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Statement on Approval of Updated KTAP Regulations by the Kentucky General Assembly

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – Kinship families across the Commonwealth are giving three cheers for the approval of the updated KTAP regulations, which boost supports for the first time in decades. The Kentucky Transitional Assistance Program (KTAP) is a vital support that helps Kentucky families in deep poverty and kinship caregivers overcome barriers to employment, such as a lack of training or [...]

By |2023-02-17T11:17:04-05:00February 17th, 2023|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, News Room|
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Bloom Kentucky Grantmakers Rally Together for Kentucky Kids and Families

On Wednesday, February 8th, Bloom Kentucky Grantmakers from across the Commonwealth rallied together in Frankfort on behalf of Kentucky's kids and families. The 2023 Children’s Advocacy Day at the Capitol was a packed schedule–and certainly a packed house! Bloom grantmakers joined youth, fellow advocates, and elected officials in the Capitol Rotunda for the Rally for Kentucky Kids which featured youth performances and remarks from both young people and state leaders. Following the Rally, grantmakers [...]

By |2023-02-16T14:57:36-05:00February 16th, 2023|Blog, Bloom Kentucky|
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Statement on Passage of HB 3 by the House Judiciary Committee

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – House Bill 3 undoubtedly is going to move through the House with the speed of a missile. Its impact? Depending on its final form, it carries the ambiguity of that Chinese spy balloon. There is no question that HB 3 is a much-improved approach to juvenile justice than we heard discussed during the 2022 legislative session. And we especially appreciate the listening [...]

By |2023-02-15T13:32:34-05:00February 15th, 2023|News Room, Race Equity, Youth Justice|
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Statement on Passage of SB 48 by the Senate Families & Children Committee

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – The child welfare system, and specifically the process of substantiation of abuse and neglect, is complex, involves multiple departments, and can be subjective. When people feel the Department for Community Based Services (DCBS) did not take appropriate steps or make the right decisions in child abuse cases, they may contact the Ombudsman’s office to file a complaint. [...]

By |2023-02-14T10:09:07-05:00February 14th, 2023|Child Welfare & Safety, Health, News Room|
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Statement on the Latest National Child Maltreatment Report

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – Kentucky’s future depends heavily on the success and safety of our kids today. Our communities, child-serving systems, and policies all play a role in that future. The just released Child Maltreatment 2021 report is a powerful affirmation of the Commonwealth's progress around child maltreatment and an equally powerful challenge to accelerate that momentum. Kentucky now ranks 6th [...]

By |2023-02-10T15:37:11-05:00February 10th, 2023|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Child Welfare & Safety, News Room|
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“Your voices are the ones that matter. Your stories are the ones that need to be heard.”

Tamara Vest shared the following speech at the 2023 Children's Advocacy Week Rally for Kentucky Kids at the Capitol. It's not everyday that our citizens, representatives from the General Assembly, and our Governor are able to gather in the Capitol building to celebrate each other and call upon each other, and rely on one another to do the work that it takes to make the commonwealth a place where kids and families can be just [...]

By |2023-02-09T12:57:02-05:00February 9th, 2023|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety|
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Governor Beshear and Senator Raque Adams Join Hundreds of Youth and Advocates for Children’s Advocacy Day at the Capitol

Louisville, KY – Hundreds of youth advocates from across Kentucky are convening this week for Children’s Advocacy Week. They are urging elected leaders to support the Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children, a unified agenda for child advocates across the Commonwealth. Today, youth, state leaders, and advocates gathered in the Capitol Rotunda for the Rally for Kentucky Kids – the first in-person rally with child advocates since January 2020. “Each year, Children’s Advocacy Week is a time for youth, parents, social workers, [...]

By |2023-02-09T11:33:14-05:00February 8th, 2023|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, News Room, Race Equity, Youth Justice|
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Efforts to Improve Kentuckians’ Ability to Find Safe, Stable Housing

Kentucky kids and families need a safe, stable home in order to thrive. However, the rising cost and declining supply of housing has made it difficult for 43% of Kentucky renters to find safe, stable housing. For many of these families, a job loss or medical emergency could put them at risk for eviction or homelessness, seriously impacting their long term economic, food, and housing security. This is especially true for families of color, who [...]

By |2023-02-02T16:12:12-05:00February 2nd, 2023|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Race Equity|
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OP-ED: Grandparents need Kentucky legislature to increase KTAP support

This post originally appeared as an op-ed in the Kentucky Lantern and Herald Leader on January 31, 2023. By Norma Hatfield Photo courtesy of the Kentucky Lantern Robert F. Kennedy said, “The purpose of life is to contribute in some way to making things better.” For the children of Kentucky, we certainly have our work cut out for us. For several years, Kentucky was #1 in child abuse and neglect. Right now, we’re [...]

By |2023-02-01T17:22:26-05:00February 1st, 2023|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security|
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Over Incarceration of Youth is Not the Answer

Photo courtesy of The Sentencing Project While historically an area of common ground focused on community safety, accountability, and right-sizing responses for youth who get in trouble, the juvenile justice system has been experiencing an array of issues in the state of Kentucky recently. Despite overwhelming data to show youth offenses - including violent offenses - remain much lower than in years past and, in response to current safety issues in juvenile detention [...]

By |2023-01-25T15:03:14-05:00January 25th, 2023|Blog, Race Equity, Youth Justice|
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