Advertise on podcast: Making Kids Count

Dr. Shannon Moody and Kosair for Kids Face It Movement partners discuss TEN-4 Day – bringing attention to the TEN-4-FACESp Bruising Rule annually on October 4th – and prevention strategies focused on keeping kids safe from abuse and supporting families.  Guests include Dr. Nancy Weaver, a Professor at the College for Public Health and Social Justice at St Louis University and the founder of Support Over Silence for KIDS framework to address public child mistreatment, and Lynn Hulsey, the Grants Professional at Family Enrichment Center, a nonprofit  in Bowling Green focused on empowering families and preventing child abuse.  Learn more about TEN-4 Day and Face It at faceitabuse.org.  Thank you to Aetna Better Health of Kentucky for supporting the Making Kids Count Podcast. Visit AetnaMedicaidKY.com/choose to learn more about their health care benefits and programs designed with your family’s wellbeing in mind. Support this podcast with a gift to Kentucky Youth Advocates at kyyouth.org/donate

Dr. Shannon Moody and guests discuss the state of kinship care in Kentucky and the importance of a kin-first system. Guests include Norma Hatfield, kinship caregiver and President of the Kinship Families Coalition of Kentucky from Hardin County; Dr. Jay Miller, Dean of the College of Social Work at the University of Kentucky and a foster and kinship alum; and Angel Todd, nonprofit professional, entrepreneur, community advocate, and kinship caregiver from Jefferson County.  Thank you to Aetna Better Health of Kentucky for supporting the Making Kids Count Podcast. Visit AetnaMedicaidKY.com/choose to learn more about their health care benefits and programs designed with your family’s wellbeing in mind.  Support this podcast with a gift to Kentucky Youth Advocates at kyyouth.org/donate

Dr. Shannon Moody and guests discuss the recent settlement with Meta, the impact of social media on young people, and what’s next for ensuring Kentucky’s settlement funds are directed to youth programming and services that promote positive experiences and connections. Guests include Aleah Stigall, youth advocate and founder of Disconnect to Connect - Let’s Get Real; Elizabeth Gaines, Founder and CEO of the Children’s Funding Project which backbones Fund IRL; and Jaimee Seitz, a northern Kentucky mom and youth mental health and online safety advocate. Support this podcast with a gift to Kentucky Youth Advocates at kyyouth.org/donate

Dr. Shannon Moody is joined by three grantmaking partners in the Bloom Kentucky initiative: Allison Adams, President and CEO of the Foundation for Healthy Kentucky; Kristin Walker Collins, CEO of the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky; and Sonya Carrico, Director of Policy at Interact for Health. They discuss Bloom Kentucky’s five years of impact in policy change, community engagement, and youth empowerment. Learn more at kyyouth.org/bloom. Support this podcast with a gift to Kentucky Youth Advocates at kyyouth.org/donate

leDr. Shannon Moody is joined by KYA’s Senior Policy & Advocacy Director, Alicia Whately, and Data & Research Director, Karena Cash, to discuss their recent presentation to the Interim Joint Committee on Families and Children in Frankfort. They dig into Kentucky’s child well-being trends in the latest national KIDS COUNT Data Book and highlight the big opportunity for communities and the state to get ready for the 2030 Census. Learn more at kyyouth.org/data/.   Thank you to Aetna Better Health of Kentucky for supporting the Making Kids Count Podcast. Visit AetnaMedicaidKY.com/choose to learn more about their health care benefits and programs designed with your family’s wellbeing in mind.  Support this podcast with a gift to Kentucky Youth Advocates at kyyouth.org/donate

Guest host Mara Powell talks with Dr. Shannon Moody, KYA’s new executive director. They discuss what led Shannon to KYA, her reflections on the challenges and opportunities in child advocacy, and her hopes and vision for the podcast and the organization, especially as KYA embarks on its 50th year in 2027.  Thank you to Aetna Better Health of Kentucky for supporting the Making Kids Count Podcast. Visit AetnaMedicaidKY.com/choose to learn more about their health care benefits and programs designed with your family’s wellbeing in mind.  Support this podcast with a gift to Kentucky Youth Advocates at kyyouth.org/donate

Guest host Shannon Moody is joined by three community leaders and experts to discuss youth mental health and the impacts of social media. Guests include state Representative Kim Moser of Kenton County, Sarah Kidder, Executive Director of the Kentucky Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs, and Dr. Amy Brausch, a licensed clinical psychologist and scholar with the LifeSkills Center for Child Welfare Education and Research at Western Kentucky University.  If you or someone you know is in crisis, please contact the Suicide Prevention Hotline at 988. Learn more about Bloom Kentucky at kyyouth.org/bloom.  Thank you to Aetna Better Health of Kentucky for supporting the Making Kids Count Podcast. Visit AetnaMedicaidKY.com/choose to learn more about their health care benefits and programs designed with your family’s wellbeing in mind. Support this podcast with a gift to Kentucky Youth Advocates at kyyouth.org/donate

Shannon Moody is joined by three statewide child advocacy partners to reflect on themes, wins, and challenges of the 2026 Kentucky General Assembly and the impact on children and families. Guests include Nickie Jones, Executive Director of Family Enrichment Center, Inc. in Bowling Green, Liz McQuillen, Chief Policy Officer at Metro United Way in Louisville, and Shane Noem, President of Roebling Solutions and a Kentucky Youth Advocates board member from Northern Kentucky. Check out KYA's Bill Breakdown on Kids and Budget Breakdown on Kids blogs at kyyouth.org. Thank you to Aetna Better Health of Kentucky for supporting the Making Kids Count Podcast. Visit AetnaMedicaidKY.com/choose to learn more about their health care benefits and programs designed with your family’s wellbeing in mind.  Support this podcast with a gift to Kentucky Youth Advocates at kyyouth.org/donate

Guest host Alicia Whatley is joined by three leaders for a conversation on the current state of child nutrition in Kentucky. Guests include Agriculture Commissioner Jonathan Shell, state Senator Jason Howell, and Stephanie Utley, Director of School Nutrition at LaRue County Schools and President of the Kentucky School Nutrition Association.Thank you to Aetna Better Health of Kentucky for supporting the Making Kids Count Podcast. Visit AetnaMedicaidKY.com/choose to learn more about their health care benefits and programs designed with your family’s wellbeing in mind.Support this podcast with a gift to Kentucky Youth Advocates at kyyouth.org/donate

Terry Brooks is joined by state Auditor of Public Accounts Allison Ball to discuss the Office of the Ombudsman's recent report on foster children in Nontraditional Placements (NTP) across the Commonwealth, such as Department for Community Based Services (DCBS) offices, state parks, and hotels.Thank you to Aetna Better Health of Kentucky for supporting the Making Kids Count Podcast. Visit AetnaMedicaidKY.com/choose to learn more about their health care benefits and programs designed with your family’s wellbeing in mind.Support this podcast with a gift to Kentucky Youth Advocates at kyyouth.org/donate

Guest host Shannon Moody is joined by Jane Herms, president and CEO of Family Nurturing Center in NKY; Sonja Grey, executive director of ECHO; and Laura Wills-Coppelman, co-founder of ICKY Schools. This panel of advocates discuss several bills being considered by the General Assembly to address and prevent child sexual abuse and grooming. Learn more about the Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children 2026 priorities at kyyouth.org/blueprintKY. Learn more about the Kosair for Kids Face It Movement at faceitabuse.org. Thank you to Aetna Better Health of Kentucky for supporting the Making Kids Count Podcast. Visit AetnaMedicaidKY.com/choose to learn more about their health care benefits and programs designed with your family’s wellbeing in mind.Support this podcast with a gift to Kentucky Youth Advocates at kyyouth.org/donate

On March 4th, youth, advocates, and leaders from across the Commonwealth joined Kentucky Youth Advocates for the 2026 Children's Advocacy Day at the Capitol and the first ever Town Hall on Kentucky Kids. In addition to remarks from a young person and adult advocates, attendees heard a conversation with a panel of state legislative leaders, including Senate President Pro Tem David Givens, House Speaker David Osborne, and Senate Minority Whip Cassie Chambers Armstrong. Event details and more at kyyouth.org/CAW. Thank you to Aetna Better Health of Kentucky for supporting the Making Kids Count Podcast. Visit AetnaMedicaidKY.com/choose to learn more about their health care benefits and programs designed with your family’s wellbeing in mind.Support this podcast with a gift to Kentucky Youth Advocates at kyyouth.org/donate

Guest host Shannon Moody is joined by three community leaders to discuss the importance of meeting families’ basic needs in efforts to mitigate Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and the intersection with Bloom Kentucky’s state policy priorities. Guests include Lacy Boling, Executive Director, Paducah Cooperative Ministries; Sara Hemingway, Executive Director, Marilyn and William Young Foundation in Owensboro; and Timothy Johnson, President and CEO of the Greater Clark Foundation in Winchester. Learn more about Bloom Kentucky at https://kyyouth.org/bloom/. Thank you to Aetna Better Health of Kentucky for supporting the Making Kids Count Podcast. Visit AetnaMedicaidKY.com/choose to learn more about their health care benefits and programs designed with your family’s wellbeing in mind.Support this podcast with a gift to Kentucky Youth Advocates at kyyouth.org/donate

Guest host Shannon Moody is joined by the Chairs of the Families and Children Committees, Senator Danny Carroll and Representative Samara Heavrin, to discuss the foci of their respective committees this session, including child care, child welfare, and child safety. Learn more about the Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children 2026 priorities at kyyouth.org/blueprintKY. Thank you to Aetna Better Health of Kentucky for supporting the Making Kids Count Podcast. Visit AetnaMedicaidKY.com/choose to learn more about their health care benefits and programs designed with your family’s wellbeing in mind. Support this podcast with a gift to Kentucky Youth Advocates at kyyouth.org/donate

Guest host Shannon Moody is joined by Representative Stephanie Dietz and Family Court Judge Marcus Vanover to discuss child welfare courts, quality legal representation, and the 2026 state legislative session. Learn more about the Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children 2026 priorities at kyyouth.org/blueprintKY. Check out the Strengthening Legal Representation for Kentucky Families issue brief at kyyouth.org/publications/. Thank you to Aetna Better Health of Kentucky for supporting the Making Kids Count Podcast. Visit AetnaMedicaidKY.com/choose to learn more about their health care benefits and programs designed with your family’s wellbeing in mind.Support this podcast with a gift to Kentucky Youth Advocates at kyyouth.org/donate