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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Each year, the first full week of May is reserved for Teacher Appreciation Week, a week for students and families to say thank you to the teachers that have worked so hard all year to help their students be successful. This week has typically focused on the K-12 school system; however, there is a large group of teachers who deserve just as much recognition – the early childhood educators working in child care programs for [...]
Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org SHELBYVILLE, KY – Today, the Together We Bloom Summit, hosted by Bloom Kentucky, is bringing together hundreds of advocates, policymakers, and community leaders from across the Commonwealth focused on mitigating Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and cultivating Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs) through policy and systems change. The sold out, one-day conference offers attendees the opportunity to hear from experts on ACEs and resilience, attend workshops on messaging and advocating for policy [...]
This year is the 60th anniversary of Head Start, the preschool program for 3- to 5-year-olds and their families that are experiencing poverty. The Head Start program began with the goal of breaking the poverty cycle for young children. Head Start goes beyond just providing a classroom experience, these programs also provide medical and dental care for children, meals and baby formula, and education programs – like GED courses – for parents and caregivers. Additionally, [...]
As we enter April and we look forward to warmer days, Kentucky Youth Advocates is reflecting on another legislative session in the Commonwealth – one that brought wins, missed opportunities, and some puzzling moments for Kentucky kids. Review the recap of the 2025 state legislative session and final status of Blueprint for Kentucky's Children priorities below and check out ways you can still take action for kids. 2025 Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children State Policy Wins [...]
Imagine the halls of Kentucky’s Capitol buzzing with the energy of hundreds of young voices all united for a single purpose. On March 5th, 2025, Frankfort witnessed this powerful scene as young advocates from across the Commonwealth convened for Kentucky Youth Advocates’ annual Children’s Advocacy Day at the Capitol – their participation throughout Children’s Advocacy Week 2025. However, the excitement didn’t start there. On the eve of Children’s Advocacy Day, we hosted a retreat [...]
