LEXINGTON, KY

The Bair Foundation today announced it closure of the Kindred Roots program in Clark, Fayette, Madison and Scott Counties, Kentucky, effective June 30th, 2026. The closure is a direct result of a state budget decision eliminating all funding for the program, a decision communicated to The Bair Foundation without advance notice and leaving no opportunity for transition planning.

Launched in 2022, Kindred Roots has served more than 1000 children and adults across its four-year history providing trauma-informed family reunification support, supervised visitation, parenting education, fatherhood engagement, court advocacy and guidance, case management, and resource coordination. Providing transportation to both children and caregivers has been a key service that no other programs in the area offers, making it a highly praised program. The program served kinship families, grandparents, relatives, biological parents and caregivers who step forward in moments of crisis to keep children safe and together. Through trauma-informed services including family reunification support, supervised visitation, aftercare, and resource coordination, the program provided critical stability to Kentucky’s most vulnerable children and the families who love them.

The Lieutenant Governor Jacqueline Coleman visited the Kindred Roots offices in Lexington in May 2025 joining staff, community leaders, and families to celebrate the program’s impact. Lt. Governor Colemen, herself an adoptive mother and longtime children’s advocate, praised Kindred Roots as a model of collaborative community-centered care.

“This is a devastating loss, for the families we served, for the dedicated Kindred Roots staff who showed up every day, and for the communities who counted on this work,” said Renay Crouse, Chief Executive Officer at The Bair Foundation. The Kindred Roots team were exceptional stewards of every dollar entrusted to them and exceptional servants to every family who walked through their doors. The decision to eliminate this funding was made by the state and not a reflection of the program’s outcomes, the quality of its work or the commitment of its people. We grieve this alongside them.”

“Kindred Roots changed lives in Kentucky,” said Eric Ritz, Vice President for Kentucky. “This is devastating for the community and state and the families that Kindred Roots provided real relationships, progress and safety for families. We will continue to advocate for these families and for restoration of this funding.”

Samantha Sheets, Director of Kindred Roots, spoke on behalf of the program’s staff and the families they have served: “Losing this program means families who need that fight in their corner will have nowhere else to turn, and our team poured everything into making sure they never had to. This closure reaches beyond our staff and families. Our community partners:Foundation47 for financial literacy, Central Kentucky Creative Therapies for music therapy, Lane of Roses for therapeutic co-parenting support, and SAFE KIDS at UKY for home and car seat safety, they built something real alongside us. This loss is theirs too.”

The consequences of the program’s closure will be immediate and far-reaching. Without Kindred Roots, kinship caregivers will be left without support needed to continue to care for children. Children who have found stability in family placement risk disruption, possible removal to more restrictive settings and setback in reunification progress that took months, and in some cases years to achieve.

The Bair Foundation is actively pursuing emergency philanthropic funding to sustain the Kindred Roots services during this critical period. The Bair Foundation urges other foundations, community partners, businesses, and individual donors who share a commitment to family stability and children’s wellbeing to come forward. The elimination of Kindred Roots is a part of a broader pattern of state budget cuts affecting preventative family services across Kentucky, a pattern with measurable human costs that far exceeds the dollars saved.

The elimination of Kindred Roots funding is a part of a broader wave of state budget cuts affecting community-based mental health and social services programs across Kentucky. The Bair Foundation urges state officials, community leaders, and policymakers to recognize the downstream costs of eliminating preventative family support to be measured not only in dollars but in children’s lives and family stability.

About The Bair Foundation
The Bair Foundation is a nonprofit organization with offices in nine states, serving children and families through evidence-based mental health, foster care, and clinical services. Since 1967, The Bair Foundation has been committed to building strong children, strong families and strong communities.

To Support Kindred Roots or Inquire About Partnership
Visit www.bair.org to learn more and connect with our team. For emergency funding inquiries, contact Linda Bordner, Director of Growth and Development.