Children's Alliance

03/10/2026

The new Ombudsman report highlights the growing strain on Kentucky’s children’s behavioral health system. Meaningful reform must include a long-overdue investment in proven community-based services to keep children safely in their homes and with their families, when possible.

Read the report:https://www.auditor.ky.gov/Auditreports/Franklin/2025%20COO%20NTP%20Report.pdf

02/12/2026

Children’s Advocacy Week is just weeks away! From March 2–6, join advocates across Kentucky to amplify youth voices, connect with policymakers, and strengthen our collective commitment to advocacy for kids.

To register, learn how to schedule meetings with your legislators, and access additional resources, click here: https://kyyouth.org/childrens-advocacy-week/

02/06/2026

The Children’s Alliance, Kentucky’s state association of 40 foster care, behavioral health, and residential agencies—and the collective voice of Kentucky’s at-risk children and families—supports the Family Preservation & Accountability Act because:

• This bill keeps families together when it is safe to do so. Nearly 12% of Kentucky’s children, more than 150,000 kids, have experienced parental incarceration: a leading driver of foster care placement, trauma, and long-term instability. Too many children enter foster care simply because a parent is incarcerated for a low-level, nonviolent offense.
• Incarcerated parents are losing their children forever. Data shows that only 21% of children of incarcerated mothers are reunified, compared to 40% for all children in foster care. Parental incarceration causes serious emotional, behavioral, and developmental harm to children and increases their risk of entering foster care, falling behind in school, and becoming involved in the justice system later in life.

This bill prioritizes treatment, supervision, and family stability. It is a straightforward fix that strengthens families while preserving judicial discretion. SB 122/HB 464 does not remove sentencing authority or weaken public safety: it simply gives judges another tool to impose alternatives when appropriate. This common-sense approach improves outcomes for children and uses our taxpayer dollars more effectively.

For Kentucky’s most vulnerable kids, we urge this bill’s passage this legislative session.

02/03/2026

During today’s Kentucky Nonprofit Network Day at the Capitol, The Children’s Alliance, alongside Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky, was honored to present Rep. Heavrin and Rep. Wilson (not pictured) with the Nonprofit Advocacy Award for their partnership and work advancing child welfare reform during the 2025 legislative session.

01/27/2026

The Children’s Alliance is proud to stand as a signer in support of the Family Preservation and Accountability Act, filed last week by Rep. Nick Wilson and Sen. Raque Adams as HB 464 and SB 122, respectively. This legislation would provide courts the option to consider alternative, community-based sentences (like treatment and parenting support) instead of incarceration for primary caregivers convicted of low-level, nonviolent offenses.

If your organization would like to endorse this critical legislation, please complete the form below:
https://form.asana.com/?k=RtCP3DTHba76sW6CIp4SPA&d=25535823564359

01/26/2026

Congratulations to our members Mountain Comprehensive Care Center (MCCC) and Ramey Estep Homes / Re-Group on being approved as new Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs)!

This expansion means more Kentuckians will have access to high-quality, evidence-based behavioral health care across the Commonwealth in 2026.

Special recognition to Ramey Estep Homes / Re-Group, now the only Behavioral Health Services Organization (BHSO) in Kentucky to earn CCBHC designation. This achievement reflects a rigorous certification process focused on delivering high-quality, evidence-based care, and marks both the culmination of years of work and the start of an exciting new chapter.

We’re proud of our members and the momentum they're building to better serve Kentucky’s children and families.

Eligible Kentuckians will have expanded access to behavioral health care services in 2026. The Department for Medicaid Services' (DMS) behavioral health team received approval from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to add six clinics to its Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) Demonstration program.

CCBHCs participate in a rigorous DMS certification process to ensure they deliver high-quality, evidence-based care to those in need. CCBHCs help Kentuckians care for their behavioral health by ensuring the availability of a range of services, including screening and diagnosis, crisis services, including mobile crisis response, psychiatric rehabilitation, and care coordination, integrating behavioral health and physical health care. The clinics also offer comprehensive services to those battling addiction, as well as veterans, children, and to families supporting a loved one as they deal with behavioral health challenges. CCBHCs are required to serve anyone, regardless of housing status or ability to pay. DMS first began offering CCBHC services in 2022.

The addition of six CCBHC clinics to the CCHBC Demonstration will bring new and expanded service options to the eastern, northeastern, western, and southern parts of the state, furthering the state's commitment to expanding services that will help all Kentuckians thrive.

The new providers include:
Comprehend, Inc.
Cumberland River Behavioral Health, Inc.
Lifeskills, Inc.
Mountain Comprehensive Care Center
Ramey Estep Homes / Re-Group
Rivervalley Behavioral Health

These six new CCBHCs join New Vista, Seven Counties Services, Pathways Inc, and Northkey Community Care as CCBHCs in the demonstration.

To receive assistance, any person may contact the CCBHC directly or email CCHBC@ky.gov for assistance in locating the CCBHC nearest you.

For anyone in crisis, please call 988 any time, day or night, for confidential support and assistance.

01/21/2026

Last week, The Children’s Alliance was honored to partner on Bags of Hope, an initiative organized by Representative Samara Heavrin (18th District), focused on supporting children in Kentucky’s foster care system.

This collaborative effort brought together nearly every member of the Kentucky General Assembly, The Children’s Alliance, and Miss Kentucky Ariana Rodriguez, through her initiative, The Lucky Ones Foundation, ensuring that Bags of Hope are delivered directly into the hands of children across the Commonwealth who need them most.

A special thank you to the event sponsors, our board members in attendance (James Sherry, Holly Hill & Denise Govan, DCCH) and to the members of the Kentucky General Assembly who came together to assemble these bags and write messages of encouragement for Kentucky’s most vulnerable children.

12/23/2025

The Children’s Alliance staff appreciates all our member agencies and are grateful for the services you provide to at-risk children and families across Kentucky! We look forward to our continued partnership in the coming new year!

The Children’s Alliance office will be closed December 24-26 and January 1-2 for the holidays!

11/13/2025

The Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental, and Intellectual Disabilities is excited to launch the 2026 Kentucky Gallery of Youth Voices—a statewide campaign inviting children and youth (up to age 25) to share their stories of hope and healing through art.

Submissions due January 28, 2026.
Learn more and apply here: https://forms.gle/EEjfErKBK4kxZn8H8

11/05/2025

November is National Adoption Month: an opportunity to shine a light on the importance of permanency for children and youth in care.

Across Kentucky, our member agencies are helping children find safe, loving homes where they can thrive. Join us in spreading awareness and supporting the journey to family for every child.

10/23/2025

Yesterday, the Children’s Alliance was honored to testify before the Interim Joint Committee on Health Services to highlight the challenges our members face with the burdensome audit and appeals process, and share how Chair Moser’s MCO Audit and Appeals Bill delivers commonsense solutions to address these challenges.

Watch our full testimony below:

https://youtu.be/cvGrevas7YA?t=2566

10/15/2025

St. Joseph Children’s Home is hosting the Explore Foster Care + Adoption Conference on November 8, 2025! Families interested in fostering or adopting are encouraged to attend. Vendors who wish to participate can register here: https://forms.office.com/r/Vucb5Wnes0

St. Joseph Children's Home provides a safe home and bright future for every child in our diverse community.