Child Safety
Kentucky Youth Advocates monitors and influences children's safety legislation and administrative regulations, conducts research, and writes about relevant issues. KYA also participates in various coalitions, committees, and state advisory boards to ensure children are safe from harm and violence.
Recent Work
Prevention of Out-of-Home Placement for Children
Kentucky Youth Advocates released a report entitled, Prevention of Out-of-Home Placement for Children. The report finds that the Commonwealth can save money in the long run and decrease the number of children neglected and abused by working with families to address their problems so they can stay together safely, instead of placing the children in foster homes or residential facilities.
Motor Vehicle Safety
Kentucky Youth Advocates has been a leader in improving the state's child and teen death rates, especially due to motor vehicle crashes. Kentucky's rate of child and teen deaths are among the nation's worst and there are some basic state policies that can be adopted to improve this child well-being indicator.
Read about the impact of the Graduated Driver's License on Kentucky's Teen drivers
Child Welfare
Kentucky Youth Advocates was appointed by the Governor to represent children on the "Blue Ribbon Panel on Adoption" that was formed in response to crisis in the Child Welfare System in Kentucky. We have released many reports over the years to highlight these issues. The most recent was entitled "The Other Kentucky Lottery: Child Protection and Permanency for Abused and Neglected Children." This report, written with the National Institute on Children, Youth and Families, was the impetus for many of the changes that are being discussed.
Environmental Health & Safety
Kentucky Youth Advocates is planning to expand our Health and Safety portfolio to include environmental justice and health issues. Research is clear about the connection between a child's environment and health outcomes, especially in regards to the prevention of childhood lead poisoning and childhood asthma. We also are interested in advocating for state policies that address racial disparities in health outcomes due to unequal exposure to environmental hazards.