FacebookInstagramXYouTubeEmail

Phoenix’s Story: The Impacts of Eviction in Childhood

By Phoenix Berry, member of the 2025 Housing Policy Ambassadors cohort The feeling of loss is something we all experience, whether that's losing an item, ourselves, or another. I first remember losing my housing when I was in elementary school. My family was evicted from our home due to a public nuisance violation after the police were called because my mother was attempting to flee her abusive partner. We lost everything from baby photos to [...]

By |2025-02-27T15:01:43-05:00February 27th, 2025|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, Race Equity|
Read More

Statement on Passage of HB 291 by the Kentucky House

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – A justice system that promotes accountability, considers primary caregiver status, and reserves incarceration for those who pose a risk to public safety can be a win-win-win for family well-being, community safety, and the state’s bottom line. Representative Nick Wilson’s House Bill 291 seeks to do just that by requiring courts to consider alternative sentencing options when an [...]

By |2025-02-26T18:06:31-05:00February 26th, 2025|Bloom Kentucky, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Health, Justice, News Room|
Read More

Statement on Passage of SB 100 by the Kentucky Senate

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – Kids flat out won today as Senator Jimmy Higdon's Senate Bill 100 passed the Senate floor – emphasizing the Member's commitment to youth health and holding those accountable who may jeopardize a kid's chance at a healthy, addiction-free future. In an effort to enforce the Tobacco-21 law, SB 100 seeks to hold retailers accountable for underage tobacco, [...]

By |2025-02-26T16:57:40-05:00February 26th, 2025|Education, Health, News Room|
Read More

Latest Child Fatality & Near Fatality External Review Panel Annual Report

Kentucky’s Child Fatality and Near Fatality External Review Panel has released its 2024 Annual Report, which includes a comprehensive review of every child death and near-death in the state fiscal year 2023 referred to the panel by the Department for Community Based Services and the Department for Public Health. This state-mandated panel meets throughout the year to review each case and make policy recommendations aimed at preventing future incidents. This report should be considered alongside [...]

By |2025-02-20T10:42:21-05:00February 20th, 2025|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety|
Read More

Statement on Passage of HB 291 by the House Families & Children Committee

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – Kentucky has the third highest rate of parental incarceration in the nation, with over 100,000 children having experienced the disruption and trauma of being separated from a parent. The Family Preservation and Accountability Act, co-championed by Senator Julie Raque Adams and Representative Nick Wilson, seeks to hold parents accountable for their actions while minimizing the negative impact [...]

By |2025-02-20T10:13:33-05:00February 20th, 2025|Bloom Kentucky, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Health, Justice, News Room|
Read More

Youth Voice on Enforcing T-21: “Every loophole in legislation lets addiction thrive.”

The following testimony was shared on February 18, 2025 at the Senate Licensing & Occupations Committee on Senate Bill 100, sponsored by Senator Jimmy Higdon.  Testimony by Delanie, a freshman at Boyd County High School in Ashland and a Youth Advisory Board Member at #iCANendthetrend: My name is Delanie, and I’m here not just as a youth advocate, but as a representative of a generation that is being targeted and exploited by an industry that profits [...]

By |2025-02-19T10:47:00-05:00February 19th, 2025|Blog, Education, Health|
Read More

Statement on Passage of SB 100 Senate Licensing & Occupations Committee

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – Kentucky kids have told us – as well as teachers, parents, coaches, and health care providers – vaping is happening among our high school and middle school students. And the reality is that, despite the Tobacco-21 law prohibiting sales of vapes and e-cigarettes to those under 21, two out of five youth nationally report getting these products [...]

By |2025-02-18T10:47:43-05:00February 18th, 2025|Education, Health, News Room|
Read More

Make Your Voice Heard: Paid Family Medical Leave for State Employees

Paid family medical leave is an essential strategy for healthy moms and healthy babies. The benefits of employers offering paid leave includes: Mothers get to heal before returning to work after a delivery or c-section. Mothers have the time and opportunity to breastfeed their infants. Infants can spend time bonding with their mothers to establish a pattern of healthy social and emotional development. Infant mortality rates decrease. Families still have a steady source of income [...]

By |2025-02-13T14:47:40-05:00February 13th, 2025|Blog, Economic Security, Health|
Read More

Taliyah’s Story of Losing Child Care: Roadblocking Dreams and Missing Early Learning

Every parent wants a stable child care option to keep their kids safe and help them learn and grow.  Taliyah's Story My world was turned upside down this summer when the daycare that my children attended told me that they could no longer serve my two-year-old son. The director explained that my son needed more one-on-one support and that the center was too short staffed to be able to provide the care he needed.  I [...]

By |2025-02-13T14:14:43-05:00February 13th, 2025|Blog, Bloom Kentucky, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education|
Read More

Statement on Passage of SB 73 by Kentucky Senate

Contact: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates LOUISVILLE, KY – Kids’ safety was once again prioritized by the Kentucky Senate with their overwhelming bipartisan support of Senate Bill 73 today. Through the leadership of Senator Julie Raque Adams, SB 73 will empower victims of sexual extortion by holding perpetrators accountable and will prioritize prevention education among Kentucky’s most vulnerable to online risks. Online sexual extortion – or [...]

By |2025-02-12T15:25:59-05:00February 12th, 2025|Child Welfare & Safety, Education, News Room|
Read More
Go to Top