Announcing the Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children 2026 State Policy and Budget Priority Agenda
Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Louisville, KY – Kentucky Youth Advocates recently released the Blueprint for Kentucky's Children 2026 priority agenda, featuring state policy changes and budget investments that will impact kids and families across the Commonwealth. The Blueprint for Kentucky's Children speaks with a common voice to create brighter futures for all Kentucky kids and their families. The coalition is comprised of non-profit, public, and private organizations that stands on three pillars: thriving communities launch strong families, strong families launch successful kids, and successful kids launch a prosperous future for Kentucky. This year, the Blueprint's priorities focus on various gaps and challenges in the [...]
New Issue Brief: Improving the Safety of Kentucky’s Youngest Children
Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org New Issue Brief: Improving the Safety of Kentucky’s Youngest Children Understanding the Scope of Child Abuse in Child Centers and Proposed Recommendations LOUISVILLE, KY – Parents across Kentucky rely on child care options in order to go to work and provide for their family. While the vast majority of child care programs are safe and high-quality, recent data shows that incidents of child abuse emanating from child care centers have increased at an alarming rate. A new issue brief – Improving the Safety of Kentucky’s Youngest Children – released today by the Kosair for Kids Face [...]
Statement on Recent Beshear Administration Update on KTAP
Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – The Governor recently proclaimed September as Kinship Care Awareness Month. Typically, that would mean a time to honor those grandparents, relatives, and close family friends stepping up to care for children. Instead, Kinship Month is wrapping up on a distressing note. We can only hope that it's a case of unintended consequences and this harmful course can be reversed. Just days ago the Governor emphasized his commitment to kids and funding kinship related programming in the next state budget. Surely neither the Governor Beshear and CHFS Secretary Dr. Stack actually want to use [...]
New Report – Bloom Kentucky Examines the Economic Impact of ACEs and Offers Recommendations
New Report - Bloom Kentucky Examines the Economic Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences in Kentucky and Offers Key Strategies for Prevention Contact: Kelsey Dimar kdimar@kyyouth.org LOUISVILLE, KY – Adversity experienced in childhood has an annual estimated cost of $295 million on Kentucky’s economy, according to The Economic Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences in Kentucky report released today by Bloom Kentucky, an initiative powered by grantmaking partners from across the Commonwealth and backboned by Kentucky Youth Advocates. When early trauma is overlooked, the impacts show up across every sector – driving up costs in health care, straining the workforce, and increasing [...]
Kentucky Ranks 36th in 2025 KIDS COUNT Data Book Urging Focus on Supporting Thriving Kids and Families
Contact: Patricia Tennen | ptennen@kyyouth.org | 502-895-8167 x 122 Kentucky Ranks 36th in 2025 KIDS COUNT Data Book as Kentucky Youth Advocates Urges Focus on Supporting Thriving Kids and Families Data shows that too many Kentucky kids are falling behind on key indicators of child well-being, the Annie E. Casey Foundation finds LOUISVILLE, KY —Kentucky has made progress in half of 16 indicators of child well-being, according to the 2025 KIDS COUNT Data Book, a 50-state report of recent data developed by the Annie E. Casey Foundation analyzing how kids are faring in post-pandemic America. However, the data show Kentucky kids still fall [...]
Experts, Policymakers, and Advocates Join Bloom Kentucky’s Together We Bloom Summit on ACEs Prevention
Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org SHELBYVILLE, KY – Today, the Together We Bloom Summit, hosted by Bloom Kentucky, is bringing together hundreds of advocates, policymakers, and community leaders from across the Commonwealth focused on mitigating Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and cultivating Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs) through policy and systems change. The sold out, one-day conference offers attendees the opportunity to hear from experts on ACEs and resilience, attend workshops on messaging and advocating for policy change, and to network with community partners from all corners of Kentucky. “Kentucky’s future depends on the well-being of its children. Strong communities launch thriving [...]
OP-ED: Child abuse prevention builds on small moments of support and connection
This originally appeared as an op-ed in the Kentucky Lantern on April 28, 2025. By Barry Dunn and Shannon Moody Photo Credit: Kentucky Lantern, Getty Images In a moment, so much can change in a family’s life. A last-minute work schedule change that leads to relying on an unsafe babysitter. An unsupportive reaction from a bystander that could have been a connection point for support and kindness rather than further shame and frustration. A busy morning with medications left unattended and the toddler reaches up on the counter. A job loss that led to a relapse for a parent [...]
Statement on Final Passage of Legislation to Pave the Way for Freestanding Birth Centers
Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – With final passage of the legislation to remove barriers to the establishment of freestanding birth centers in Kentucky, the General Assembly has paved the way for communities to expand access to safe, equitable perinatal and delivery care for families. House Bill 90 has passed both the Kentucky House and Senate and has been delivered to the Governor for signature. The main component of the legislation means that moms with a low-risk pregnancy are one step closer to having an alternative option to [...]
Statement on Passage of Legislation to Address Educator Sexual Misconduct by the Kentucky Senate
Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – Once concurred in the Kentucky House, legislation to address educator misconduct in the Commonwealth will finally be headed to the Governor’s desk for signature. By way of House Bill 298, the included provisions of House Bill 36 will reduce the risk of sexual abuse and exploitation in schools – outlining commonsense steps to increase the safety of students and keep unsafe adults out of the school building. When individuals with a history of sexual misconduct are allowed to work in schools, trust [...]
Statement on Passage of SB 100 by the Kentucky House
Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – Good news – Senate Bill 100 passes the full Kentucky House with bipartisan support! Kentucky kids need healthy environments to learn, play, and grow, free from the harmful effects of nicotine products like e-cigarettes and vapes. SB 100 will put measures in place to ensure compliance with Tobacco-21 law, so these products never reach the hands of our youngest Kentuckians. We applaud Senator Jimmy Higdon for his diligence on curbing the youth vaping crisis by enacting this licensure for retailers who sell [...]