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New Issue Brief: Improving the Safety of Kentucky’s Youngest Children

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org New Issue Brief: Improving the Safety of Kentucky’s Youngest Children Understanding the Scope of Child Abuse in Child Centers and Proposed Recommendations LOUISVILLE, KY – Parents across Kentucky rely on child care options in order to go to work and provide for their family. While the vast majority of child care programs are safe and high-quality, recent data shows that incidents of child abuse emanating from child care centers have increased [...]

By |2025-11-20T10:23:11-05:00November 20th, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, News Room|
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Eviction Data Dashboard: Turning Insight Into Action

Last week, Kentucky Youth Advocates hosted a webinar introducing the Kentucky Eviction Data Dashboard, an interactive tool that displays eviction filings and trends across the state from 2022-2024. The dashboard was developed to help policymakers, advocates, and community members understand the scope and impact of eviction in Kentucky and its impact on kids and families.  Understanding the Impact of Eviction on Kids and Families The webinar opened with an overview of eviction, [...]

By |2025-11-13T10:26:48-05:00November 12th, 2025|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Economic Security|
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The State of Youth Vaping and Strategies to Address the Epidemic

Kentucky kids need environments that support their health and wellbeing - a goal that can be supported by policy and budget investments. As the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) initiative continues to explore ways to improve child health outcomes, a recent statement from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) highlighted the dangers of youth vaping - an epidemic that continues to impact teens across Kentucky.  This week, in addition to their stated focus [...]

By |2025-11-06T11:52:08-05:00November 6th, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Health|
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Common-Sense Eviction Reform Heard in Interim Judiciary Committee

At the October meeting for the Interim Joint Committee on Judiciary, Representative Susan Witten presented on legislation that she filed during the 2025 legislative session aimed at making common sense changes to Kentucky’s eviction process to reduce the long-term, harmful effects on kids and families.  “As the Housing Taskforce Co-Chair, the past two years we have worked really hard to try to identify state level solutions to Kentucky’s housing crisis,” Representative Witten stated during her [...]

By |2025-11-12T12:40:25-05:00October 23rd, 2025|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Economic Security|
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New Year, Same Passion for Kentucky Kids

At Kentucky Youth Advocates, we’re already gearing up for the 2026 state legislative session—and with a new year comes new opportunities to stand up for Kentucky kids! Children’s Advocacy Day at the Capitol has always been a powerful moment to lift youth voices, connect with legislators, and push for policies that put kids first. While renovations at the State Capitol mean this year’s event will look a little different, our mission remains the same: make [...]

By |2025-10-22T08:50:17-04:00October 21st, 2025|Blog|
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Social Media Lawsuits, Mental Health, and the Role of Policymakers

Youth mental health issues are at an all time high— youth advocates, school districts, parents, and even the Surgeon General alike are elevating youth mental health as a vital issue due to the long-term impacts on physical health, success in school, and future of the community. Many are lifting up the role of social media companies and their platforms in adversely impacting youth.  Social Media Lawsuits  A major multi-district litigation (MDL 3047) is currently moving [...]

By |2025-12-17T09:35:27-05:00October 6th, 2025|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Child Welfare & Safety, Education|
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Statement on Recent Beshear Administration Update on KTAP

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – The Governor recently proclaimed September as Kinship Care Awareness Month. Typically, that would mean a time to honor those grandparents, relatives, and close family friends stepping up to care for children. Instead, Kinship Month is wrapping up on a distressing note. We can only hope that it's a case of unintended consequences and this harmful course can be reversed. Just days ago the Governor emphasized [...]

By |2025-09-26T15:23:25-04:00September 26th, 2025|Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, News Room|
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National Diaper Need Awareness Week: Why Diaper Access Matters for Kentucky Families

Today marks the first day of National Diaper Need Awareness Week, an annual campaign led by the National Diaper Bank Network to raise awareness about a critical but often overlooked public health issue in the United States: diaper need. Diapers are essential for infant and toddler health and hygiene, yet nearly half of U.S households with young children struggle to afford enough diapers to keep their children clean and healthy. Diapers put a considerable strain [...]

By |2025-10-07T16:03:55-04:00September 16th, 2025|Blog, Economic Security, Health|
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From Interim Hearings to the 2026 State Budget: What’s Ahead for Kentucky Kids & Families

As summer winds down in Kentucky, state leaders in Frankfort are already preparing for the 2026 biennial budget session. Shortly after the 2025 legislative session concluded, lawmakers were back in action convening interim joint committees with members of both the House and Senate. The interim legislative session spanning June to December serves as an opportunity for legislators to hear presentations from various state offices on current data and program outcomes, budget requests for the next [...]

By |2025-10-07T16:04:38-04:00September 3rd, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, Medicaid|
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The Time Is Now: Investing in Youth Nicotine Prevention and Cessation

August is in full swing, and with it comes the start of a new school year in Kentucky. As in previous years, new trends and persistent concerns among Kentucky kids are making headlines. One issue that continues to raise alarms in schools across the Commonwealth is nicotine dependence among students.  While the conversation around youth nicotine use is not new, the landscape has shifted significantly over the last year. Some recent changes include:   Kentucky [...]

By |2025-08-20T16:46:07-04:00August 20th, 2025|Blog, Health|
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