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Showing up to School Pays Off (Literally)

October is dedicated to National Dropout Prevention Month and in this blog, we will dive into attendance and the role this indicator plays in academic achievement, drop out rates, as well as, funding in Kentucky schools.  Research shows that school absences take a toll on grades and performance on standardized tests. Beyond test scores, irregular attendance can be a predictor of high school drop-out, which has been linked to poor labor market prospects, diminished health, [...]

By |2023-10-31T17:38:50-04:00October 31st, 2023|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Education, Kids Count|
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Youth Voice: Action Needed to Enforce Tobacco 21 Law

Kentucky kids need environments free from nicotine products to learn, grow, and thrive. Availability of products with high nicotine content is growing rapidly and marketing with bright colors and alluring flavors targets kids in stores across the state. Although Kentucky lawmakers have taken important steps to limit youth access to these products, like raising the legal purchase age to 21, action is still needed.   Griffin Nemeth testifying at the Interim Joint Committee on Licensing [...]

By |2023-10-19T16:16:17-04:00October 19th, 2023|Blog, Education, Health|
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Health Youth Ambassadors 2023 Onboarding Retreat

Last week, our 2023-2024 Health Youth Ambassador cohort came together for the first time in Bowling Green, Kentucky for their two-day overnight onboarding retreat! Representing 8 different counties from across the Commonwealth – including Oldham, Graves, Daviess, Clark, Hardin, Henry, Jefferson, and Crittenden – our new cohort consists of 13 youth advocates. The Health Youth Ambassadors (HYA) program is a statewide cohort that engages high school aged youth to learn about advocacy and policy, [...]

By |2023-09-28T16:34:23-04:00September 28th, 2023|Blog, Education, Health|
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Federal Update on the State of Child Care

In 2021, the United States Congress passed the American Rescue Plan Act that provided $24 Billion to stabilize the child care industry with most of those funds specifically dedicated to stabilization payments going directly to child care programs. This supplemental funding stream was dedicated to staff wages, facility expenses, utilities, and health measures utilized by the child care programs.   On September 30th, those funds will have officially expired, and child care programs all over the [...]

By |2023-09-21T12:55:29-04:00September 21st, 2023|Blog, Economic Security, Education|
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Kentucky Youth Speak Out Against Substance Use

We know substance use, among both adults and adolescents, continues to be an issue in communities throughout the Commonwealth.  To better understand just how substance use, as well as the opioid epidemic, are impacting Kentucky’s young people, Bloom Kentucky recently connected with high school students across the state to hear their perspectives on the impact of substance use among their peers and in their communities and how we might address substance use prevention.  We [...]

By |2023-09-14T11:55:50-04:00September 14th, 2023|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Education, Health|
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Adolescent Mental Health is Declining and We Need To Understand Why

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the prevalence of mental health challenges across the nation, especially among youth. While there were policies proposed to expand access to and affordability of mental health treatment and to improve social indicators of well-being, youth mental health is still declining according to a recent report from Child Trends. Improvements in social indicators of well-being have caused an increase in the thriving index for youth, however, indicators of depression, anxiety, and suicide [...]

By |2023-09-13T11:18:17-04:00September 13th, 2023|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Education, Health, Race Equity|
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Supporting Afterschool Care Supports Students, Families, and Providers

It is back to school season here in Kentucky! Kids all across the Commonwealth are preparing for another year of learning and reconnecting with friends. At the same time, back to school has left many working parents across Kentucky wondering the same thing: where is my kid going to go until I get off work?  Almost 1,500 organizations across Kentucky address this by providing afterschool care for school-age children. These afterschool programs provide kids with [...]

By |2023-08-30T15:27:55-04:00August 30th, 2023|Blog, Economic Security, Education|
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Back to School and Back On Track with Immunizations!

By Yelena Bagdasaryan, Intern at Kentucky Youth Advocates  August is National Immunization Awareness Month, an opportunity to recognize the importance of childhood immunizations and answer questions from parents and guardians about necessary immunizations and their safety. As children prepare to start classes and see their friends in August, there are more possibilities for them to contract preventable diseases.  Ensuring students are up to date on their immunizations allows them to safely focus on their studies [...]

By |2023-08-24T15:16:19-04:00August 24th, 2023|Blog, Education, Health|
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Guest Blog: “What can I do to be a helper in my community?”

By Joseph Bargione  For some of us, the name Fred McFeely Rogers may have no meaning.  However, if you grew up before cell phones or social media, and you heard a certain theme song you might smile or sing along.   Fred Rogers created the iconic children’s tv show Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, which aired from 1968 to 2001 on 384 Public Broadcast Stations (PBS). At the height of its popularity, it was being viewed in 1.8 [...]

By |2023-08-22T08:31:29-04:00August 22nd, 2023|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Education, Health|
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Back to School, Back to Anti-Vaping Efforts

By Yelena Bagdasaryan, Intern at Kentucky Youth Advocates As Kentucky counties are heading back to school, there is a buzz of anticipation and excitement for students to be back in the classrooms and with their peers. However, the start of classes also reignites concerns for student’s health, specifically their use of e-cigarettes or vapes.  The use of vapes has increased dramatically, creating a new generation of youth that are dependent on nicotine. According to a [...]

By |2023-08-17T15:46:44-04:00August 17th, 2023|Blog, Education, Health|
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