Education

Statement on Passage of SB 100 by the House Licensing, Occupations, & Administrative Regulations Committee

Statement on Passage of SB 100 by the House Licensing, Occupations, & Administrative Regulations Committee

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – Alongside the Kentucky youth speaking up to end the vaping crisis among their peers, we are applauding as the House Licensing, Occupations, & Administrative Regulations Committee passes Senator Jimmy Higdon’s Senate Bill 100. We especially appreciate the committee members for retaining the original licensing provisions within the committee substitute adopted today. SB 100 would enforce the federal [...]

By Kentucky Youth Advocates|2025-03-12T09:53:15-04:00March 12th, 2025|Education, Health, News Room|

Statement on Passage of Legislation to Address Educator Sexual Misconduct

Statement on Passage of Legislation to Address Educator Sexual Misconduct

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – With just a few days left in the 2025 state legislative session, we appreciate Representative James Tipton’s laser-like attention on achieving passage of his longstanding commitment to addressing educator sexual misconduct in the Commonwealth. We’re celebrating as House Bill 36, adopted as a committee substitute of House Bill 298, was unanimously supported by the Senate Education Committee [...]

By Kentucky Youth Advocates|2025-03-10T16:51:37-04:00March 10th, 2025|Child Welfare & Safety, Education, News Room|

Statement on Passage of SB 73 by the Kentucky House

Statement on Passage of SB 73 by the Kentucky House

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – On this final day of Children’s Advocacy Week, we are celebrating as the first Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children priority bill is headed to the Governor’s desk. Senate Bill 73, championed by Senator Julie Raque Adams, was passed unanimously by the Kentucky House – emphasizing the General Assembly’s commitment to empowering victims of sexual exploitation, holding perpetrators of [...]

By Mara Powell|2025-03-07T14:34:38-05:00March 7th, 2025|Child Welfare & Safety, Education, News Room|

Youth Voice: “Our voices matter today and every day.”

Youth Voice: “Our voices matter today and every day.”

By Zach Crouch, member for the Health Youth Ambassadors Zach shared the following speech as the opening of the 2025 Rally for Kentucky Kids in the Rotunda at the annual Children’s Advocacy Day at the Capitol. Welcome to our 2025 Children’s Advocacy Day! My name is Zachary Crouch. Words can not describe how it makes me feel to see this Rotunda packed full of youth advocates and many elected officials joining today. Thank you, Governor [...]

By Kentucky Youth Advocates|2025-03-21T11:10:08-04:00March 6th, 2025|Blog, Education, Health|

Statement on Passage of SB 73 by House Judiciary Committee

Statement on Passage of SB 73 by House Judiciary Committee

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – Kids’ safety was prioritized by the Kentucky House Judiciary Committee with their overwhelming bipartisan support of Senate Bill 73 today. Through the leadership of Senator Julie Raque Adams, SB 73 will empower victims of sexual extortion by holding perpetrators accountable and will prioritize prevention education among Kentucky’s most vulnerable to online risks. Senate Bill 73, sponsored by [...]

By Kentucky Youth Advocates|2025-03-05T10:32:43-05:00March 5th, 2025|Child Welfare & Safety, Education, News Room|

Governor Beshear, House and Senate Leadership Join Hundreds of Youth and Advocates for Children’s Advocacy Day at the Capitol 2025

Governor Beshear, House and Senate Leadership Join Hundreds of Youth and Advocates for Children’s Advocacy Day at the Capitol 2025

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org FRANKFORT, KY – Hundreds of child advocates are convening this week for Children’s Advocacy Week, urging elected leaders to support the Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children, a unified policy agenda focused on creating brighter futures for all Kentucky kids and families. Today is Children’s Advocacy Day at the Capitol, where community organizations, professionals who work with kids and families, and young people from across the Commonwealth gather in Frankfort to meet with their legislators, attend committee [...]

By Kentucky Youth Advocates|2025-03-04T20:33:42-05:00March 5th, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, News Room, Youth Justice|

Phoenix’s Story: The Impacts of Eviction in Childhood

Phoenix’s Story: The Impacts of Eviction in Childhood

By Phoenix Berry, member of the 2025 Housing Policy Ambassadors cohort The feeling of loss is something we all experience, whether that's losing an item, ourselves, or another. I first remember losing my housing when I was in elementary school. My family was evicted from our home due to a public nuisance violation after the police were called because my mother was attempting to flee her abusive partner. We lost everything from baby photos to [...]

By Kentucky Youth Advocates|2025-02-27T15:01:43-05:00February 27th, 2025|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, Race Equity|

Statement on Passage of SB 100 by the Kentucky Senate

Statement on Passage of SB 100 by the Kentucky Senate

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – Kids flat out won today as Senator Jimmy Higdon's Senate Bill 100 passed the Senate floor – emphasizing the Member's commitment to youth health and holding those accountable who may jeopardize a kid's chance at a healthy, addiction-free future. In an effort to enforce the Tobacco-21 law, SB 100 seeks to hold retailers accountable for underage tobacco, [...]

By Kentucky Youth Advocates|2025-02-26T16:57:40-05:00February 26th, 2025|Education, Health, News Room|

Youth Voice on Enforcing T-21: “Every loophole in legislation lets addiction thrive.”

Youth Voice on Enforcing T-21: “Every loophole in legislation lets addiction thrive.”

The following testimony was shared on February 18, 2025 at the Senate Licensing & Occupations Committee on Senate Bill 100, sponsored by Senator Jimmy Higdon. Testimony by Delanie, a freshman at Boyd County High School in Ashland and a Youth Advisory Board Member at #iCANendthetrend: My name is Delanie, and I’m here not just as a youth advocate, but as a representative of a generation that is being targeted and exploited by an industry that profits [...]

By Kentucky Youth Advocates|2025-02-19T10:47:00-05:00February 19th, 2025|Blog, Education, Health|

Weathering the Storm: Adverse Climate Experiences and Resilience in Kentucky

Weathering the Storm: Adverse Climate Experiences and Resilience in Kentucky

Many moons ago, before I was born, and when my brother was just a little boy – the sky one day turned the color purple and in moments, the wind picked up and my family found themselves huddled under an old pick-up truck praying that the wind would subside. That day a tornado hit my home lane of Hillsboro and turned my family’s single-wide sideways. To this day, whenever the wind picks up, my father’s [...]

By Hannah Edelen|2025-02-18T15:30:51-05:00February 18th, 2025|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health|