FacebookInstagramXYouTubeEmail

Guest Post: Reshaping the Trajectories of Kentucky’s Grieving Children

By Leila Salisbury  November has been designated as Grieving Children and Families Month, a time to highlight the data points showing that grief and loss are at the heart of the most under recognized and under addressed population health crisis for our children in Kentucky. 1 in 9 children in Kentucky will experience the death of a parent or sibling by the age of 18.  These bereaved children are more likely to experience Substance Use [...]

By |2025-12-17T09:36:58-05:00November 12th, 2025|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Child Welfare & Safety, Education|
Read More

Building a Children’s Cabinet: What, Why, Who, and How?

In order to meet the needs of kids and families, many states offer a variety of programs from medical services, nutrition programs, child care, and emergency supports. Although all the programs apply to families and children, the services can be hard to access since they are housed across different departments, cabinets, and websites.  In order to increase efficiency, and make access easier for families of young children, states are looking outside the box and finding [...]

By |2025-12-17T09:36:05-05:00November 12th, 2025|Blog, Bloom Advocacy Corner, Bloom Kentucky, Child Welfare & Safety, Education, Health|
Read More

Eviction Data Dashboard: Turning Insight Into Action

Last week, Kentucky Youth Advocates hosted a webinar introducing the Kentucky Eviction Data Dashboard, an interactive tool that displays eviction filings and trends across the state from 2022-2024. The dashboard was developed to help policymakers, advocates, and community members understand the scope and impact of eviction in Kentucky and its impact on kids and families.  Understanding the Impact of Eviction on Kids and Families The webinar opened with an overview of eviction, [...]

By |2025-11-13T10:26:48-05:00November 12th, 2025|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Economic Security|
Read More

The State of Youth Vaping and Strategies to Address the Epidemic

Kentucky kids need environments that support their health and wellbeing - a goal that can be supported by policy and budget investments. As the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) initiative continues to explore ways to improve child health outcomes, a recent statement from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) highlighted the dangers of youth vaping - an epidemic that continues to impact teens across Kentucky.  This week, in addition to their stated focus [...]

By |2025-11-06T11:52:08-05:00November 6th, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Health|
Read More

Share Your Story for a Complete Census Count in Appalachia

In the region of Kentucky where I grew up – the beautiful Appalachian mountains of Eastern Kentucky – communication is woven into the fabric of communities. The annual Swappin’ Meetin’ held each Fall at Southeast Community and Technical College would showcase that communication through storytelling, songs, and the many conversations of neighbors and friends.  While the stories and songs will be saved for our beloved community gatherings, we want to hear from our Appalachian communities [...]

By |2025-11-12T10:19:53-05:00November 5th, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, Kids Count, Medicaid|
Read More

Boost Foster Youth Safety and Independence with State IDs

Youth aging out of foster care face countless challenges, from finding stable housing and employment to navigating health care and higher education on their own. Many leave care without the same supports and safety nets that their peers rely on, making the transition to adulthood especially difficult. One challenge that youth in Kentucky should not face is aging out of foster care without state identification or other essential documents.  Under Kentucky's Foster Care Bill of [...]

By |2025-10-30T14:24:05-04:00October 30th, 2025|Blog|
Read More

Tapping into Curiosity and Innovation: An Updated Dashboard to Drive Action

A trip to the Kentucky Science Center with children is like leveling up on curiosity and innovation. My nephews’ favorite part is usually the water table. It’s fascinating to watch how they look at the pipes and water spouts, devise a plan in their brain, then start working to implement what they want to have happen. The joy on their faces is priceless when they figure out their goal - like how to get [...]

By |2025-10-30T14:14:20-04:00October 30th, 2025|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Child Welfare & Safety|
Read More

Common-Sense Eviction Reform Heard in Interim Judiciary Committee

At the October meeting for the Interim Joint Committee on Judiciary, Representative Susan Witten presented on legislation that she filed during the 2025 legislative session aimed at making common sense changes to Kentucky’s eviction process to reduce the long-term, harmful effects on kids and families.  “As the Housing Taskforce Co-Chair, the past two years we have worked really hard to try to identify state level solutions to Kentucky’s housing crisis,” Representative Witten stated during her [...]

By |2025-11-12T12:40:25-05:00October 23rd, 2025|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Economic Security|
Read More

Thriving Families, Safer Children: Asking the Miracle Question

Have you ever heard of the “miracle question”? It’s a classic tool used in Solution-Focused Therapy, a method that centers on envisioning the desired future rather than dwelling on past difficulties. The therapist might ask: “If you went to sleep tonight and a miracle occurred while you were asleep which led to your problem being solved, what would you notice the next morning that would tell you this miracle had happened?” This question helps clients [...]

By |2025-10-23T13:45:56-04:00October 23rd, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety|
Read More

New Year, Same Passion for Kentucky Kids

At Kentucky Youth Advocates, we’re already gearing up for the 2026 state legislative session—and with a new year comes new opportunities to stand up for Kentucky kids! Children’s Advocacy Day at the Capitol has always been a powerful moment to lift youth voices, connect with legislators, and push for policies that put kids first. While renovations at the State Capitol mean this year’s event will look a little different, our mission remains the same: make [...]

By |2025-10-22T08:50:17-04:00October 21st, 2025|Blog|
Read More
Go to Top