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Statement on Passage of HB 6 by Senate Families & Children Committee

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, [...]

By |2026-03-10T10:14:15-04:00March 10th, 2026|Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, News Room|
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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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Youth Voice: “Find your passion! Use your voice! Vote for Kentucky Kids!”

By Aleah Stigall, former member of the Health Youth Ambassadors Aleah shared the following speech as the opening of the 2026 Town Hall on Kids in the Capitol Education Center at the annual Children’s Advocacy Day at the Capitol. Welcome to this year’s Children’s Advocacy Day Town Hall on Kids! I am Aleah Stigall, a senior at Boyle County High School. From a young age, I was raised to advocate for myself, especially as a [...]

By |2026-03-18T16:49:09-04:00March 5th, 2026|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Health|
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Statement on Passage of HB 686 by House Families & Children Committee

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY –  It’s become increasingly obvious the toll social media has had on Kentucky adolescents with our young people facing increasing rates of anxiety, depression, cyberbullying, and sextortion. And that reality is apparent in the data – one in six Kentucky kids were diagnosed with depression or anxiety and nearly one in five Kentucky high school students seriously considered [...]

By |2026-03-05T09:32:49-05:00March 5th, 2026|Bloom Kentucky, Health, News Room|
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State Leaders Join Hundreds of Youth and Advocates for Children’s Advocacy Day at the Capitol 2026

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org FRANKFORT, KY – Hundreds of child advocates are convening this week for Children’s Advocacy Week, urging elected leaders to support the Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children, a unified policy agenda focused on creating brighter futures for all Kentucky kids and families. Today is Children’s Advocacy Day at the Capitol, where community organizations, professionals who work with kids and families, and young people from across the Commonwealth gather in Frankfort to meet with their legislators, attend [...]

By |2026-03-05T13:14:41-05:00March 4th, 2026|Blog, News Room|
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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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Speaking Up for a Nicotine-Free Future for Kentucky Youth

Over the last decade, vapes have grown rapidly in popularity, especially among youth, as companies like JUUL marketed products with flashy colors and flavors appealing to kids. These practices resulted in a lawsuit and subsequent settlement with JUUL for their role in exposing kids to addictive nicotine products. The Kentucky General Assembly has the opportunity to put those settlement funds to best use with the biggest impact by directing upcoming dollars towards youth nicotine prevention [...]

By |2026-02-18T15:04:06-05:00February 18th, 2026|Blog, Health|
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Statement on Passage of SB 74 by Senate Health Services Committee

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – More than a decade ago, vapes grew rapidly in popularity, especially among youth after companies like JUUL began marketing products with flashy colors and flavors appealing to kids. These practices resulted in a lawsuit and subsequent settlement with JUUL for their role in exposing kids to addictive nicotine products. Today, tobacco and nicotine use among youth continues [...]

By |2026-02-18T09:00:22-05:00February 18th, 2026|Health, News Room|
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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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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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