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The Power of Parent Engagement Meetings

Saying “it takes a village to raise a child” conveys the importance of having supportive people in a parent’s life who can help create safe, healthy environments for their kids to flourish. It’s a shared understanding that parenting is tough and, without support, life’s stressors can make it even tougher.  Since the passage of the Family First Prevention Services Act, Kentucky has expanded access to supportive services for parents and families who are at risk [...]

By |2025-08-19T14:17:58-04:00August 19th, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Education|
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Protecting Kentucky’s Kids in Schools: Accountability and Commonsense Practices Still Needed

Every parent, caregiver, and community member expects schools to be a safe place for children to learn and grow. Yet, across Kentucky, we continue to hear stories of students being harmed by those entrusted with their education. Too often these cases of educator sexual misconduct are met with delayed action, quiet dismissals, or a lack of accountability. This leaves students vulnerable and families without answers. Representative Tipton has filed legislation to address this issue for [...]

By |2025-08-11T16:45:26-04:00August 7th, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Education|
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Support on Decision Making to Invest in the Future of Our “Forever Kentucky Home”

by Tara Grieshop-Goodwin The air conditioning unit at our house recently went out - at the peak of some of our hottest days of the summer. We had an older unit that our HVAC service person had been able to keep running with fixes and repairs for many years (even decades) past when most units last. But eventually the damage was too great for repair and we had a big expense to cover. We debated [...]

By |2025-07-24T12:51:49-04:00July 24th, 2025|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, Race Equity|
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Rising Temperatures, Rising Costs: Protecting Kentucky Families from Utility Disconnections

Updated September 18, 2025 Photo courtesy of Pkruger via Dreamstime It’s been a long, hot summer in Kentucky. This should come as no surprise since meteorologists predicted a hotter-than-average season for much of the U.S, but in recent years weather in Kentucky has been anything but predictable.  As weather fluctuates and temperatures rise, so does the cost of utilities for families.  Monthly utility costs in Kentucky have increased by 33% since 2017 and [...]

By |2025-10-07T15:43:34-04:00July 23rd, 2025|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Economic Security|
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Juvenile Justice and Miranda Rights: Ensuring Kids Have the Support They Need to Make an Informed Decision

Many of us grew up watching TV shows and movies where police officers would read someone their Miranda rights, “You have the right to remain silent…”, without ever thinking about the people in our communities who may have experienced that in real life, including kids. More than 50 years ago, the Supreme Court acknowledged that children cannot “navigate the justice system without the “guiding hand” of counsel, including when interrogated by law enforcement”. With everything [...]

By |2025-10-28T09:07:27-04:00July 10th, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Justice, Youth Justice|
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What to Know as New Child Welfare Laws Take Effect

Originally published on Face It Movement As we enter the heat of summer, we are starting to see the implementation of many of the bills passed during the 2025 legislative session. Several of those laws are set to impact children directly, especially in school settings. Two of the new laws, Senate Bills 73 and 120, were 2025 Kosair for Kids Face It Movement Policy Priorities, aimed at preventing abuse and promoting child safety through education [...]

By |2025-07-18T09:39:18-04:00June 30th, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety|
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Opioid Data Dashboard Webinar Recap: Using Data to Leverage the Opioid Settlement Funds

Last week, Kentucky Youth Advocates hosted a webinar about the Opioid Data Dashboard on Children and Families and how it can be used as a tool for informing the use of opioid settlement funds. KYA staff members were joined by Lauren Carr, Opioid Settlement Advisor with the Kentucky Association of Counties (KACo), a partner in making information available to communities as they invest the funds from the opioid settlement. The opioid settlement funds, which [...]

By |2025-06-11T13:05:40-04:00June 10th, 2025|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, Race Equity|
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Kentucky Ranks 36th in 2025 KIDS COUNT Data Book Urging Focus on Supporting Thriving Kids and Families

Contact: Patricia Tennen | ptennen@kyyouth.org | 502-895-8167 x 122 Kentucky Ranks 36th in 2025 KIDS COUNT Data Book as Kentucky Youth Advocates Urges Focus on Supporting Thriving Kids and Families Data shows that too many Kentucky kids are falling behind on key indicators of child well-being, the Annie E. Casey Foundation finds LOUISVILLE, KY —Kentucky has made progress in half of 16 indicators of child well-being, according to the 2025 KIDS COUNT Data Book, a 50-state report of [...]

By |2025-06-06T11:27:28-04:00June 9th, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Kids Count, News Room|
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What Cuts to Child Safety Programs Could Mean for Kentucky Families

This is part of Kentucky Youth Advocates’ series on the federal landscape and the impacts on Kentucky children and families.  As Congress moves forward with this year’s federal budget, some long-standing child safety programs are facing major reductions or being eliminated altogether. While some of these cuts are still being debated in Congress, others have already gone into effect through recent executive decisions. These shifts affect the programs that help keep kids safe and supported [...]

By |2025-06-05T10:15:23-04:00June 5th, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Health|
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Understanding TANF Reform and Its Impact on Kentucky Families

This is part of Kentucky Youth Advocates’ series on the federal landscape and the impacts on Kentucky children and families.  As a part of the federal government’s overhaul of the country's long standing safety net programs, recent updates and conversations about the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program give insight into the potential changes ahead. This spring, a pilot project that aimed to shift TANF away from strict work requirements and toward measuring success [...]

By |2025-05-29T13:04:45-04:00May 29th, 2025|Blog, Economic Security|
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