FacebookInstagramXYouTubeEmail

New Report – Fostering Connections: Actions Needed to Prevent Homelessness Among Foster Care Alumni

New Report – Fostering Connections: Actions Needed to Prevent Homelessness Among Foster Care Alumni Featuring Findings from Interviews and Surveys with Young Adults with Lived Experience and Recommendations LOUISVILLE, KY – Whether they exit care through adoption, family reunification, or aging out, foster care alumni are at higher risk of experiencing homelessness as a young adult. According to recent data, approximately one in three young adults who leave foster care in Kentucky will experience housing [...]

By |2023-09-21T08:42:57-04:00September 21st, 2023|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Health, News Room, Race Equity|
Read More

Kentucky Youth Speak Out Against Substance Use

We know substance use, among both adults and adolescents, continues to be an issue in communities throughout the Commonwealth.  To better understand just how substance use, as well as the opioid epidemic, are impacting Kentucky’s young people, Bloom Kentucky recently connected with high school students across the state to hear their perspectives on the impact of substance use among their peers and in their communities and how we might address substance use prevention.  We [...]

By |2023-09-14T11:55:50-04:00September 14th, 2023|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Education, Health|
Read More

Adolescent Mental Health is Declining and We Need To Understand Why

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the prevalence of mental health challenges across the nation, especially among youth. While there were policies proposed to expand access to and affordability of mental health treatment and to improve social indicators of well-being, youth mental health is still declining according to a recent report from Child Trends. Improvements in social indicators of well-being have caused an increase in the thriving index for youth, however, indicators of depression, anxiety, and suicide [...]

By |2023-09-13T11:18:17-04:00September 13th, 2023|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Education, Health, Race Equity|
Read More

Guest Blog: Kinship Families Are Waiting For A Champion

This originally appeared as an op-ed in the Herald Leader on August 31, 2023. By Norma Hatfield I recently spoke to a legislative committee about Kinship Care. As I sat at the table during the hearing, my heart was hurting for so many kinship families in Kentucky who are in serious need and seem to be forgotten. There are many kids in Kinship Care who’ve been abused, neglected and removed from their homes and placed [...]

By |2023-08-31T19:01:27-04:00August 31st, 2023|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security|
Read More

Back to School, Back to Anti-Vaping Efforts

By Yelena Bagdasaryan, Intern at Kentucky Youth Advocates As Kentucky counties are heading back to school, there is a buzz of anticipation and excitement for students to be back in the classrooms and with their peers. However, the start of classes also reignites concerns for student’s health, specifically their use of e-cigarettes or vapes.  The use of vapes has increased dramatically, creating a new generation of youth that are dependent on nicotine. According to a [...]

By |2023-08-17T15:46:44-04:00August 17th, 2023|Blog, Education, Health|
Read More

Making Kids Count in the 2023 Election

Kids cannot vote, but you can ensure that their voices are heard by engaging with candidates in local, state, and federal elections. The leaders we elect determine policy that will impact our daily lives for what may be generations to come. But how often do we pause to consider–specifically–how our choices at the ballot box will impact us, and particularly young children who depend on us to make the right choices? We must keep [...]

By |2023-10-20T13:43:23-04:00August 16th, 2023|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, Kids Count, Race Equity, Youth Justice|
Read More

Update on Adult Medicaid Dental Benefits

How did we get here?   Throughout 2023, Kentucky Youth Advocates and the Kentucky Oral Health Coalition have monitored the adult Medicaid dental benefit expansion, summarizing the progression of this issue:   October 2022 – Governor Beshear announces expanded dental benefits for adults on Medicaid including restorative treatment like fillings, crowns, implants, and dentures to begin in 2023.  January 2023 – The Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) files emergency regulations to begin offering these [...]

By |2023-08-10T17:06:49-04:00August 10th, 2023|Blog, Health|
Read More

Reflections from Sowing Resilience: A Bloom Kentucky Listening Tour

Over the course of just 6 weeks, Kentucky Youth Advocates and Bloom Kentucky covered over 2,000 miles around the state hosting 19 regional listening sessions. We heard from over 350 Kentuckians including parents, teachers, community leaders, service providers, elected officials, youth, and more. Hosting these convenings and hearing from communities all over the state would not have been possible without our partner organizations who acted as co-hosts for each event.  Throughout the tour we asked [...]

By |2023-08-08T14:55:04-04:00August 7th, 2023|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Race Equity, Youth Justice|
Read More

Statement on Re-establishment of Statewide Kentucky Caregiver Program

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – Thousands of Kentucky grandparents have stepped up and continue to show up for their grandchildren in need of a safe home every day. Today, Governor Beshear’s announcement regarding the statewide expansion of the Kentucky Caregiver Program is one way the commonwealth can step up for these grandparent heroes. After budget cuts limited the reach of this program, [...]

By |2023-08-02T15:21:56-04:00August 2nd, 2023|Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, News Room|
Read More

Expanding the Impact of Kentucky’s Community Health Workers

Each year in Kentucky, July marks the implementation of legislation passed in the previous legislative session. This month, along with other new laws taking effect, Kentucky has seen the implementation of House Bill 525 from 2022, which designated services offered by Certified Community Health Workers to be Medicaid eligible in Kentucky. Following the 2022 legislative session, the Department for Medicaid Services (DMS) filed a state plan amendment and began work to create billing codes and [...]

By |2023-08-02T13:00:54-04:00August 2nd, 2023|Blog, Health|
Read More
Go to Top