Updated April 9, 2026

In 2025, the Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children and Bloom Kentucky‘s 2025 legislative priorities included the Family Preservation and Accountability Act. The proposed legislation would require courts to consider alternative sentences for parents of dependent children who committed low-level and nonviolent offenses. With the hard work of advocates and legislative champions, Senator Julie Raque Adams and Representative Nick Wilson, Senate Bill 122 successfully passed both chambers in 2026 and is expected to be signed into law by the Governor.

On February 5, 2025, Kentucky Youth Advocates joined state Senator Julie Raque Adams and Representative Nick Wilson for a press conference in Frankfort about the Family Preservation and Accountability Act, companion bills that aim to support rehabilitation, keep families together, and improve outcomes for children. 

House Bill 291 and Senate Bill 118 would require the courts to consider alternative sentencing options when the individual has committed a non-violent offense and is the primary caregiver to a dependent child; promotes rehabilitative options that support the parent-child relationship and improve family stability; and requires annual reports on the bill’s implementation and impact to be reported to the General Assembly. 

Jessica Ashby, an advocate and parent with lived experience spoke about what this could have meant for her: 

“While I was sentenced to a 12-month supervised diversion program, which meant that I could continue to take care of my daughter, I wasn’t offered any wraparound services, like parenting classes, employment assistance, mental health screening, or family case management services. Ultimately, when I failed a drug test in the 12th and final month of my supervision – the first one I’d been given during the program – I was thrown back into the incarceration cycle…no one offered me and my daughter a lifeline, only consequences.”

With more than 100,000 kids across the Commonwealth having experienced a parent or caregiver being incarcerated at some point in their lives, there’s an urgent need to minimize the impact. The Family Preservation and Accountability Act strikes an important balance between accountability for the parents and consideration of the impact of incarceration on children. 

Read Amanda and Jayden’s story. To learn more about these bills and why they’re good for kids, check out our Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children resources and stay updated on their progress using our Bill Tracker.