Making Kids Count
Welcome to the Making KIDS COUNT podcast brought to you by Kentucky Youth Advocates, where we sit down with policymakers, community leaders, and youth and discuss ideas to make Kentucky the best place to be young.
Episodes
October 1, 2025 • 36 mins
Guest host Shannon Moody is joined by Allison Adams, president and CEO of the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, Bruce Lesley, president of First Focus on Children, and Alicia Whatley, Senior Policy & Advocacy Director at Kentucky Youth Advocates. The advocates discuss the “Make America Healthy Again” movement – nationally and in Kentucky – and the impact on child health and well-being.
Thank you to Aetna Better Health of Kentuck...
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July 2, 2025 • 31 mins
Terry Brooks is joined by Dr. Marty Pollio, former superintendent of Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) and incoming president of Ivy Tech Community College, to discuss the state of K-12 education, reflections from his time at JCPS, and opportunities for all community members to continue supporting kids in school settings.
Thank you to Aetna Better Health of Kentucky for supporting the Making Kids Count Podcast. Visit AetnaMed...
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April 30, 2025 • 42 mins
Terry Brooks is joined by Larry Craig, Executive Committee member of the Kosair for Kids Board of Directors and owner of Craig & Landreth Cars; Dr. Jerry Rabalais, member of the Kosair for Kids Advisory Council and Emeritus Chairman of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Louisville; and Dr. Shannon Moody, Chief Policy & Strategy Officer at Kentucky Youth Advocates and lead of the Kosair for Kids Face It Movement.They ...
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April 22, 2025 • 26 mins
Guest host Alicia Whatley is joined by three Kentucky young people: Phoenix Berry, a member of KYA’s 2025 Housing Policy Ambassadors cohort from Lexington; Kiera Dunk, 10th grade student and child abuse prevention advocate from Oldham County; and, Griffin Nemeth, the Youth Advisory Board Coordinator for the #iCANendthetrend program at the University of Kentucky. They discuss their advocacy journeys and share their tips for other yo...
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March 5, 2025 • 29 mins
Guest host Cortney Downs is joined by state Representative Nick Wilson, Amanda Hall of Dream.org, and Sarah Durand of KYFREE for a discussion on House Bill 291, known as the Family Preservation and Accountability Act. They dive into the impact of parental incarceration on children, communities, and the state economy. HB 291 is a Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children priority bill that would require the courts to consider alternative se...
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March 1, 2025 • 26 mins
Terry Brooks and Alicia Whatley are joined by state Senator Jimmy Higdon and Delanie Crump, a high school freshman from Boyd County, for a discussion on the state of youth vaping in Kentucky. They also discuss the impact Senate Bill 100 could have on holding retailers accountable for selling nicotine and tobacco products to youth under age 21 and ultimately curbing youth vaping in the Commonwealth. SB 100 is a Blueprint for Kentuck...
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February 24, 2025 • 37 mins
Terry Brooks is joined by members of Kentucky Youth Advocates' policy team - Shannon Moody, Alicia Whatley, and Cortney Downs - to share updates on Blueprint for Kentucky's Children 2025 policy priorities and insights on the Frankfort landscape and the impact on kids' issues. Find details on each of the bills discussed at kyyouth.org/bill-tracker/.
Thank you to Aetna Better Health of Kentucky for supporting the Making Kids Count P...
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February 5, 2025 • 34 mins
Terry Brooks is joined by Kentucky's Attorney General Russell Coleman to discuss his office's role in convening diverse stakeholders on issues impacting kids and families, as well as ongoing efforts around the Opioid Settlement Fund, protecting kids online, and a substance use prevention campaign targeting youth.
Thank you to Aetna Better Health of Kentucky for supporting the Making Kids Count Podcast. Visit AetnaMedicaidKY.com/ch...
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January 19, 2025 • 27 mins
Terry Brooks is joined by Kelly Pullen, Executive Director of the Aetna Better Health® of Kentucky's Supporting Kentucky Youth (SKY) program. We hear more about the long term impacts of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and the role Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs) has in mitigating adversity. Terry and Kelly also reflect on the SKY program's ACEs prevention and intervention efforts and how all Kentuckians can play a role i...
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January 15, 2025 • 10 mins
Terry Brooks shares reflections on the first week of the 2025 Kentucky General Assembly, updates on Blueprint for Kentucky's Children policy priorities, and a call to action for advocates to speak up for kids throughout the short state legislative session. Find advocacy information and resources at kyyouth.org/blueprintKY.
Thank you to Aetna Better Health of Kentucky for supporting the Making Kids Count Podcast. Visit AetnaMedica...
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December 10, 2024 • 41 mins
Terry Brooks is joined by state Auditor of Public Accounts Allison Ball to discuss her roles as state Treasurer and Auditor. They also dive into the office of the Auditor's recent efforts that will impact some of Kentucky's most vulnerable kids: the successful transition of the Office of the Ombudsman, the ongoing assessment of Senate Bill 151 to support kinship families, and the ongoing investigation into incidents of children in ...
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November 20, 2024 • 14 mins
Terry Brooks shares an overview of the 2024 Kentucky KIDS COUNT Data Book and the trends in the latest child well-being data. The 2024 Data Book and new online, interactive County Data Dashboard feature the latest data on 16 measures of economic security, education, health, and family and community. Additionally, the essay of this year's edition dives into the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and progress on mitigatin...
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October 29, 2024 • 32 mins
Terry Brooks is joined by state Senator Lindsey Tichenor to discuss the proponent perspective of Amendment 2, the state ballot initiative to amend the Kentucky constitution to allow the Kentucky General Assembly to create legislation that allows public dollars to be spent to support nonpublic or private K-12 education.
Be an informed voter on November 5th -- check out Kentucky Youth Advocates’ Electoral Advocacy Toolkit to ensure...
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October 29, 2024 • 29 mins
Terry Brooks is joined by Maddie Shepard, President of the Jefferson County Teachers Association, to discuss the opponent perspective of Amendment 2, the state ballot initiative to amend the Kentucky constitution to allow the Kentucky General Assembly to create legislation that allows public dollars to be spent to support nonpublic or private K-12 education.
Be an informed voter on November 5th -- check out Kentucky Youth Advocat...
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September 25, 2024 • 28 mins
Terry Brooks is joined by Jonathan Shell, Kentucky's Commissioner of Agriculture, to discuss the Department of Agriculture's initiatives related to hunger, nutrition, and workforce, as well as the role we can all play in advocacy and volunteerism.
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 de...
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September 12, 2024 • 40 mins
Terry Brooks is joined by Lt. Governor Jacqueline Coleman to continue Kentucky Youth Advocates’ look at the 2024 national KIDS COUNT® Data Book and Kentucky students’ educational outcomes.
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.
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August 28, 2024 • 33 mins
Alicia Whatley, KYA's Senior Policy & Advocacy Director, is joined by Dr. Brit Anderson, pediatrician and vice president of the Kentucky Chapter of the American Academy for Pediatrics, Bruce Crouch, who has served as a school resource officer in Taylor County and helps lead the Taylor County Youth Coalition, and Ashlea Christiansen, Kentucky government relations director for the American Heart Association. They look at the state of...
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July 31, 2024 • 44 mins
Terry Brooks is joined by Dr. Elizabeth Dinkins, dean of the School of Education at Bellarmine University, and Dr. Jim Flynn, Executive Director of the Kentucky Association of School Superintendents, to continue Kentucky Youth Advocates' look at the 2024 national KIDS COUNT® Data Book and Kentucky students' educational outcomes.
Thank you to Aetna Better Health of Kentucky for supporting the Making Kids Count podcast. Visit Aetna...
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July 24, 2024 • 41 mins
Terry Brooks is joined by state Senator Max Wise and Representative James Tipton to continue Kentucky Youth Advocates' look at the 2024 national KIDS COUNT® Data Book and Kentucky students' educational outcomes.
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 ...
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June 20, 2024 • 16 mins
As part of Kentucky Youth Advocates' segment with WEKU's Eastern Standard Radio, Terry Brooks was recently joined by Dr. Tony Zipple, Bounce co-chair, and Kelly Pullen, executive director of Aetna Better Health of Kentucky's SKY Program, to discuss youth mental health and highlight the partnership between CVS Health and the Bounce Coalition. They break down findings from a recent CVS Health-Morning Consult mental health survey, dis...
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