True Up loves to fill the gap in unmet needs, which is why we decided to host a foster alumni graduation party! Each year, the Department for Community Based Services hosts a party with the same goal, however, the criteria is more narrow. We had a young adult on [...]

By Carlie Reeves, Intern at Kentucky Youth Advocates Homelessness, while experienced by many, disproportionately affects those with a foster care experience.  It has been found that in Kentucky, 1 in 3 young adults who have foster care experience will face homelessness/housing instability at some point. So, out of the 1,132 [...]

Too Many Kentucky Young People Exit Foster Care Without Permanent Families and Unprepared to Thrive on Their Own Fostering Youth Transitions 2023 Urges Improvements to Extended Foster Care Transition LOUISVILLE, KY – Permanent families and supportive adult connections, stable housing, and postsecondary education remain beyond the reach of too many young people [...]

By Tamara Vest May is National Foster Care Month. Did you know that Kentucky has over 8,500 children in out-of-home care? As of April 2, 2023, nearly 30 percent of those children have a permanent goal of adoption, 53 percent have a goal of reunification, and the remaining 17 percent may have other [...]

By: Tia Humphrey Over the past year or so, I have worked with Kentucky Youth Advocates and other Young Adults on a grant surrounding the disproportionality African American youth face with the foster system. Not only has this given me the opportunity and platform to share my testimony of experience, [...]

By: Glenda Wright, J.D. What does identity mean, and what impact does identity have on us? This question is something I have been exploring over the last year while working on the Truth & Reconciliation project of the Thriving Families, Safer Children Kentucky initiative. My name is Glenda Wright, and I am a [...]

Elected leaders and advocates step up for Kentucky kids in countless ways every day, especially in Frankfort throughout the legislative session. During Children’s Advocacy Week, Kentucky Youth Advocates and partners in the Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children presented Champion for Children awards to honor those state leaders, advocates, and young people for their [...]

New Report: Analysis of Kentucky’s Residential Foster Care   Featuring Interviews of Youth with Lived Experience and Recommendations  LOUISVILLE, KY – Residential and institutional facilities are meant for youth experiencing crises, yet these settings are often over-utilized due to lack of family-based foster care rather than a clinical need for [...]

"I wish maybe more people would have reached out. We need a lot more people involved to reach out to help kids that are experiencing challenges outside of school." - Louisville Young Adult Educational disengagement is one of the most critical issues affecting the Louisville community. Earlier this year, the [...]

Registration for pandemic relief will close on: September 17th. Visit www.kyvoc.com and click on “pandemic relief” in the top menu to read more about eligibility or to register for pandemic relief. For questions, email: kyfosteryouthpandemicaid@ky.gov