All children deserve to learn and grow in an encouraging and supportive environment that reduces the risk of system involvement. Yet, recent legislative changes have led to more children and parents entering the court system for truancy. Truancy is defined as missing three or more days of school or being tardy on three or more days without a valid excuse. Any child who is reported as truant two or more times in a one year [...]
Through State Auditor Allison Ball’s office, the Commonwealth Office of the Ombudsman recently released a new report examining Kentucky’s use of nontraditional placements (NTPs) for children in foster care. The Kentucky Finance and Administration Cabinet Office of the Inspector General released a separate report that provides additional context on the use of nontraditional placements and reinforces the challenges related to placement instability and gaps in the placement continuum. Nontraditional placements occur when a child in [...]
Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – Alongside our partners in the Bloom Kentucky initiative, we’re celebrating as the House of Representatives unanimously supported Representative Susan Witten’s House Bill 338. This commonsense approach to promoting housing stability will ensure dismissed evictions are expunged and that no minor is named on an eviction filing. The potential impact of HB 338 is great as the average [...]
Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – When families have access to safe, stable housing, children can grow and thrive. Yet, families with children are two times more likely to face eviction than other households, often leading to long-term barriers to securing stable housing even if the case is dismissed. And sometimes those children are listed on eviction filings, damaging their housing record before [...]
Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – Kentucky’s economy counts on a strong child care workforce and availability of high quality child care for every child so parents can go to work knowing their child is safe, learning, and cared for. Yet, child care deserts and increasing waitlists are causing child care programs to operate at the highest adult-to-child ratios that the state will allow, [...]
Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – State Auditor Allison Ball and Ombudsman Jonathan Grate once again exemplify how the Office of the Ombudsman can serve as a catalyst for change for some of Kentucky’s most vulnerable kids. In a report released today, decisionmakers and advocates can look deeper at the reality facing foster children in Nontraditional Placements (NTP) across the Commonwealth, such as [...]
As part of Bloom Kentucky, “sprout outs” are our way of giving a meaningful shout out to programs fostering hope and resilience in communities across the Commonwealth. We’re proud to spotlight the work of South Louisville Community Ministries (SLCM) and its commitment to ensuring families have stable housing. Located in Jefferson County, SLCM is a nonprofit organization providing emergency assistance and compassionate advocacy for neighbors in crisis. SLCM offers a comprehensive range of services to [...]
Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – Kentucky is at a critical point within the system of family legal representation for child welfare proceedings – with concerns around the quality of legal representation being voiced by foster care alumni, birth parents, foster parents, and others in the system. Family and District Court Judges cite low compensation, challenging caseloads, and lack of local attorneys as [...]
This was originally published on Face It Movement's blog. The 2025 Child Fatality and Near Fatality External Review Panel Report was released this month, summarizing the findings from comprehensive reviews of 248 cases that were determined to be the result of child abuse. Of those cases, 72 were fatalities and 176 were near fatalities with 82% involving children aged four and younger and 44% under the age of one. Key Takeaways Neglect was the most [...]
Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – Representative Samara Heavrin said it best, “House Bill 6 lays the foundation for a stronger, more sustainable child care network.” We’re celebrating this afternoon as this much-needed legislation clears the House with bi-partisan support. Among its many components, House Bill 6 strengthens access and options to safe, affordable child care for working parents. It removes barriers to [...]
