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The Impact of Proposed Medicaid Changes on Kentucky Families

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 [...]

By |2025-05-15T13:37:57-04:00May 15th, 2025|Blog, Economic Security, Health, Medicaid|
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What Gets Measured Gets Changed: Leveraging Opioid Data Dashboard Updates

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 [...]

By |2025-05-14T14:47:54-04:00May 14th, 2025|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, Race Equity|
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Experts, Policymakers, and Advocates Join Bloom Kentucky’s Together We Bloom Summit on ACEs Prevention

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 [...]

By |2025-05-08T08:19:11-04:00May 7th, 2025|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Economic Security, Education, Health, News Room|
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A Look at Autism from the Perspective of a Mom and Advocate

There has been a great deal of information about Autism in the media lately.  These discussions about Autism have brought to life accurate information about this condition, as well as misconceptions.  As many organizations look at how to support individuals with Autism, it is essential to make sure that these supports are built on facts regarding the diagnosis. What is Autism? Autism is a developmental disability that predominantly affects the social and emotional domains of [...]

By |2025-05-01T14:26:59-04:00May 1st, 2025|Blog, Education, Health|
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The Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission Awards Funds for Prevention and Recovery

KYA staff attended the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission announcement on March 27th in Louisville. At the end of March, the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission approved more than $19.8 million in new funding across the Commonwealth – investments that reflect a powerful alignment between values and action in Kentucky’s ongoing response to the opioid epidemic.  This latest cycle included two core funding opportunities: one focused on prevention efforts and the other on [...]

By |2025-04-25T10:09:03-04:00April 21st, 2025|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Child Welfare & Safety, Health|
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Safe Storage Saves Lives: Investing Opioid Settlement Funds in Prevention

By Peyton Walker, Intern at Kentucky Youth Advocates In Kentucky, far too many families know the pain of losing a loved one to an accidental overdose. As the opioid epidemic continues to impact communities across the Commonwealth, prevention remains a critical tool in protecting children and families.  According to the 2024 Annual Report by the Child Fatality and Near Fatality External Review Panel, the rate of fatal pediatric ingestions/overdoses has risen steadily over the past five years, [...]

By |2025-04-17T14:23:06-04:00April 17th, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Health|
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KYGA25 Reflections: Wins, Missed Opportunities, and Head Scratchers

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 [...]

By |2025-04-01T16:27:12-04:00April 1st, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice|
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Children’s Advocacy Week 2025 Reflections from Youth

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 [...]

By |2025-03-21T11:02:53-04:00March 20th, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health|
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What’s at Stake Federally for Kentucky Kids?

By Chase Pasarella, Intern at Kentucky Youth Advocates, and the KYA Policy Team As we move toward the final days of the Kentucky legislative session, the federal government has also been busy negotiating a budget bill. Late last week, Congress passed a continuation budget that funds government programs and offices at mostly current levels through September 2025.  Since taking office in January, the Trump Administration and leaders in Congress have made it clear that priority [...]

By |2025-03-17T17:01:51-04:00March 17th, 2025|Blog, Economic Security, Education, Health, Kids Count, Medicaid|
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Statement on Final Passage of Legislation to Pave the Way for Freestanding Birth Centers

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – With final passage of the legislation to remove barriers to the establishment of freestanding birth centers in Kentucky, the General Assembly has paved the way for communities to expand access to safe, equitable perinatal and delivery care for families. House Bill 90 has passed both the Kentucky House and Senate and has been delivered to the Governor [...]

By |2025-03-14T13:46:46-04:00March 14th, 2025|Health, News Room|
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