Kentucky Youth Advocates

Eltuan Dawson, who is a member of the True Up Peer Network; Shontelle Davis (researcher for the report); Cynthia Schepers, peer coach coordinator with Kentucky Youth Advocates and True Up Kentucky; and Tamara Vest (participant of the report and a social work intern with KYA).

Residential foster care in Kentucky is physically, mentally unsafe, say some who have been there

BY: - December 2, 2022

One young adult remembers taking a daily allergy pill upon entering a Kentucky residential foster care facility and leaving “on 13 medications within six months.” Another lost the privilege of calling their mother after a riot at their location.  These were among the experiences 46 young adults shared with Kentucky Youth Advocates’ researchers, who examined […]

State should not withdraw safety net as disasters compound childhood trauma, advocates say

BY: - November 30, 2022

In 2020, more than 1,000 Kentucky children were physically abused, more than 15,000 were neglected and almost 800 were sexually abused.  Experts say these numbers, which come from a new Kentucky Youth Advocates report on adverse childhood experiences, are only what’s reported. They’re likely worse.  Adverse childhood experiences, more commonly known as ACEs, refer to […]