucial programs that support child well-being, economic development, and infrastructure. This opportunity? The Local Update of Census Addresses (LUCA).  The Local Update of Census Addresses, also known as LUCA, is the main tool the U.S. Census Bureau uses to create the address list for the decennial Census. Although the 2030 Census may seem far [...]

By |2026-07-31T10:35:06-04:00June 16th, 2026|Blog, Economic Security|
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Safety Starts at Home: Preventing Pediatric Ingestions

Young children learn by exploring the environment through their senses. This means that the brain and the body take in information through seeing, hearing, touching, tasting, and smelling objects that they come into contact with in their environment. Infants and toddlers particularly have the overwhelming urge to place everything in their mouths in order to see what it is like.  Young children often put toys and different foods in their mouths, but without [...]

By |2026-06-17T15:57:03-04:00June 16th, 2026|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety|
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Op-Ed: How Will Leaders Respond to the National Report on Kentucky Kids?

This op-ed was originally published in the Kentucky Lantern on June 15, 2026. Judy and I just reviewed our youngest grandchildren’s report cards (Their older siblings mysteriously can’t find theirs!) and those Brooks kids seemingly are doing well.  The documents were filled with “Os” and “Ss,” which I guess are now the new “A” and “B.”  In-depth narratives – generated by either Ai or hard-working teachers – densely populated a couple dozen spaces.  Those [...]

By |2026-06-16T12:17:06-04:00June 16th, 2026|Blog, Kids Count, News Room|
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