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What’s Coming Next with the State Budget and How to Take Action

Updated March 20, 2026 With just ten working days to go in the 2026 legislative session, the state budget process is nearing its conclusion. As we detailed in early January, the General Assembly spent a bulk of the legislative time in 2026 crafting a two-year state budget that will be complete before the final gavel on April 15th.  What’s Already Happened? So far, the Governor released his proposed budget during the State of the Commonwealth [...]

By |2026-03-20T15:35:31-04:00February 3rd, 2026|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health|
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Hoosiers & Touchdowns for Kids – The Bloom Agenda in the “First Quarter”

We’re officially about a quarter of the way through the 60-day session and Bloom Kentucky is proud to share that 4 of our 5 policy priorities from the 2026 agenda have been filed. Like the Indiana Hoosier’s recent historic win, Kentucky legislators have an opportunity to make history for kids this session if they can come together and work as a team for kids and families.  Bloom’s agenda is gaining momentum, and like the game [...]

By |2026-02-05T13:50:06-05:00January 27th, 2026|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Health|
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New year, new goals: Setting a path to achieve community goals to address the opioid epidemic

Each new year, people across Kentucky join in the time-honored tradition of reflecting on the year past and thinking ahead to goals for the upcoming year. With many years of goals to think back on, one takeaway is clear – I’m more likely to achieve that goal if I have a plan in place for how to do it.  In the past, when I set a goal to run the Kentucky Derby half marathon at [...]

By |2026-01-15T09:38:25-05:00January 15th, 2026|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Health|
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Building Kentucky’s Budget: Implications of Federal Actions and State Taskforces

The 2026 state legislative session is underway and lawmakers have been busy in Frankfort filing more than 350 bills in the first week. Among the bills that remain to be seen is the budget bill that will detail legislative proposals for the state’s next two year operating budget. Originating in the House, this bill will see several rounds of revisions over the next two months before final passage by April 15th.  Governor Beshear kicked off [...]

By |2026-01-14T16:01:59-05:00January 14th, 2026|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Health, Medicaid|
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Statement on Governor Beshear’s 2026 State Budget Address

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – There was good news in last night’s address by Governor Andy Beshear as he joined with Republican legislative leaders in prioritizing basic needs like housing stability and food security for our kids and families. Those two arenas are clearly common ground and are ripe for legislative action as this session unfolds.  That is a vital opening for [...]

By |2026-01-08T07:56:51-05:00January 8th, 2026|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, News Room, Youth Justice|
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OP-ED: Turkey Bombs or Political Spam for Kentucky Kids

This originally appeared as an op-ed in the NKY Tribune on December 20, 2025. These days after Black Friday and before December 25 mean lots of things to different folks. Mobbed malls. Hopeful and expectant kids. Family gatherings near and far. Lots of packages on that doorstep. Perhaps a beautiful church service or cantata. And for me? Really wonderful homemade Italian and more than a bit of football! But for families in remote parts of [...]

By |2025-12-22T12:08:05-05:00December 22nd, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, News Room|
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2025 Kentucky KIDS COUNT Data Dashboard Launches with a Snapshot on Childhood Obesity and Food Access

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org 2025 Kentucky KIDS COUNT Data Dashboard Launches with a Snapshot on Childhood Obesity and Food Access Featuring the latest county-level data for key measures of child health, education, economic security, and family and community Louisville, KY – The 2025 Kentucky KIDS COUNT Data Dashboard, released today by Kentucky Youth Advocates, features the latest data on measures of child well-being, showing whether outcomes for children across the Commonwealth have improved, worsened, or [...]

By |2025-12-11T09:12:26-05:00December 11th, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, News Room|
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Looking Ahead to the 2026 Budget Session and Advocating for Kids

As the interim legislative session winds down and Kentuckians begin settling in for the holidays, the 2026 General Assembly is right around the corner. Like every even year in the Commonwealth, 2026 will bring a long legislative session that includes the passing of a new two-year state budget.  Legislators will return to Frankfort on Tuesday, January 6th to kick off the 60 day session that will charge Kentucky legislators with considering proposed bills and crafting [...]

By |2025-12-17T09:38:25-05:00December 1st, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, Kids Count, Youth Justice|
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Cultivating Hope: KYOAAC’s Latest Funding Opportunities

What does it mean to cultivate? Merriam-Webster dictionary describes this term as “to prepare for raising of crops”, “to foster the growth of”, “ to improve by labor, care, or study”, “further, encourage”. Like a farmer may prepare for raising crops to produce a strong yield, we believe that the state’s opioid settlement funds should be invested to produce strong yields for kids and families across the Commonwealth to mitigate the impacts of the [...]

By |2025-12-17T09:37:43-05:00November 25th, 2025|Blog, Bloom Advocacy Corner, Bloom Kentucky, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Health|
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Building a Children’s Cabinet: What, Why, Who, and How?

In order to meet the needs of kids and families, many states offer a variety of programs from medical services, nutrition programs, child care, and emergency supports. Although all the programs apply to families and children, the services can be hard to access since they are housed across different departments, cabinets, and websites.  In order to increase efficiency, and make access easier for families of young children, states are looking outside the box and finding [...]

By |2025-12-17T09:36:05-05:00November 12th, 2025|Blog, Bloom Advocacy Corner, Bloom Kentucky, Child Welfare & Safety, Education, Health|
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