What does Bloom Kentucky and Mickey Mouse have in common this summer? They are both ALL EARS.

As soon as the gavel fell for the 2023 state legislative session, Bloom Kentucky already had a plan to get advocates excited about 2024. Kentucky Youth Advocates and Bloom Kentucky want to hear from you!  

During May and June 2023, we’re hosting regionally-based listening sessions across the Commonwealth to bring local advocates and leaders together to identify strategies that will build resilience in kids, families, and communities. Childhood trauma is common in Kentucky and can have lifelong impacts – but the good news is it can be addressed through state policy change and budget investments in collaboration with community-based efforts. 

We are hitting the road to engage as many of the local experts in every region of Kentucky as possible around three key areas: 

  1. What policies and budget investments do you want our state legislature to address in 2024 related to child and family well-being?
  2. What do you want our Gubernatorial candidates prioritizing related to child and family well-being?
  3. How does the region intend to leverage Opioid Settlement funds related to child and family well-being and substance use prevention?

Join Sowing Resilience: A Bloom Kentucky Listening Tour  in one of the nine Department for Community Based Services regions to share your ideas, questions, and recommendations so that all kids can grow up healthy and hopeful. We’re partnering with local organizations for the listening sessions – ranging from smaller round tables to large community conversations – and, in some regions, there will be multiple conversations held. 

Check out this overview of the Sowing Resilience conversations. Stay tuned as we share what we hear from community advocates and leaders across the Commonwealth! Read an update from the road here. If you missed the listening tour and still want to share your ideas and recommendations so that all kids can grow up healthy and hopeful, please complete this survey. 

Cumberland Region

  • Co-hosting with Volunteers of America-Mid States in London

Eastern Mountain Region

  • Co-hosted with the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky in Hazard

Jefferson Region

  • Co-hosted with Peace Hospital in South Louisville
  • Co-hosted with Play Cousins Collective in West Louisville 
  • Hosted at Kentucky Youth Advocates
  • Session with youth and young adults

Northeastern Region 

  • Co-hosted with Morehead State University in Morehead

Northern Bluegrass Region 

  • Co-hosted with Learning Grove and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital in Covington
  • Co-hosted with Scott County Agency for Substance Abuse Policy and Scott Countians Against Drugs in Georgetown

Salt River Trail Region 

  • Co-hosted with the Kinship Families Coalition of Kentucky in Elizabethtown
  • Co-hosted with the Wanda Joyce Robinson Foundation in Frankfort

Southern Bluegrass Region 

  • Co-hosted with the Danville Branch of Women’s Network in Danville
  • Co-hosted with the Greater Clark Foundation in Winchester
  • Co-hosted with the Community Action Council in Lexington
  • Co-hosted with Face It Bluegrass
  • Co-hosted with the Bluegrass Community Foundation in Lexington

The Lakes Region

  • Co-hosted with Murray State University in Paducah

Two Rivers Region

  • Co-hosted with CASA of Ohio Valley in Owensboro
  • Co-hosted with Family Enrichment Center in Bowling Green