Kentucky Youth Advocates

09/11/2026

Effective and responsive government programs shape whether families can easily find and access the services their children need. Kentucky lawmakers are exploring examples of streamlining programming and improving stewardship of funding dedicated to children through the development of a Children’s Cabinet.

Check out examples of states that have implemented children's cabinets and how Kentucky can follow their lead by creating a task force to further explore options that would be best for the Commonwealth:

Effective and responsive government programs shape whether families can easily find and access the services their children need – and Kentucky lawmakers are exploring examples of streamlining programming and improving stewardship of funding dedicated to children through the development of a Childr...

09/11/2026

THANK YOU for stepping up for Kentucky kids on Give for Good Louisville!

Thank you to so many advocates for your support, your passion, and your advocacy. We can't do this without you.

Stay up to date with policies that are good for kids, find ways to get involved, and learn more about how Kentucky Youth Advocates works to make Kentucky the best place in America to be young at kyyouth.org.

09/11/2026

Kentucky Youth Advocates needs your support to continue to be the voice for all of our young people. Please join with us to ensure kids are always at the table!

Your gift will help us continue to speak up and advocate for families in Louisville and across Kentucky—including:

→ Ensuring lived experts are key voices in driving policy change by empowering them to share their stories.
→ Assessing the “state of kids” through data analysis and research on how Kentucky kids are faring.
→ Training and mobilizing youth and caring adults because everyone has a role to play in making Kentucky the best place for kids!

View our page and consider making your donations today: https://www.giveforgoodlouisville.org/organization/Kentucky-Youth-Advocates
Community Foundation of Louisville

Thank you for your recommitting to Kentucky kids today, and everyday.

09/10/2026

Clarissa, External Affairs Associate, shares her "WHY" and discusses how Children's Advocacy Day is one of her favorite things about Kentucky Youth Advocates.

Hear what she has to say and make your gift today to support KYA in bringing youth voices from across the Commonwealth to Frankfort!

Donate in honor of : https://www.giveforgoodlouisville.org/organization/Kentucky-Youth-Advocates

Community Foundation of Louisville

09/10/2026

There’s still time to GIVE -- and your IMPACT can change Kentucky kids’ lives. A gift of $25 can support us in advocating for all Kentucky kids, ensuring their voices are heard when making decisions regarding their futures.

Join us in making Kentucky the best place to be a kid: www.giveforgoodlouisville.org/organization/Kentucky-Youth-Advocates

Choose one of these ways to help
→ Make a gift to invest in Kentucky kids’ futures
→ Share our posts and KYA's Give for Good Louisville fundraiser page
→ Use your voice and advocate for kids

09/10/2026

Today is Give for Good Louisville!

Andrew, Policy & Advocacy Analyst at Kentucky Youth Advocates, shares his "WHY" and the importance of supporting advocates in recognizing the power of their own voices and experiences.

Hear what he has to say and make your gift today to support KYA in continuing to uplift and empower advocates!

Make your gift today: https://www.giveforgoodlouisville.org/organization/Kentucky-Youth-Advocates

Community Foundation of Louisville

09/09/2026

"You’ve seen the headlines; at least $358 million dollars are coming directly to Kentucky over the next 10 years.

Meta has agreed to pay for online safety initiatives and more to address harms to young people as well as to make changes to their apps that should lead to more safety and less accessibility for youth.

Now comes the question that will determine whether that accountability actually remedies the harms caused by social media and changes young people’s lives: What will Kentucky do with the money?"

Dr. Shannon Moody and statewide youth-serving partners dive deeper into the settlement and ways the funds can give youth meaningful connection in real life in this op-ed featured by the Kentucky Lantern: https://kentuckylantern.com/2026/09/09/use-kys-meta-settlement-to-invest-in-real-life-for-kids/

In collaboration with Fund IRL, the following Kentucky organizations composed this call to action:
Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana
Girl Scouts of Kentucky's Wilderness Road Council
Kentucky Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs
Kentucky Association for Environmental Education
Kentucky Out-of-School Alliance
Kentucky Psychological Association
Kentucky Youth Advocates
McNary Group
Mental Health America of Kentucky
Metro United Way
OneQuest Health
Partners for Change

09/08/2026

"What shocked me the most was the sheer scale of preparation required. Even though Census 2030 is four years away, the foundational work is already well underway.

Four years sounds long, but every day counts when considering what’s at stake for Kentucky’s families. The census is more than a simple headcount; it directs hundreds of billions in federal funding over an entire decade. It shapes local public schools, youth-centered programs, and rural infrastructure across Eastern Kentucky."

Jennifer Nguyen, an Intern at Kentucky Youth Advocates, shares her insights on the census as a person who grew up in rural Eastern Kentucky and offers a challenge to other young people to use their voices to ensure the census is a priority: https://bit.ly/3VidZXa

09/04/2026

To help advocates, early childhood stakeholders, and families better understand how Kentucky’s youngest kids are faring, Child Trends released a new Healthy and Ready to Learn (HRTL) Data Dashboard.

For Kentucky, the findings highlight the need for continued investment in early childhood development. The data shows that only 51.2% of Kentucky’s 3-year-olds were considered “Healthy and Ready to Learn” overall during 2022-2024 -- lower than the national average of 63.7% for 3-year-olds.

Learn more about how Kentucky's young children fare and view the dashboard: https://kyyouth.org/are-kentuckys-young-children-healthy-and-ready-to-learn/

09/03/2026

Community Foundation of Louisville's Give for Good Louisville is ONE WEEK away!

What does it mean to support Kentucky Youth Advocates?

✅ Ensuring lived experts are key voices in driving policy change by empowering them to share their stories.

✅ Assessing the “state of kids” through data analysis and research on how Kentucky kids are faring.

✅ Training and mobilizing youth and caring adults because everyone has a role to play in making Kentucky the best place for kids!

Join us on September 10th and recommit to investing in Kentucky's future - KIDS!