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Statement on Passage of HB 11 by the Senate Judiciary Committee

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – What’s clear is that Kentucky’s kids are facing a vaping epidemic, orchestrated by “big vape” companies through marketing and sweet flavors. What’s also clear is that kids are getting their hands on vapes through local retailers despite state and federal tobacco-21 laws prohibiting selling to those underage. What is unclear is why the Kentucky General Assembly continues [...]

By |2024-03-28T12:51:13-04:00March 28th, 2024|Education, Health, News Room|
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Statement on Passage of HB 275 by the Kentucky Senate

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – Especially as we approach Child Abuse Prevention Month in April, we are joining our partners at the Kosair for Kids Face It Movement in celebrating passage of House Bill 275, championed by Representative James Tipton. This important piece of child sexual abuse prevention legislation will boost child safety in the immediate and ensure students across the Commonwealth can learn [...]

By |2024-03-27T18:38:15-04:00March 27th, 2024|Child Welfare & Safety, Education, News Room|
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Statement on Passage of HCR 68

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – All kids need a place that is safe and stable to grow up in, and every parent and young person needs a place to live that is affordable given their income. However, rising housing costs, slowed construction, and natural disasters have made it increasingly difficult for families to find and afford safe places to live across the Commonwealth. [...]

By |2024-03-26T17:28:49-04:00March 26th, 2024|Bloom Kentucky, Economic Security, Health, News Room, Race Equity|
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Statement on Passage of HB 199 by the Kentucky House

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – Along with Bloom Kentucky, we are celebrating as House Bill 199 passes the Kentucky House to expand access to safe and healthy prenatal and birth options. HB 199 seeks to remove the certificate-of-need requirement for freestanding birth centers which will allow Kentucky to expand access to safe alternatives to hospital delivery for families. Although there are now [...]

By |2024-03-26T16:26:07-04:00March 26th, 2024|Bloom Kentucky, Health, News Room, Race Equity|
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Statement on Final Passage of HB 561

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – This week, the Kentucky Senate ensured final passage of Representative Samara Heavrin’s House Bill 561 – an important measure that takes steps to strengthen Kentucky’s vulnerable child care infrastructure. By permanently establishing the Employee Child Care Assistance Partnership (ECCAP) and creating the Certified Child Care Community Designation Program, HB 561 has the potential to support a strong local [...]

By |2024-03-22T14:51:27-04:00March 22nd, 2024|Economic Security, Education, News Room|
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Statement on Passage of SB 151 by the Kentucky House

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – Thousands of Kentucky’s kinship and fictive kin families flat out won today with the final passage of Senate Bill 151, championed by Senator Julie Raque Adams, by the Kentucky House. Just as these caregivers step up at a moment’s notice to provide a safe space for their young loved ones to grow and heal, our General Assembly has [...]

By |2024-03-22T11:26:50-04:00March 22nd, 2024|Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, News Room|
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Understanding Chronic Absenteeism vs. Truancy and Best Practices to Address It

Understanding the nuances between chronic absenteeism and truancy is essential for educators, policymakers, and communities to enhance student engagement and success. Both of these terms often get conflated, yet they describe different patterns of absence with distinct implications for how schools may address absenteeism.  For this reason, it’s important to know these differences, understand and use accurate data when describing these terms, and recognize that addressing absenteeism is a multifaceted issue that can be addressed [...]

By |2024-03-21T12:36:00-04:00March 21st, 2024|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Education, Youth Justice|
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Statement on Passage of HB 275 by the Senate Education Committee

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY –Child safety is an adult responsibility – the responsibility of parents, of educators, of our lawmakers. And today, our lawmakers in the Senate Education Committee exemplified that with the advancement of House Bill 275, championed by Representative James Tipton. HB 275 mandates that public schools, charter schools, and certified nonpublic schools cannot enter into nondisclosure agreements regarding misconduct [...]

By |2024-03-21T11:59:44-04:00March 21st, 2024|Child Welfare & Safety, Education, News Room|
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Kentuckians: We Need Your Input on Tools Needed to Address Opioid Use in Your Community

By Andrew Alvey, Intern at Kentucky Youth Advocates As Bloom Kentucky has detailed, the opioid crisis has significantly impacted all of Kentucky’s communities. In 2020, Kentucky had the third-highest age-adjusted drug overdose fatality rate in the United States. This statistic shows the urgency with which we must come together to create opportunities for healing and resilience. With support from the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission, Kentucky Youth Advocates is leading a project to collect [...]

By |2024-03-21T12:37:39-04:00March 20th, 2024|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, Race Equity|
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Blooming in your Backyard: Harnessing Opioid Settlement Funds for Local Impact

Updated April 29, 2024 Grab your toolbox (reference from prior blog) because we are READY to add more tools! Bloom Kentucky hosted a webinar on Wednesday, April 24th – Blooming in your Backyard: Harnessing Opioid Settlement Funds for Local Impact! Co-hosted with the Kentucky Association of County Counties’ (KACo) Lauren Carr, Opioid Settlement Advisor, this webinar put a spotlight on the power of local action in the battle against the opioid crisis. Gain insight [...]

By |2024-04-29T15:51:29-04:00March 20th, 2024|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice|
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