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Statement on Auditor’s Report on Nontraditional Placements for Kentucky’s Foster Youth

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 [...]

By |2026-03-09T12:50:31-04:00March 9th, 2026|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, News Room|
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Bloom Kentucky Sprout-Out: South Louisville Community Ministries

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 [...]

By |2026-02-26T14:39:17-05:00February 26th, 2026|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security|
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Statement on Passage of HB 598 by House Families & Children Committee

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 [...]

By |2026-02-26T10:06:03-05:00February 26th, 2026|Child Welfare & Safety, News Room|
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A Look at the Latest Child Fatality and Near Fatality External Review Panel Report

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 [...]

By |2026-02-25T16:08:59-05:00February 25th, 2026|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety|
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Statement on Passage of HB 6 by Kentucky House

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 [...]

By |2026-02-17T19:09:07-05:00February 17th, 2026|Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, News Room|
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Using Local Opioid Abatement Funds to Fuel Prevention Efforts

Local opioid settlement funds, which are available and distributed to every county and many cities around Kentucky, hold great opportunity for healing and recovery. Alongside the possibilities for local communities comes great responsibility to use the funds wisely. This is especially important as these funds come as a result of the opioid epidemic which took the lives of many Kentuckians and harmed many more.  As county leaders make decisions about how to invest, all localities [...]

By |2026-02-17T11:59:17-05:00February 17th, 2026|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security|
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Diving Deeper into HB 6 to Strengthen Kentucky’s Child Care Ecosystem

Affordable, quality child care continues to be a top priority for families that need to be a part of the workforce while still providing a safe and healthy environment for their young children. During the 2024 legislative session, the General Assembly dedicated more general fund dollars to child care than ever before. That was a first step towards developing Kentucky’s child care infrastructure. Now, during this budget session, Kentucky continues to brainstorm on how to [...]

By |2026-02-24T13:57:30-05:00February 12th, 2026|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education|
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Statement on Passage of HB 6 by House Families & Children Committee

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – Child care programs offer working families a safe place for children to learn and grow and serve as a critical pillar of community economies. Recognizing the need to strengthen quality and access to affordable child care across Kentucky, Representative Samara Heavrin – along with numerous bipartisan co-sponsors – is championing House Bill 6 this session, and we’re [...]

By |2026-02-12T09:30:30-05:00February 12th, 2026|Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, News Room|
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Kentucky Continues to See Double National Rate of Child Maltreatment in Latest Report

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org LOUISVILLE, KY – The latest national Child Maltreatment report, released last month by the Children’s Bureau of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, shows a total of 14,505 child victims of maltreatment in Kentucky during the reporting period (FFY 2024). While there has been a 13% reduction in child victims of maltreatment from 2020 to 2024, Kentucky continues to see nearly double the national rate (7.2 per 1,000) of [...]

By |2026-02-09T15:35:04-05:00February 10th, 2026|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, News Room|
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What’s Coming Next with the State Budget and How to Take Action

Updated March 20, 2026 With just ten working days to go in the 2026 legislative session, the state budget process is nearing its conclusion. As we detailed in early January, the General Assembly spent a bulk of the legislative time in 2026 crafting a two-year state budget that will be complete before the final gavel on April 15th.  What’s Already Happened? So far, the Governor released his proposed budget during the State of the Commonwealth [...]

By |2026-03-20T15:35:31-04:00February 3rd, 2026|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health|
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