Governor Tony Evers has declared
2025 the Year of the Kid and has included multiple measures to expand access to mental and behavioral health in his proposed budget. Our Children's Mental Health in the 2025-27 State Budget identifies the budget priorities that can act as especially important levers in the children's mental health system.
Wisconsin's youth deserve to have access to a full array of quality mental health treatment services. Wisconsin kids also deserve to feel safe and supported in their home and at their schools. Our priority list begins with provisions that would lower everyday costs for families, reduce poverty, meet basic needs, and ensure safety – the most impactful preventative actions to take.
Our state can invest in children in 4 proven and
effective ways:
- Prevention that Works
- School Mental Health & Psychological Safety
- Treatment
- Fairness
1. Prevention that Works | 2. School Mental Health & Psychological Safety
|
- Tax Relief for Families
- Healthy Meals, Healthy Kids
- Firearm Safety
- Family Foundations
| - School Mental Health Treatment
- Mental Health Professional Staff
- Student-led Suicide Prevention Programs
- Office of School Safety
|
3. Treatment
| 4. Fairness
|
- Qualified Treatment Professionals
- Psychiatric Residential Treatment
- Children's Behavioral Health Program
| - Medicaid School-based Services
- Qualified Treatment Professionals
|
For more detail on these beneficial budget proposals, please read the Legislative Fiscal Bureau's summary:
Contact the Joint Finance Committee (JFC) to voice your support for mental health funding.
Joint Finance Committee Public Hearings on the 2025-27 State Budget offer an opportunity to speak up for children's mental health. Advocating for these budget initiatives with legislators is the most immediate and powerful action we can take to truly move the needle on children's mental health in Wisconsin.
Whether you can attend an in-person session or not, contacting members of the powerful JFC is another valuable step. Using OCMH's Children's Mental Health in the 2025-27 State Budget as a resource, let legislators know what is important to you and why! When legislators hear personal stories from constituents, it can make a profound impact.
Wednesday, April 2, 2025 (10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.)
Kaukauna High School, Auxiliary Gymnasium (Door AA4)
1701 County Road CE, Kaukauna, WI 54130
| Friday, April 4, 2025 (10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.),
Wisconsin State Fair Park, Exposition Center
640 South 84th Street, West Allis, WI 53214
Parking at Gate 4
|
Monday, April 28, 2025 (10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.)
Hayward High School Auditorium
10320 Greenwood Lane, Hayward, WI 54843
| Tuesday, April 29, 2025 (10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.)
Northcentral Technical College, Center for Health Sciences
1000 West Campus Drive, Wausau, WI 54401
|
State Agency Budget Priorities
Department of Children and Families · Department of Corrections · Department of Health Services · Department of Public Instruction
If you have difficulty accessing our materials, or using our website, please let us know by emailing OCMH@wi.gov. We take digital accessibility seriously and welcome the opportunity to remove any barriers in accessing content.