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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 |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?

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 [...]

“Not considering the impacts of the child care benefits cliff affects parents like me.”

By Sarah Vanover and Valerie Frost While the first Benefit Cliffs Task Force meeting centered around what other states were doing to address the benefits cliff, as well as what resources were already available in Kentucky, the second meeting reviewed what happens to a family when they lose child care subsidy and the impact of child care to the Kentucky workforce. Kentucky Youth Advocates, in collaboration with Metro United Way and the Prichard Committee, presented [...]

By |2022-09-01T15:22:37-04:00September 1st, 2022|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Economic Security, Education|

Bloom Community Spotlight: The Morton Center

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. By Priscilla McIntosh, The Morton Center, Inc. Louisville, KY Photo Credit: The Morton Center I have two children, 13 and 10-year-old daughters.  As a mom, the last two+ [...]

Maternal Health, Child Well-being, and MIECHV Reauthorization

We know that maternal health plays a key role in the healthy development of a child at every stage. Mothers need to be healthy, have access to the care and services they need, and have the necessary resources to meet basic needs throughout their pregnancy, birth, and after welcoming a new child.   During the last legislative session, we saw steps taken to support mothers and ensure their needs are met. Senate Bill 178 extended [...]

By |2022-09-21T18:46:02-04:00August 17th, 2022|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Child Welfare & Safety, Health|

OP-ED: What’s In Their Backpack?

This post originally appeared as an op-ed in the NKY Tribune on August 13, 2022. By Joseph Bargione and Jo Cruz Most children returned to school this week. For many, they return with new backpacks and school supplies. However for some, their backpacks also contain things we can’t readily see – Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Traumatic experiences such as abuse, exposure to violence, parental mental health challenges, and negative community events, like the recent flooding and displacement [...]

A Look at the New Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates the cost of prescription opioid misuse in the United States is $78.5 billion a year, including health care, lost productivity, addiction treatment and criminal justice. In 2017, approximately 2.2 million children were directly affected by parental opioid use or their own use, and we know that Kentucky children have been particularly hard hit. There is a clear connection of adult and adolescent opioid use to childhood [...]

A Look at the New Benefits Cliff Task Force

For many people, receiving a raise, promotion, or new job opportunity is something to celebrate. However, for families utilizing public benefits, a raise in wages can often be met with anxiety around what that raise will mean for their benefits and overall ability to provide for their families.  The benefits cliff refers to the sudden decrease in public benefits that often occurs when recipients get a small increase in earnings. This cliff has consistently been [...]

By |2022-07-21T12:48:43-04:00July 21st, 2022|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Economic Security, Medicaid|

OP-ED: Let’s create more caring communities when it comes to mental health

This post originally appeared as an op-ed in the Messenger-Inquirer on May 25, 2022. By Barry Allen and the Bloom Kentucky Advisory Council “What’s wrong with you?” If you have struggled emotionally in public or amongst family or friends, you may have been asked this question. Maybe you’ve snapped at your child after losing your patience in the cereal aisle of the grocery store and a stranger gives you that questioning look. Or perhaps you’ve asked this [...]

New Resource for Supporting Children Who Have a Parent Incarcerated

For immediate release: May 19, 2022 Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org New Resource for Supporting Children Who Have a Parent Incarcerated Guide offers tips, resources, and conversation starters for parents, caregivers, and community members Louisville, KY — Today, Kentucky Youth Advocates and the Kentucky Social Welfare Foundation released a new guide that offers tips, resources, and conversation starters for parents, caregivers, and caring community members to consider for supporting children who have a parent incarcerated. Through [...]

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