Bloom Kentucky – Kentucky Youth Advocates

A Look at the New Prison-to-Work Pipeline Initiative

A Look at the New Prison-to-Work Pipeline Initiative

Kentucky’s workforce has seen a decrease in workforce participation and many have collaborated on efforts seeking solutions to eliminate barriers that often prohibit people from finding a sustainable job. At a recent press conference, Governor Beshear announced efforts to boost workforce participation. Ashli Watts with the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce spoke to how our workforce is currently at 58%, still below pre-pandemic levels. Currently, there are more than 160,000 open jobs throughout the commonwealth and [...]

By Crystal Willis|2022-11-17T17:30:51-05:00November 17th, 2022|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Child Welfare & Safety, Justice, Race Equity|

Updates on CCAP to Benefit Families, Child Care Providers, and Local Economies

Updates on CCAP to Benefit Families, Child Care Providers, and Local Economies

The regulations for the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) have been updated multiple times in the past two years in order to better support Kentucky’s working families and Kentucky’s child care providers. These updates have been possible due to one-time COVID-19 federal relief funds. Several new programs have been implemented in the past couple of months that benefit working families and child care providers. Here’s an overview of the programs and how they are [...]

By Sarah Vanover|2022-11-09T14:02:05-05:00November 9th, 2022|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Economic Security|

Bloom Community Spotlight: GreenHouse17

Bloom Community Spotlight: GreenHouse17

To help prevent and mitigate childhood adversity, many on-the-ground community partners are hard at work providing needed resources and support to Kentucky kids and families. The Bloom Community Spotlight blog series highlights the important work being done by Bloom Kentucky community partners throughout the Commonwealth. It’s about time to talk more about the effects of domestic violence on children By GreenHouse17 staff For too many years, domestic violence has remained a hidden private matter. National [...]

By Kentucky Youth Advocates|2022-11-10T14:02:59-05:00October 24th, 2022|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Child Welfare & Safety|

New Report: Community and Jail Practices to Support Children with Incarcerated Parents

New Report: Community and Jail Practices to Support Children with Incarcerated Parents

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org 502-895-8167 X122 New Report: Community and Jail Practices to Support Children with Incarcerated Parents Recommendations and Bright Spots for Kentucky LOUISVILLE, KY – Parental incarceration is often referred to as a ‘shared sentence’ because of the impact it has on the community, caregivers, and most importantly, the children. Kentucky currently has the 11th highest rate of children who have had a parent incarcerated. A new report, Community and Jail Practices Supporting [...]

By Kentucky Youth Advocates|2022-10-19T11:41:58-04:00October 18th, 2022|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Child Welfare & Safety, Justice, News Room, Race Equity|

Updates from the Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission

Updates from the Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission

Earlier this month, the Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission once again met to discuss the distribution of Kentucky’s portion of the Opioid Abatement settlement funds. Discussions ranged from a number of topics, including the structure for distribution of funds and the grant application process. According to the Commission, necessary contract information and language is being finalized for the structure for distribution of state funds. All logistical components are being finalized to ensure that funds are distributed [...]

By Melissa Collins|2022-10-17T17:47:11-04:00October 17th, 2022|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Child Welfare & Safety, Health, Justice|

See Us, Support Us: October is Parental Incarceration Awareness Month

See Us, Support Us: October is Parental Incarceration Awareness Month

Did you know that in Kentucky more than 1 in 10 children have had a parent separated from them due to incarceration? This shared sentence is not only an Adverse Childhood Experience but research also shows that children of incarcerated parents are, on average, six times more likely to become incarcerated themselves. The traumatic experiences of young people who have a parent incarcerated are too often overlooked or misunderstood. Not only does having a parent [...]

By Crystal Willis|2022-10-19T15:49:13-04:00October 11th, 2022|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Justice, Race Equity|

Kinship Families Coalition of KY: Recognizing September as Kinship Care Month

Kinship Families Coalition of KY: Recognizing September as Kinship Care Month

September is National Kinship Care Month, and it is also recognized in Kentucky as Kinship Care Month by Governor Andy Beshear. It is important to continue lifting up the voices of our relative and fictive kin caregivers to ensure the children in their care have every opportunity to grow up to be successful and thriving Kentucky citizens. Kinship and fictive kin caregivers continue to step up for children in Kentucky to ensure they stay safely [...]

By Shannon Moody|2022-09-29T12:39:00-04:00September 29th, 2022|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Child Welfare & Safety|

Much Needed Updates Proposed for K-TAP

Much Needed Updates Proposed for K-TAP

Access to cash is essential for families to handle everyday expenses and endure emergencies. It is especially important for very low income families who may not have the resources and savings needed when big purchases and unplanned expenses arise, such as a broken bone, car repairs, or school supplies. The Kentucky Transitional Assistance Program (K-TAP) is a vital support for families living below the Federal Poverty Line, providing this cash support alongside the training and [...]

By Karena Cash|2022-09-29T12:41:37-04:00September 28th, 2022|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Economic Security|

Call to Action: Let’s Fund Justice!

Call to Action: Let’s Fund Justice!

What’s new at the federal level for justice related policies? Recently Matt Cartwright, representative of Pennsylvania, presented a bill that would direct federal funding to areas of commerce, justice, science, and related agencies. In other words, this bill will help provide essential resources to advanced criminal justice. House Resolution 8256 has been read twice and referred to the Appropriations Committee but unfortunately, no further progress has been made. Sometime soon, we hope to see this [...]

By Crystal Willis|2022-09-20T19:57:52-04:00September 20th, 2022|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Justice, Race Equity, Youth Justice|

What do Kentucky’s young people want from their Governor?

What do Kentucky’s young people want from their Governor?

Kentuckians will decide who they want for Governor in November of 2023 – whether that’s a second term for the current Governor Andy Beshear or his Republican opponent who will be chosen next May. While Kentucky kids cannot vote, they have a major stake in who gets chosen and what the Governor’s priorities will be. As we look ahead to the 2023 Governor’s race, we want to hear from young people directly about their hopes [...]

By Patricia Tennen|2022-09-26T11:18:13-04:00September 13th, 2022|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, Race Equity, Youth Justice|

ACTION ALERTS!