Guest host Alicia Whatley is joined by three leaders for a conversation on the current state of child nutrition in Kentucky. Guests include Agriculture Commissioner Jonathan Shell, state Senator Jason Howell, and Stephanie Utley, Director of School Nutrition at LaRue County Schools and President of the Kentucky School Nutrition Association. Thank you to Aetna Better Health of Kentucky for supporting the Making Kids Count podcast. Visit AetnaMedicaidKY.com/choose to [...]

Terry Brooks is joined by state Auditor of Public Accounts Allison Ball to discuss the Office of the Ombudsman's recent report on foster children in Nontraditional Placements (NTP) across the Commonwealth, such as Department for Community Based Services (DCBS) offices, state parks, and hotels. Read more about the report on KYA's blog. Thank you to Aetna Better Health of Kentucky for supporting the Making Kids Count podcast. [...]

Guest host Shannon Moody is joined by Jane Herms, president and CEO of Family Nurturing Center in NKY; Sonja Grey, executive director of ECHO; and Laura Wills-Coppelman, co-founder of ICKY Schools. This panel of advocates discuss several bills being considered by the General Assembly to address and prevent child sexual abuse and grooming. Learn more about the Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children 2026 priorities at kyyouth.org/blueprintKY. Learn more about the Kosair for Kids Face It [...]

On March 4th, youth, advocates, and leaders from across the Commonwealth joined Kentucky Youth Advocates for the 2026 Children's Advocacy Day at the Capitol and the first ever Town Hall on Kentucky Kids. In addition to remarks from a young person and adult advocates, attendees heard a conversation with a panel of state legislative leaders, including Senate President Pro Tem David Givens, House Speaker David Osborne, and Senate Minority Whip Cassie Chambers Armstrong. Event [...]

Guest host Shannon Moody is joined by three community leaders to discuss the importance of meeting families’ basic needs in efforts to mitigate Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and the intersection with Bloom Kentucky’s state policy priorities. Guests include Lacy Boling, Executive Director, Paducah Cooperative Ministries; Sara Hemingway, Executive Director, Marilyn and William Young Foundation in Owensboro; and Timothy Johnson, President and CEO of the Greater Clark Foundation in Winchester. Learn more about Bloom Kentucky [...]

Guest host Shannon Moody is joined by the Chairs of the Families and Children Committees, Senator Danny Carroll and Representative Samara Heavrin, to discuss the foci of their respective committees this session, including child care, child welfare, and child safety. Learn more about the Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children 2026 priorities at kyyouth.org/blueprintKY. Thank you to Aetna Better Health of Kentucky for supporting the Making Kids Count podcast. [...]

Guest host Shannon Moody is joined by Representative Stephanie Dietz and Family Court Judge Marcus Vanover to discuss child welfare courts, quality legal representation, and the 2026 state legislative session. Learn more about the Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children 2026 priorities and check out the Strengthening Legal Representation for Kentucky Families issue brief. Thank you to Aetna Better Health of Kentucky for supporting the Making Kids Count podcast. [...]

Guest host Shannon Moody is joined by Shane Noem, a Republican lobbyist from Northern Kentucky with Roebling Solutions and a Kentucky Youth Advocates board member, Jared Smith, partner at the government and public relations firm Piper Smith based in Lexington, and Alicia Whatley, KYA’s Senior Policy and Advocacy Director. They discuss what to expect in the 2026 legislative session, including priorities impacting kids, state budget considerations, and the realities facing the Kentucky General Assembly. [...]

Terry Brooks shares reflections on the 2025 Kentucky KIDS COUNT Data Dashboard, including trends of the latest child well-being data in economic security, education, health, and family and community. Additionally, Shannon Moody is joined by members of the Make America Health Again Kentucky Taskforce, Senator Shelley Funke Frommeyer and Representative Adam Moore. They discuss the taskforce’s focus on child nutrition and food access and priority areas for the 2026 Kentucky General Assembly.Learn more about the [...]