Children's Hospital Colorado and Healthier Colorado Launch Mind Our Future Colorado to Prioritize Child and Youth Mental Health in 2026 Governor's Race

New statewide initiative calls on gubernatorial candidates to commit to bold and comprehensive solutions to address Colorado's child and youth mental health crisis 

DENVER, March 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Children's Hospital Colorado and Healthier Colorado today announced the launch of Mind Our Future Colorado to ensure child and youth mental health is a top priority in the 2026 gubernatorial race and beyond.

Colorado's children and youth face a mental health crisis that cannot be ignored. The state ranks 41st in the nation for youth mental health, and suicide remains a leading cause of death for Colorado youth under 18. With federal funding for children's mental health programs fading, critical services are increasingly at risk.

"90% of Colorado voters agree: We are in a youth mental health crisis," said Joshua Ewing, Executive Director of Healthier Colorado. "Families have been carrying this burden for too long. We need our next governor, regardless of party, to walk into office on day one with a clear, actionable plan to support kids and families. This can't be another campaign promise. It must be a governing priority."

Mind Our Future Colorado is building a powerful coalition of healthcare experts, organizations and community advocates united by one mission: to ensure every child and family in Colorado can access the mental health care, community support and resources they need to thrive from their earliest years through adolescence and beyond. So far, more than 40 healthcare, early childhood, business and consumer groups have joined the coalition.

"Colorado has the opportunity to be a leader in confronting the ongoing national child and youth mental health crisis, to declare that today's children and youth are a priority and to be a model for other states in addressing challenges within the behavioral health system," said Jena Hausmann, President and CEO of Children's Hospital Colorado. "Last year, Children's Hospital Colorado experts cared for more than 14,400 pediatric patients who received mental health treatment within our integrated System of Care. It's clear that children and families need more support for mental health in the right place, at the right time. As Colorado prepares to elect a new governor, we're joining youth, healthcare experts and community leaders across the state in calling for a commitment from candidates that child and youth mental health be a top priority this election."

The initiative is calling on Colorado's gubernatorial candidates to commit to comprehensive solutions across three foundational areas including health foundations for young minds, a mental health system built for kids and mental health within reach for kids and families.

According to the Colorado Health Institute's report, Youth Mental Health in Colorado: State Outcomes, Policies, and Investments in the Past Decade, more than one in seven young Coloradans reported poor mental health in 2025. The 2025 Colorado Health Access Survey (CHAS) found that 14% of Coloradans 21 and under report poor mental health, defined as eight or more days of poor mental health in the past month. Data from both the CHAS and 2023 Healthy Kids Colorado Survey show rates are highest among adolescents, with 26% of high school students and 24% of middle school students reporting persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness. And rural communities face major barriers to mental health care, including severe workforce shortages, longer appointment wait times and fewer options for mental health services. In 2023, rates of suicide among youth ages 10 to 24 in rural parts of the state were 35% higher than the state average.

In the coming months, Mind Our Future Colorado will develop and refine sustainable and innovative mental health policy solutions with input from individuals and groups across the state. Leading up to the fall election, the coalition will conduct a series of outreach and engagement opportunities, including the distribution of a candidate questionnaire on child and youth mental health policy recommendations and system improvements; hosting youth, parent, rural and business roundtable discussions across the state; and launching digital campaigns to engage candidates, voters and youth. Mind Our Future Colorado will also host a gubernatorial candidate forum on Thursday, May 28, that will be streamed on CBS Colorado and focused on child and youth mental health.

Organizations and individuals interested in joining the coalition or learning more about how to get involved can visit mindourfuturecolorado.com.

About Mind Our Future Colorado
Mind Our Future Colorado is a statewide initiative to prioritize child and youth mental health. Led by Children's Hospital Colorado and Healthier Colorado, and strengthened by coalition partners across the state, our mission is to ensure every child and family in Colorado can access the mental health care, community support and resources they need to thrive from their earliest years through adolescence and beyond. Learn more at mindourfuturecolorado.com.

About Children's Hospital Colorado
Children's Hospital Colorado is one of the nation's leading and most expansive nonprofit pediatric healthcare systems with a mission to improve the health of children through patient care, education, research and advocacy. Founded in 1908 and ranked among the best children's hospitals in the nation as recognized by U.S. News & World Report, Children's Colorado has established itself as a pioneer in the discovery of innovative and groundbreaking treatments that are shaping the future of pediatric healthcare worldwide. Children's Colorado offers a full spectrum of family-centered care at its urgent, emergency and specialty care locations throughout Colorado, including an academic medical center on the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, hospitals in Colorado Springs, Highlands Ranch and Broomfield, and outreach clinics across the region. For more information, visit www.childrenscolorado.org or connect with us on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

About Healthier Colorado
Healthier Colorado advocates on behalf of everyday Coloradans to change laws and systems so that everyone has a fair chance at living a healthy life. We work to improve the physical, mental, and social health of Coloradans through lobbying, state legislative campaigns, research, policy development, and advocacy.

Media Contacts
Children's Hospital Colorado: [email protected]; 303-890-8314
Healthier Colorado: [email protected]; 720-891-8921

SOURCE Children's Hospital Colorado