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The Impact of Guns on Kentucky Kids

By Kaitlin Lacefield, Intern at Kentucky Youth Advocates Since 2020, the number of child deaths by a gun has surpassed car accidents and motor vehicle-related deaths. Firearms are the leading cause of death for children under 18 in Kentucky and nationally. Now, there is a challenge to prevent accidental shootings involving children by building knowledge and increasing awareness. The number of gun deaths among Americans has been on the rise since 2019. Unfortunately, children are [...]

By |2023-07-27T15:59:32-04:00July 27th, 2023|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Health, Justice|
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New School Year, New Opportunities to End Youth Vaping

With a new school year fast-approaching, families and educators are preparing for another first day of class but something outside of education continues to be on their mind – youth vaping. Kids and teens using tobacco products was once thought to be a thing of the past, but the rise of e-cigarettes or vapes has introduced a new generation of young tobacco users dependent on nicotine. Youth vaping – whether a young person uses these [...]

By |2023-07-12T11:00:42-04:00July 12th, 2023|Blog, Education, Health|
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A Look at Disparities in the Juvenile Justice System and Need for Equity in Diversion Programs

The following reflects Kentucky Youth Advocates’ presentation to the Commission on Race & Access to Opportunity and Juvenile Justice Oversight Council on June 20, 2023 – watch the testimony and view the presentation.  Over the last several years, the Kentucky General Assembly, Administrative Office of the Courts and their Court Designated Workers program, and critical stakeholders have made tremendous progress in reforming the juvenile justice system and the way we respond to kids who get [...]

By |2023-06-28T14:46:39-04:00June 28th, 2023|Blog, Race Equity, Youth Justice|
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Kentucky Ranks 40th in Child Well-Being While Inaccessible, Unaffordable Child Care Deeply Impacts Families and Economy

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org 502-895-8167 X122 Kentucky Ranks 40th in Child Well-Being While Inaccessible, Unaffordable Child Care Deeply Impacts Families and Economy Data Show Child Care Challenges Caused Over 1 in 9 Kentucky Parents to Miss, Quit, or Scale Back Work, the Annie E. Casey Foundation Finds LOUISVILLE, KY — Kentucky ranks 40th in child well-being, according to the 2023 KIDS COUNT® Data Book, a 50-state report of recent household data developed by the Annie [...]

By |2023-06-13T16:52:15-04:00June 14th, 2023|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, News Room, Race Equity|
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Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, and Fuel Stops

Greetings, from the road! The Sowing Resilience: A Bloom Kentucky Listening Tour is about halfway complete. We are making 19 stops in total across every region in Kentucky. We have powerful partners in every region that have been integral to the success of this Listening Tour series.  Much like the motto used by the fabled Dillon Panthers in the hit TV show Friday Night Lights, our Kentucky Youth Advocates team members are focused and operating [...]

By |2023-06-16T15:18:59-04:00June 13th, 2023|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, Race Equity, Youth Justice|
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Kentucky’s Application Open for Employee Child Care Assistance Partnership Program

The entire workforce is struggling to find the high-quality employees that it needs to stabilize business. In the past, employers could offer a competitive salary and a benefit package with health insurance and that would be enough to draw in the employees they needed.  However, that is no longer the case. Eighty-three percent of working families with children under the age of five are struggling to pay for child care. If the adults in the [...]

By |2023-06-02T14:55:06-04:00May 31st, 2023|Blog, Economic Security, Education|
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New Efforts to Boost WIC Participation in Kentucky

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for Women’s, Infant, and Children (WIC) provides vital support for the food and nutrition security of pregnant women, new moms, babies, and young children by providing food assistance via an EBT card, nutrition education, and breastfeeding support. While this support is critical for new parents and young children, the WIC program is out of date and does not reach everyone who is eligible. Kinship caregivers and Kentucky’s Latinx population face [...]

By |2023-05-25T21:43:43-04:00May 25th, 2023|Blog, Economic Security, Health, Race Equity|
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Sowing Resilience with Bloom Kentucky

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 [...]

By |2023-06-29T14:05:05-04:00May 10th, 2023|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, Race Equity, Youth Justice|
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Too Many Kentucky Young People Exit Foster Care Without Permanent Families and Unprepared to Thrive on Their Own

Too Many Kentucky Young People Exit Foster Care Without Permanent Families and Unprepared to Thrive on Their Own Fostering Youth Transitions 2023 Urges Improvements to Extended Foster Care Transition LOUISVILLE, KY – Permanent families and supportive adult connections, stable housing, and postsecondary education remain beyond the reach of too many young people with foster care experience, according to Fostering Youth Transitions 2023: State and National Data to Drive Foster Care Advocacy, a data brief released [...]

By |2023-05-10T11:49:46-04:00May 10th, 2023|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, News Room, Race Equity|
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Health Youth Ambassadors Participate in the Kentucky Youth Tobacco Control Workshop

On April 12th, two of Kentucky Youth Advocates’ Health Youth Ambassadors took part in the Kentucky Youth Tobacco Control Workshop hosted by the Networking for Kentucky Youth (N4KY) and #iCANendthetrend Youth Advisory Board. This youth-developed and youth-led tobacco control workshop was a full-day immersive experience which offered a chance for students from across the state to connect, network, and learn both with and from one another. Throughout the day, students took part in team [...]

By |2023-04-27T13:03:37-04:00April 27th, 2023|Blog, Education, Health, Kids Count|
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