Kentucky Youth Advocates Inc

True up: this initiative empowers young people in foster care to gain the critical life skills they need to make a successful transition from a structured environment to self-sufficiency in our communities. True up, which was founded in 2011, is a landmark partnership among foster care agencies that serve as surrogate parents for hundreds of children and teens in kentucky. True up is committed to helping youth transition from agency care to independent living.

The bounce coalition: this initiative builds the resiliency of children and families by improving knowledge about the impact of adverse childhood experiences and the skills to help youth bounce back from adversity. The coalition of community partners are moving "upstream" to address these root causes of poor health in our most vulnerable people. Through education, training, and other resources, bounce supports individuals and organizations to implement trauma-informed approaches in practical, everyday settings to better serve their communities.

Data & research: for over 30 years, kentucky kids count has provided the latest child well-being data, and because it is seen and used by everyone from groups of youth in eastern kentucky to cabinet secretaries in frankfort, kids count data is a catalyst for change. We use this data as the foundation for policy recommendations, and many others across the state including educators, government officials, social workers, and more utilize the book and online interactive county data dashboard for everything from grant proposals to classroom materials. This book provides data on 16 measures of child well-being and data profiles for each kentucky county. In addition to the kentucky kids count project, kya engages in other data and research related work including a project around increasing participation in the census for historically undercounted populations across kentucky along with another project on understanding the impacts of the opioid epidemic on children and families through data collection and community education/awareness building.early childhood education: kya believes that all children deserve access to quality, affordable early childhood education. This means children and families need programs that: allow parents and caregivers to go to work knowing that their children are safe, learning, and cared for; provide quality early childhood education that will prepare children to be successful in kindergarten; provide quality early childhood education that will guide their physical and cognitive development, social and emotional learning, and motor and self-help skills; and support and retain trained early childhood educators that provide safe, quality care and can identify and connect children that need additional developmental supports. Recent successes include supporting the stability of the child care infrastructure by permanently establishing the employee child care assistance partnership and creating the certified child care community designation program.k-12 education: kya believes that all children deserve to learn and grow in an encouraging environment. This means children need: opportunities for high-quality, vibrant learning experiences and meaningful accountability systems; resilience-focused learning environments that help children and their parents and caregivers feel safe, connected, and supported; highly trained and supported educators and safe school buildings; supports for students with learning disabilities and effective responses for challenging behaviors in school; access to extracurricular activities, community-based programming, and safe places to be with their peers; and access to school-based family supports that address non-cognitive barriers to academic success. Recent successes include strengthening the student-to-teacher pipeline by creating the teacher recruitment student loan forgiveness pilot program and establishing student-teacher stipends in eligible programs.oral health: kya provides staff support for the kentucky oral health coalition (kohc), which aims to promote positive oral health of all kentuckians and is funded by the carequest institute for oral health. Since 2010, the coalition has operated with the theory that it takes a collaborative network of engaged partners from across the state to meet the core mission to improve oral health for all people of kentucky. Kohc has established itself as a leader for oral health advocates in the commonwealth. Kya also works to promote oral health literacy and increase preventive care such as sealants to improve oral health of children.health: kya believes that all children deserve a healthy childhood with access to comprehensive services in their community. This means children need: health insurance that includes coverage of medical, dental, vision, and behavioral and mental health care services; maternal health care so that mother and baby are healthy and thriving during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum; immunizations to keep them healthy throughout childhood; access to physical, dental, vision, and mental health care providers for preventive visits and treatment services in their community; and optimal drinking water and air quality, and access to safe parks and other public services that contribute to a healthy childhood. Recent successes include ensuring kentucky complies with the federal minimum legal sale age for all tobacco products and eliminating purchase, use, and possession penalties for youth up to age 21 so children and teens can grow into healthier adults and enacting a state excise tax on e-cigarettes to help prevent use among youth.justice: kya believes that all children deserve to grow up in safe, supportive communities that reduce the risk of delinquency and system involvement. This means children need: sound investments in their communities to ensure they have equitable access to activities and resources that help them recognize their strengths and reach their full potential; a robust continuum of programming, treatment, concrete supports, and evidence-based interventions that are age-appropriate, address the root of the problem, and hold youth accountable when they make a mistake; and a justice system that promotes restoration and rehabilitation, and creates a strong re-entry program to reduce the likelihood of recidivism and set kids up to thrive.economic security: kya believes that all children and their families deserve access to the resources they need to thrive. This means children need: access to affordable, nutritious food; safe, stable, and affordable housing and reliable transportation; access to quality, affordable child care so parents and caregivers can go to work knowing their children are safe, learning, and cared for; jobs for parents that provide enough income and benefits to meet the family's basic needs; and an accessible safety net of financial resources in the event of an emergency.policy advocacy: kya works with several partner organizations and trains and mobilizes advocates to promote positive policies for children and families. Kya coordinates several coalitions including a statewide coalition with over 150 partners - the blueprint for kentucky's children - which promotes a unified policy and budget agenda to help children. Recent successes include over 1,500 virtual and in-person attendees throughout children's advocacy week and mobilizing blueprint partners and advocates to speak up for policies that are good for kids.bloom kentucky: this initiative is focused on statewide policy change that aims to prevent and mitigate the impacts of adverse childhood experiences. We know that thriving communities launch strong families, strong families launch successful kids, and successful kids launch a prosperous future for kentucky. Bloom kentucky addresses the multi-generational challenges of childhood adversity, how communities can help foster opportunities for all kids and families, and the future of kentucky's workforce and prosperity.youth engagement: kya educates youth and young adults about issues and systems that impact them such as education, justice, health, economic security, and child welfare. Kya provides advocacy and leadership trainings to empower youth leaders to speak with local and state elected leaders on policies and issues important to them and create positive change. Kya works in partnership with various groups of youth throughout kentucky, including the health youth ambassadors, reform louisville, and the true up peer network, to address policy needs across various sectors.