Terry Brooks is joined by Larry Craig, Executive Committee member of the Kosair for Kids Board of Directors and owner of Craig & Landreth Cars; Dr. Jerry Rabalais, member of the Kosair for Kids Advisory Council and Emeritus Chairman of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Louisville; and Dr. Shannon Moody, Chief Policy & Strategy Officer at Kentucky Youth Advocates and lead of the Kosair for Kids Face It Movement. They discuss [...]

Guest host Alicia Whatley is joined by three Kentucky young people: Phoenix Berry, a member of KYA’s 2025 Housing Policy Ambassadors cohort from Lexington; Kiera Dunk, 10th grade student and child abuse prevention advocate from Oldham County; and, Griffin Nemeth, the Youth Advisory Board Coordinator for the #iCANendthetrend program at the University of Kentucky. They discuss their advocacy journeys and share their tips for other young people wanting to make an impact in their [...]

Guest host Cortney Downs is joined by state Representative Nick Wilson, Amanda Hall of Dream.org, and Sarah Durand of KYFREE for a discussion on House Bill 291, known as the Family Preservation and Accountability Act. They dive into the impact of parental incarceration on children, communities, and the state economy. HB 291 is a Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children priority bill that would require the courts to consider alternative sentencing options -- such as vocational [...]

Terry Brooks and Alicia Whatley are joined by state Senator Jimmy Higdon and Delanie Crump, a high school freshman from Boyd County, for a discussion on the state of youth vaping in Kentucky. They also discuss the impact Senate Bill 100 could have on holding retailers accountable for selling nicotine and tobacco products to youth under age 21 and ultimately curbing youth vaping in the Commonwealth. SB 100 is a Blueprint for Kentucky's Children [...]

Terry Brooks is joined by members of Kentucky Youth Advocates' policy team - Shannon Moody, Alicia Whatley, and Cortney Downs - to share updates on Blueprint for Kentucky's Children 2025 policy priorities and insights on the Frankfort landscape and the impact on kids' issues. Find details on each of the bills discussed at kyyouth.org/bill-tracker/. Thank you to Aetna Better Health of Kentucky for supporting the Making Kids Count [...]

Terry Brooks is joined by Kentucky's Attorney General Russell Coleman to discuss his office's role in convening diverse stakeholders on issues impacting kids and families, as well as ongoing efforts around the Opioid Settlement Fund, protecting kids online, and a substance use prevention campaign targeting youth. Thank you to Aetna Better Health of Kentucky for supporting the Making Kids Count podcast. Visit AetnaMedicaidKY.com/choose to learn more about their health [...]

Terry Brooks is joined by Kelly Pullen, Executive Director of the Aetna Better Health® of Kentucky's Supporting Kentucky Youth (SKY) program. We hear more about the long term impacts of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and the role Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs) has in mitigating adversity. Terry and Kelly also reflect on the SKY program's ACEs prevention and intervention efforts and how all Kentuckians can play a role in preventing adversity and promoting resilience building [...]

Terry Brooks shares reflections on the first week of the 2025 Kentucky General Assembly, updates on Blueprint for Kentucky's Children policy priorities, and a call to action for advocates to speak up for kids throughout the short state legislative session. Find advocacy information and resources at kyyouth.org/blueprintKY. Thank you to Aetna Better Health of Kentucky for supporting the Making Kids Count podcast. Visit AetnaMedicaidKY.com/choose to learn more about their [...]

Terry Brooks is joined by state Auditor of Public Accounts Allison Ball to discuss her roles as state Treasurer and Auditor. They also dive into the office of the Auditor's recent efforts that will impact some of Kentucky's most vulnerable kids: the successful transition of the Office of the Ombudsman, the ongoing assessment of Senate Bill 151 to support kinship families, and the ongoing investigation into incidents of children in foster care sleeping in [...]

Terry Brooks shares an overview of the 2024 Kentucky KIDS COUNT Data Book and the trends in the latest child well-being data. The 2024 Data Book and new online, interactive County Data Dashboard feature the latest data on 16 measures of economic security, education, health, and family and community. Additionally, the essay of this year's edition dives into the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and progress on mitigating those impacts through Positive Childhood [...]