Education

Let’s Measure What We Value — The Well-being of Kentucky Students

Let’s Measure What We Value — The Well-being of Kentucky Students

You’ve probably heard the quotes, “What gets measured gets managed,” or “If you cannot measure it, you cannot improve it,” or even, “We measure what we value.” Central to each of these quotes is the premise that capturing data is the foundation for examining growth, impact, and understanding how the decisions we make change outcomes. If we care about outcomes, we have to measure them. Data as a Compass The Kentucky Department [...]

By Hannah Edelen|2026-11-05T15:59:01-05:00November 5th, 2026|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Education|

Bringing Communities Together at The Kids Table

Bringing Communities Together at The Kids Table

Across the state Kentucky kids are enjoying fall break, trips to the pumpkin patch, and Halloween excitement. At Kentucky Youth Advocates, we’re reflecting on The Kids Table – a series of four Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children regional convenings focused on how kids are faring in each region, state policy solutions, and opportunities for advocates to get involved. The Kids Table provided an opportunity for community members to convene, learn from each other, and share [...]

By Alicia Whatley|2026-10-23T13:33:15-04:00October 23rd, 2026|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health|

How States are Using Children’s Cabinets for Positive Child Outcomes

How States are Using Children’s Cabinets for Positive Child Outcomes

Effective and responsive government programs shape whether families can easily find and access the services their children need – and Kentucky lawmakers are exploring examples of streamlining programming and improving stewardship of funding dedicated to children through the development of a Children’s Cabinet. Example: Ohio During the August meeting of the Interim Joint Committee on Families and Children, the legislative members listened to a presentation from Ohio on reorganizing [...]

By Sarah Vanover|2026-09-10T16:10:41-04:00September 10th, 2026|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Education, Health|

Are Kentucky’s Young Children Healthy and Ready to Learn?

Are Kentucky’s Young Children Healthy and Ready to Learn?

It takes more than knowing letters and numbers for a child to be ready for kindergarten. Kids also need to have practical skills that allow them to thrive in a classroom, like the ability to self-regulate their emotions, as well as be physically healthy enough to learn. To help advocates, early childhood stakeholders, and families better understand how Kentucky’s youngest kids are faring, Child Trends released a new Healthy and Ready to Learn [...]

By Karena Cash|2026-09-02T11:58:24-04:00September 2nd, 2026|Blog, Education, Health|

Federal Update on Head Start and How to Take Action

Federal Update on Head Start and How to Take Action

The Head Start program began in 1965 as a way to combat the growing number of families with young children living in poverty. It was created to be a half-day preschool program for children between the ages of 3-5 to help them be prepared for kindergarten. By 1977, the program had reserved slots for children with disabilities and a bilingual and bicultural component, and in 1995, Early Head Start was created to serve [...]

By Sarah Vanover|2026-09-16T15:54:39-04:00September 2nd, 2026|Blog, Education|

Statement on the Settlement with Meta and the Impact on Kids

Statement on the Settlement with Meta and the Impact on Kids

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org LOUISVILLE, KY – Kentucky kids won big today with the multistate settlement with Meta. Kentucky will receive $358 million in one of the largest state consumer protection settlements in the country’s history. Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman has been at the forefront of ensuring that social media platforms are held accountable for their role in the youth mental health crisis and deliberate addictive platform design. In the agreement, settlements are to [...]

By Kentucky Youth Advocates|2026-10-09T08:57:06-04:00August 26th, 2026|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Education, Health, News Room|

Federal Update on Special Education

Federal Update on Special Education

As kids head back to school this August, federal changes to the education system are taking shape – with potential implications for Kentucky students. Although most of the public education system is planned and implemented at the state level, the special education system is regulated and funded by the federal government. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was established in 1990 to make sure that students with disabilities in the public school [...]

By Sarah Vanover|2026-08-19T15:22:54-04:00August 19th, 2026|Blog, Education|

Kids Count on Good Data

Kids Count on Good Data

Last week, the Annie E. Casey Foundation released its 2026 KIDS COUNT Data Book, offering a snapshot of how children and families across the country are doing. For Kentucky, the message of this year's data is familiar but urgent: progress is happening, but it’s not happening fast enough. Kentucky ranks 36th in the nation for overall child well-being in the 2026 report. The ranking reflects a mix of improvements and setbacks across the [...]

By Karena Cash|2026-06-17T13:22:38-04:00June 17th, 2026|Blog, Economic Security, Education, Health, Kids Count|

Kentucky Ranks 36th in 2026 KIDS COUNT Data Book as Kentucky Youth Advocates Urges Deepened Focus on How Kids and Families Fare

Kentucky Ranks 36th in 2026 KIDS COUNT Data Book as Kentucky Youth Advocates Urges Deepened Focus on How Kids and Families Fare

Contact: Mara Powell | mpowell@kyyouth.org | 502-895-8167 X122 Kentucky Ranks 36th in 2026 KIDS COUNT Data Book as Kentucky Youth Advocates Urges Deepened Focus on How Kids and Families Fare Annual National Report on Child Well-Being Shows Progress and Gaps for Kentucky LOUISVILLE, KY — Kentucky ranks 36th in child well-being, according to the 2026 KIDS COUNT Data Book, a 50-state report of recent data developed by the Annie E. Casey Foundation analyzing how kids [...]

By Kentucky Youth Advocates|2026-06-10T09:52:38-04:00June 8th, 2026|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, News Room|

New Report – KYA and True Up Examine Education Outcomes of Kentucky Foster Youth

New Report – KYA and True Up Examine Education Outcomes of Kentucky Foster Youth

New Report – KYA and True Up Examine Education Outcomes of Kentucky Youth with Foster Care Experience Interactive report features key data on outcomes and barriers to success and offers policy recommendations Louisville, KY – Students with foster care experience bring unique strengths and perspectives to our classrooms; they also face trauma and systemic hurdles that can make the climb toward graduation and beyond more difficult. To support more informed, data-driven responses, Kentucky Youth Advocates [...]

By Kentucky Youth Advocates|2026-05-20T17:03:47-04:00May 20th, 2026|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Education, News Room|