It's important to remind our state legislators whenever we can about the needs of Kentucky youth. The decisions they make on state laws and budgets have a real impact for families!
As our legislators meet for the 2026 legislative session, their attention is split in many directions. That's why it's so important for lots of us to reach out!
We may not see the results we want in one session, but our efforts each year lay the ground work for future progress.
Here are a few ideas of ways you can raise your voice with us:
Check out the legislative agenda we will be following as we meet with our legislators.
2026 Legislative Agenda
For 35 years, the KIDS COUNT initiative has been collecting and reporting on child well-being data. The goal is to inform lawmakers and advocates what needs to happen to make Kentucky a safe place to thrive for children and families.
According to the 2025 KIDS COUNT data, Kentucky has seen a decline in childhood poverty. This is great news! However, we are still encountering food insecurity and high obesity rates within families across the state. That needs to change.
As we head into the 2026 legislative session, we are working to advocate for policies and decisions that would limit adversity in the lives of Kentucky's children, youth, and families. 2025 KIDS COUNT is a great place for us to start as we look ahead into 2026.
The current action alert is a final push for a budget line item. Please call every day you can!
We are asking our legislators to allocate funding to increase Medicaid rates for children's behavioral health services so that Kentucky's children have access to quality behavioral health care. Read more about its importance here.
Here's what to do:
1. Call the legislative message line at 1-800-372-7181
2. Give your name and address to the attendant when prompted.
3. When asked who your message is for, say “Senate Appropriations & Revenue (A&R) Committee members and Senate Leadership”
4. When asked for your message, say “Please include the children's behavioral health Medicaid rate increase in the final budget. Without it, outcomes for our children will continue to decline and agencies will continue to close programs. Thank you."
Please call Rebecca Merrill at (859) 523-2976 or email rebecca.merrill@kyumh.org once you have called, so we can keep a tally of how many calls have been made.
