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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|
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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|
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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|
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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|
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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|
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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|
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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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