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What is Advocacy? How can I be an Advocate?

By Kayce Dallas, MSSW Intern at Kentucky Youth Advocates The dictionary defines advocacy as the act or process of supporting a cause or proposal. Advocacy can mean something different to everyone. To Carli Mosby, Policy and Advocacy Analyst at Kentucky Youth Advocates, “advocacy is speaking up for those that may not have the ability to speak for themselves. It means doing something (on the state level, local level, or even the personal level) that will [...]

By |2021-01-21T17:08:28-05:00January 21st, 2021|Blog|
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Self-Care Is More Than Deep Breathing, Essential Oils, and Chocolate

By Kayce Dallas, MSSW Intern at Kentucky Youth Advocates “Self-care is giving the world the best of you instead of giving the world the rest of you." The first thing my mom asks when I call and complain to her how stressed I am is, “did you take time for yourself today?” I often forget how important it is to take care of myself. I am a full-time student getting my masters degree in Social [...]

By |2020-11-05T14:00:36-05:00November 5th, 2020|Blog, Health|
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We See You, We Support You: The Impact of Parental Incarceration on Kentucky Youth

By Danielle Hempel, MSSW Intern at Kentucky Youth Advocates In 2015, See Us, Support Us was created as a month-long opportunity in October to build national awareness, visibility, and support for children whose parents have been incarcerated. Kentucky has the third highest rate in the nation of children who have experienced parental incarceration. In 2017-2018, 12 percent of all children in the Commonwealth had experienced the incarceration of a parent, exceeding the national average of 7 [...]

By |2020-10-29T14:33:42-04:00October 29th, 2020|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Justice, Race Equity|
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Understanding Trauma and Practicing Self-Care to Build Resiliency

By Emily Burden and Kayce Dallas, MSSW interns at Kentucky Youth Advocates Trauma has no boundaries. A baby who grew up with domestic violence in their home has experienced a traumatic event. A child who has been sexually abused has experienced a traumatic event. A youth who survived a severe hurricane has experienced a traumatic event. Because trauma can impact anyone, it is important that we approach individuals with a trauma-informed care lens. It's also important [...]

By |2020-10-23T11:03:23-04:00October 22nd, 2020|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Education|
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Racial Disparities in Foster Care and Why It Matters for Kentucky Youth

By Danielle Hempel, MSSW Intern at Kentucky Youth Advocates Children in the foster care system are among our most vulnerable youth due to the trauma many have experienced and the potential for that trauma to be exacerbated by the stressors of foster care. Therefore, it is particularly troubling that racial disparities exist within the foster care system. Numerous studies have found that once involved in the child welfare system, Black children are much more likely to [...]

By |2020-10-22T12:16:23-04:00October 22nd, 2020|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Race Equity|
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Returning to A College Campus: What Comes Next?

By Melissa Collins, Child Welfare Intern at Kentucky Youth Advocates With the start of the fall semester right around the corner, college students are dusting off their backpacks and beginning to plan for their return to classes.  Just because we are gearing up for the new academic year does not mean that the world around us has come to a screeching halt. Both the COVID-19 pandemic and uprisings against racial injustice, two issues that have [...]

By |2020-08-14T13:56:15-04:00August 12th, 2020|Blog, Education, Health|
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A Culture of Caring Amidst Racial Injustice: A College Student Perspective

By Melissa Collins, Child Welfare Intern at Kentucky Youth Advocates College is a place where all identities and backgrounds may come together to be celebrated. It is a place where the mind and soul grow alongside one another as differences challenge us to think outside of ourselves and our own experiences in new and positive ways. However, what does it mean when some students do not truly feel celebrated, accepted, or even welcomed within their [...]

By |2020-08-19T08:26:04-04:00August 5th, 2020|Blog, Education, Health, Justice, Race Equity|
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#TakeCareKY: Self-Care Promotion Week August 3-9

By Melissa Collins, Child Welfare Intern at Kentucky Youth Advocates With all of the uncertainty and stress as a result of these unprecedented times, it is so important to take time to care for ourselves. To help make this happen, Kentucky Youth Advocates and our partners at the Bounce Coalition are teaming up to launch the #TakeCareKY campaign to promote self-care throughout Kentucky.  Next week, August 3rd - August 9th, both KYA and Bounce [...]

By |2020-08-18T16:00:35-04:00July 28th, 2020|Blog, Health|
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College Vs. Covid: A Lasting Impact

By Melissa Collins, Child Welfare Intern at Kentucky Youth Advocates On Sunday, March 15th, my life as a college student was flipped upside down like so many of my fellow college students across the nation. At 12:48 PM, the President of my college informed the student body of the course of action being taken in the wake of the novel Coronavirus (Covid-19). All students were asked to pack up their belongings and depart from campus [...]

By |2020-08-05T16:42:36-04:00July 14th, 2020|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Education|
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