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Rising Temperatures, Rising Costs: Protecting Kentucky Families from Utility Disconnections

Updated September 18, 2025 Photo courtesy of Pkruger via Dreamstime It’s been a long, hot summer in Kentucky. This should come as no surprise since meteorologists predicted a hotter-than-average season for much of the U.S, but in recent years weather in Kentucky has been anything but predictable.  As weather fluctuates and temperatures rise, so does the cost of utilities for families.  Monthly utility costs in Kentucky have increased by 33% since 2017 and [...]

By |2025-10-07T15:43:34-04:00July 23rd, 2025|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Economic Security|
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The Power of Data: How We Know What Kentucky’s Kids Need

While many people are familiar with the Kentucky KIDS COUNT project, there is much more county, school district, and race level data that is collected and analyzed. The Annie E. Casey Foundation, who leads the national KIDS COUNT project, hosts a Data Center for all 50 states where additional information can be found. In addition to the data they display for the entire state and each congressional district, KYA tracks more information at the county [...]

By |2025-07-11T12:02:41-04:00July 11th, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, Kids Count, Medicaid|
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New Report – Bloom Kentucky Examines the Economic Impact of ACEs and Offers Recommendations

New Report - Bloom Kentucky Examines the Economic Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences in Kentucky and Offers Key Strategies for Prevention Contact: Kelsey Dimar kdimar@kyyouth.org LOUISVILLE, KY – Adversity experienced in childhood has an annual estimated cost of $295 million on Kentucky’s economy, according to The Economic Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences in Kentucky report released today by Bloom Kentucky, an initiative powered by grantmaking partners from across the Commonwealth and backboned by Kentucky Youth [...]

By |2025-09-09T12:59:35-04:00June 16th, 2025|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Health, Justice, News Room, Race Equity|
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Opioid Data Dashboard Webinar Recap: Using Data to Leverage the Opioid Settlement Funds

Last week, Kentucky Youth Advocates hosted a webinar about the Opioid Data Dashboard on Children and Families and how it can be used as a tool for informing the use of opioid settlement funds. KYA staff members were joined by Lauren Carr, Opioid Settlement Advisor with the Kentucky Association of Counties (KACo), a partner in making information available to communities as they invest the funds from the opioid settlement. The opioid settlement funds, which [...]

By |2025-06-11T13:05:40-04:00June 10th, 2025|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, Race Equity|
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Kentucky Ranks 36th in 2025 KIDS COUNT Data Book Urging Focus on Supporting Thriving Kids and Families

Contact: Patricia Tennen | ptennen@kyyouth.org | 502-895-8167 x 122 Kentucky Ranks 36th in 2025 KIDS COUNT Data Book as Kentucky Youth Advocates Urges Focus on Supporting Thriving Kids and Families Data shows that too many Kentucky kids are falling behind on key indicators of child well-being, the Annie E. Casey Foundation finds LOUISVILLE, KY —Kentucky has made progress in half of 16 indicators of child well-being, according to the 2025 KIDS COUNT Data Book, a 50-state report of [...]

By |2025-06-06T11:27:28-04:00June 9th, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Kids Count, News Room|
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Census–it’s more than you think

Most of us think the Census is the once every ten year survey that gets filled out to take a count of people, but it’s actually so much more! As an organization that depends on accurate, timely, and thorough data, the Census is one of Kentucky Youth Advocates' go-to sources for information.   While the Census Bureau conducts a survey once every ten years (called the Decennial), it also evaluates the data, makes adjustments based on [...]

By |2025-08-08T13:47:28-04:00June 5th, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, Kids Count, Medicaid|
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Understanding TANF Reform and Its Impact on Kentucky Families

This is part of Kentucky Youth Advocates’ series on the federal landscape and the impacts on Kentucky children and families.  As a part of the federal government’s overhaul of the country's long standing safety net programs, recent updates and conversations about the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program give insight into the potential changes ahead. This spring, a pilot project that aimed to shift TANF away from strict work requirements and toward measuring success [...]

By |2025-05-29T13:04:45-04:00May 29th, 2025|Blog, Economic Security|
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What Federal Changes in SNAP Means for Kentucky Kids and Families

This is part of Kentucky Youth Advocates’ series on the federal landscape and the impacts on Kentucky children and families.  It’s been a busy month in Washington as Congress works to finalize the federal budget for the next 10 years. Earlier this week, the U.S House Budget Committee narrowly advanced a budget reconciliation measure that will cut an estimated $300 million from Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) – the largest proposed reduction in program history.  The proposal [...]

By |2025-05-22T15:54:44-04:00May 22nd, 2025|Blog, Economic Security|
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The Impact of Proposed Medicaid Changes on Kentucky Families

This is part of Kentucky Youth Advocates’ series on the federal landscape and the impacts on Kentucky children and families.  As we near warmer summer days and the end of another school year in the Commonwealth, our federal delegates are busy in Washington DC narrowing in on a budget reconciliation package. In other words - Congress is nearing the end of its process to develop a federal budget for the next year and outline spending [...]

By |2025-05-15T13:37:57-04:00May 15th, 2025|Blog, Economic Security, Health, Medicaid|
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What Gets Measured Gets Changed: Leveraging Opioid Data Dashboard Updates

The saying, “what gets measured gets changed,” has long been a cornerstone of the Kentucky KIDS COUNT project, which has reported county-level data on critical measures of child well-being for more than 35 years. As Kentucky faces an unprecedented opportunity to address the opioid epidemic through Opioid Settlement funds, we can prevent future generations from suffering the impacts.  Kentucky Youth Advocates released new data this month on the Opioid Data Dashboard on Children and Families [...]

By |2025-05-14T14:47:54-04:00May 14th, 2025|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, Race Equity|
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