FacebookInstagramXYouTubeEmail

A Federal Spotlight on Foster Youth and What it Could Mean for Kentucky

Last month, the Trump administration released an Executive Order titled Fostering the Future for American Children and Families at a press conference with the President and First Lady, signaling that current foster youth and young people aging out of care are an important issue for the administration, and the First Lady in particular.  When announcing the order, the administration discussed and acknowledged the long-standing challenges within the foster care system, particularly for youth who transition [...]

By |2025-12-18T13:30:20-05:00December 18th, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety|
Read More

Understanding Overreporting in Public Schools: Analysis of Impact and Recommendations

In 2024, more than 55,000 reports of suspected child abuse or neglect were made to Kentucky’s Department for Community Based Services (DCBS), which houses Child Protective Services (CPS). As a universal mandatory reporting state, every adult is required to make a report if they have a reasonable suspicion that a child is being abused or neglected. While every adult can play a role in keeping children safe, research and data suggest that the intended impact [...]

By |2025-12-18T15:10:27-05:00December 18th, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Education|
Read More

New Issue Brief: Strengthening Legal Representation for Kentucky Families

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org New Issue Brief: Strengthening Legal Representation for Kentucky Families An Analysis of Pre-Petition Legal Representation and Recommendations to Improve Outcomes LOUISVILLE, KY – When families have access to quality legal representation during child welfare involvement, children are more likely to remain safely with their parents, leading to improved long-term outcomes. Yet, most Kentucky families do not receive legal representation until after a child has been removed and a court petition has [...]

By |2025-12-17T13:48:25-05:00December 17th, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, News Room|
Read More

2025 Kentucky KIDS COUNT Data Dashboard Launches with a Snapshot on Childhood Obesity and Food Access

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org 2025 Kentucky KIDS COUNT Data Dashboard Launches with a Snapshot on Childhood Obesity and Food Access Featuring the latest county-level data for key measures of child health, education, economic security, and family and community Louisville, KY – The 2025 Kentucky KIDS COUNT Data Dashboard, released today by Kentucky Youth Advocates, features the latest data on measures of child well-being, showing whether outcomes for children across the Commonwealth have improved, worsened, or [...]

By |2025-12-11T09:12:26-05:00December 11th, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, News Room|
Read More

The Child Care Landscape Heading into 2026

With only a month until the beginning of Kentucky’s legislative session, it is essential for child advocates to be up-to-date on the topics most likely to impact children and families in 2026.  The General Assembly will undoubtedly be discussing topics like food insecurity, children experiencing homelessness, and Kentucky children having access to appropriate health care – and the Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children has a number of state policy and budget priorities that will impact kids [...]

By |2025-12-10T10:50:47-05:00December 10th, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Education|
Read More

Introducing the Bloom Kentucky 2026 State Policy Priorities

The end of the year brings holiday gatherings, time with family and friends, and just as reliably: the countdown to the Kentucky legislative session. When the Kentucky General Assembly convenes on the first Tuesday in January to launch the 2026 regular session, lawmakers will once again have the chance to advance policies and budget decisions that support Kentucky’s children and families.  Bloom Kentucky is a collaborative initiative of grantmaking organizations from across the Commonwealth, united [...]

By |2025-12-17T09:38:59-05:00December 9th, 2025|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security|
Read More

Announcing the Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children 2026 State Policy and Budget Priority Agenda

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Louisville, KY – Kentucky Youth Advocates recently released the Blueprint for Kentucky's Children 2026 priority agenda, featuring state policy changes and budget investments that will impact kids and families across the Commonwealth. The Blueprint for Kentucky's Children speaks with a common voice to create brighter futures for all Kentucky kids and their families. The coalition is comprised of non-profit, public, and private organizations that stands on three pillars: thriving communities launch strong families, strong families [...]

By |2025-12-16T11:46:20-05:00December 2nd, 2025|Blog, News Room|
Read More

Looking Ahead to the 2026 Budget Session and Advocating for Kids

As the interim legislative session winds down and Kentuckians begin settling in for the holidays, the 2026 General Assembly is right around the corner. Like every even year in the Commonwealth, 2026 will bring a long legislative session that includes the passing of a new two-year state budget.  Legislators will return to Frankfort on Tuesday, January 6th to kick off the 60 day session that will charge Kentucky legislators with considering proposed bills and crafting [...]

By |2025-12-17T09:38:25-05:00December 1st, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, Kids Count, Youth Justice|
Read More

Cultivating Hope: KYOAAC’s Latest Funding Opportunities

What does it mean to cultivate? Merriam-Webster dictionary describes this term as “to prepare for raising of crops”, “to foster the growth of”, “ to improve by labor, care, or study”, “further, encourage”. Like a farmer may prepare for raising crops to produce a strong yield, we believe that the state’s opioid settlement funds should be invested to produce strong yields for kids and families across the Commonwealth to mitigate the impacts of the [...]

By |2025-12-17T09:37:43-05:00November 25th, 2025|Blog, Bloom Advocacy Corner, Bloom Kentucky, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Health|
Read More

New Issue Brief: Improving the Safety of Kentucky’s Youngest Children

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org New Issue Brief: Improving the Safety of Kentucky’s Youngest Children Understanding the Scope of Child Abuse in Child Centers and Proposed Recommendations LOUISVILLE, KY – Parents across Kentucky rely on child care options in order to go to work and provide for their family. While the vast majority of child care programs are safe and high-quality, recent data shows that incidents of child abuse emanating from child care centers have increased [...]

By |2025-11-20T10:23:11-05:00November 20th, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, News Room|
Read More
Go to Top