As the interim legislative session winds down and Kentuckians begin settling in for the holidays, the 2026 General Assembly is right around the corner. Like every even year in the Commonwealth, 2026 will bring a long legislative session that includes the passing of a new two-year state budget. 

Legislators will return to Frankfort on Tuesday, January 6th to kick off the 60 day session that will charge Kentucky legislators with considering proposed bills and crafting a new state budget to fund state programs, departments, and projects.

While the focus of this legislative session could go many different ways, among those being discussed are:

  • Considering recommendations from various legislative taskforces, including the Housing Taskforce and the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Kentucky Taskforce
  • Balancing new budget challenges, existing needs, and a smaller budget than previous years which featured federal stimulus money during the COVID 19 pandemic 
  • Addressing impacts of HR1 on the Kentucky state budget, including federal funding changes to critical benefit programs like SNAP and Medicaid 
  • Responding to the latest child well-being data, highlighting how kids are faring 

In addition to crafting a two year state budget, Kentucky lawmakers will be tasked with considering policy proposals impacting Kentuckians across the state. The Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children 2026 policy and budget agenda highlights state law changes and budget investments that would make a positive impact for kids and families in 2026. 

2026 Blueprint state policy priorities include:

  • Reduce the risk of sexual abuse and exploitation and increase the safety of students by ensuring appropriate disclosures, checks, and training are complete for potential public and private school employees.
  • Support the development of young children with special needs by requiring training for child care providers on strategies to support children with disabilities.
  • Uphold the basic legal rights of children by requiring minors to speak with a juvenile attorney before they waive their Miranda rights.
  • Promote family housing stability by expunging filings that are dismissed and prohibiting minors from being named on eviction filings.
  • Place common sense standards around utility disconnections during extreme weather events.
  • Support youth well-being by creating mechanisms to direct social media settlement dollars to positive youth development programs.
  • Define child and family impact statements and create a process for analyzing proposed legislation to determine impacts on kids and families.

2026 Blueprint budget priorities include:

  • Ensure JUUL settlement dollars are used to address youth nicotine dependence, including cessation programming support and initiatives to reduce youth initiation.
  • Support the basic needs of families by investing in addressing diaper need.
  • Improve child safety and support independent living by automatically issuing state IDs at no cost for youth in foster care.
  • Ensure state employees have access to paid family leave every three years in order to support healthy families and allow them to stay financially stable after the birth or adoption of a child.
  • Strengthen family legal representation and improve outcomes by creating a statewide office for family representation.
  • Expand investments in Parent Engagement Meetings (PEMs) to support families at risk of educational neglect by connecting them with services and preventing unnecessary referrals to DCBS or the courts.
  • Ensure families have access to supervised parenting time services that maintain critical connections between children and their parents or siblings during child welfare involvement.
  • Prioritize investments for children who have experienced abuse and neglect by dedicating funds to support kinship caregivers.

Kentucky lawmakers have a lot to consider in 2026 and opportunities to prioritize child and family well-being through policy change and state budget investments. 

  • Join Kentucky Youth Advocates as we host our annual Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children Partner Summit on December 4th in Shelbyville, where advocates from across the state will mobilize around these priorities and prepare to take action in 2026. 
  • Learn more about the latest child well-being data at the county level in the 2025 Kentucky KIDS COUNT Data Dashboard to be released on December 11th – register for the webinar.
  • Save the date for Children’s Advocacy Day at the Capitol on March 4, 2026!