Bipartisan Federal Bills Aim to Better Support Foster Youth on Their Path to Adulthood By: Claire Elmore, Intern at Kentucky Youth Advocates While Kentucky’s 2026 legislative session has officially ended, federal lawmakers are still working on important legislation that could strengthen supports for young people [...]
New Report – KYA and True Up Examine Education Outcomes of Kentucky Youth with Foster Care Experience Interactive report features key data on outcomes and barriers to success and offers policy recommendations Louisville, KY – Students with foster care experience bring unique strengths and perspectives to our classrooms; they also face trauma [...]
2026 Legislative Wins for Foster Youth: Progress, Partnerships, and What’s Next By: Andrew Alvey, Policy & Advocacy Analyst The 2026 legislative session brought progress in addressing challenges faced by children and youth in foster care. Lawmakers made targeted investments to support kinship and foster families and [...]
Breaking the Cycle: A Future of Possibility By: Tatum Abel Growing up in Kentucky's foster care system, I learned early on that safety was often something defined by a case file or a courtroom. As an alumna, my perspective on Child Abuse Prevention Month is [...]
By: Andrew Alvey, Policy & Advocacy Analyst Each year, young people from across Kentucky travel to Frankfort for Children’s Advocacy Day, an opportunity to meet with lawmakers and advocate for policies that improve the lives of children and families across the Commonwealth. For members of the True Up Peer Network, this [...]
Last month, the Trump administration released an Executive Order titled Fostering the Future for American Children and Families at a press conference with the President and First Lady, signaling that current foster youth and young people aging out of care are an important issue for the administration, and the First [...]
Youth aging out of foster care face countless challenges, from finding stable housing and employment to navigating health care and higher education on their own. Many leave care without the same supports and safety nets that their peers rely on, making the transition to adulthood especially difficult. One challenge that [...]
By: Crystal Willis, Youth Engagement Coordinator On May 15th, youth advocates and policymakers came together for an inspiring evening dedicated to strengthening advocacy skills and building bridges between residential leadership teams and state legislators. The event was designed with two primary goals: to empower residential leadership teams to effectively engage [...]
By: Tatum Abel, Peer Engagement Coordinator The foster care system is designed to protect children in vulnerable situations, offering them a haven when their biological families cannot safely provide care. However, data compiled by Kentucky Youth Advocates persistently shows that Black children are being removed from their homes more than [...]
By: Tatum Heath, Peer Engagement Coordinator As an advocate for youth’s rights and peer support for lived experts, I had the privilege of attending Children’s Advocacy Day in Frankfort, Kentucky, for the second time. Each year, the event provides a vital opportunity for individuals—especially those directly involved with children, families, [...]
