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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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Share Your Story for a Complete Census Count in Appalachia

In the region of Kentucky where I grew up – the beautiful Appalachian mountains of Eastern Kentucky – communication is woven into the fabric of communities. The annual Swappin’ Meetin’ held each Fall at Southeast Community and Technical College would showcase that communication through storytelling, songs, and the many conversations of neighbors and friends.  While the stories and songs will be saved for our beloved community gatherings, we want to hear from our Appalachian communities [...]

By |2025-11-12T10:19:53-05:00November 5th, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, Kids Count, Medicaid|
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Calling all doting grandparents, aunties and uncles: Be part of a complete count

Nothing quite matches the pride of a new grandparent or auntie showing pictures of a new baby. At a meeting, at the grocery store, or after church, they are quick to pull out their phones and share a few pictures of the new bundle of joy. This year, I’ve been that auntie, showing off my sweet niece who was born this past Winter, when I’m catching up with friends.   As much as we care for [...]

By |2025-09-30T13:03:25-04:00September 30th, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, Kids Count, Medicaid|
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Latest Data on Child Health and Poverty

Every fall, data nerds rejoice, because it means the release of the newest American Community Survey one year estimates from the Census Bureau. While the one year estimates are not as thorough as the five year estimates that are released in December, they still provide a wealth of knowledge for many topics, including demographics, income, poverty, housing, and education. These estimates can help guide legislators, community leaders, and community members toward policies that work to [...]

By |2025-09-25T14:26:15-04:00September 25th, 2025|Blog, Health, Kids Count, Medicaid|
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From Interim Hearings to the 2026 State Budget: What’s Ahead for Kentucky Kids & Families

As summer winds down in Kentucky, state leaders in Frankfort are already preparing for the 2026 biennial budget session. Shortly after the 2025 legislative session concluded, lawmakers were back in action convening interim joint committees with members of both the House and Senate. The interim legislative session spanning June to December serves as an opportunity for legislators to hear presentations from various state offices on current data and program outcomes, budget requests for the next [...]

By |2025-10-07T16:04:38-04:00September 3rd, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, Medicaid|
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From Barbecues to Budget Cuts: How the New Federal Budget Impacts Families in Kentucky

This is part of Kentucky Youth Advocates’ series on the federal landscape and the impacts on Kentucky children and families.  Along with barbecues and fireworks, the 4th of July also brought a new federal budget signed into law. Although the reconciliation package saw several versions before final passage, many of the programs we have highlighted throughout the Summer will see significant changes under the new law.   Among the largest cuts in the program's history are [...]

By |2025-07-16T13:28:48-04:00July 16th, 2025|Blog, Health, Medicaid|
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The Power of Data: How We Know What Kentucky’s Kids Need

While many people are familiar with the Kentucky KIDS COUNT project, there is much more county, school district, and race level data that is collected and analyzed. The Annie E. Casey Foundation, who leads the national KIDS COUNT project, hosts a Data Center for all 50 states where additional information can be found. In addition to the data they display for the entire state and each congressional district, KYA tracks more information at the county [...]

By |2025-07-11T12:02:41-04:00July 11th, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, Kids Count, Medicaid|
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Census–it’s more than you think

Most of us think the Census is the once every ten year survey that gets filled out to take a count of people, but it’s actually so much more! As an organization that depends on accurate, timely, and thorough data, the Census is one of Kentucky Youth Advocates' go-to sources for information.   While the Census Bureau conducts a survey once every ten years (called the Decennial), it also evaluates the data, makes adjustments based on [...]

By |2025-08-08T13:47:28-04:00June 5th, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, Kids Count, Medicaid|
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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’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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