Children's Hospital Colorado Launches “Mind Our Future Colorado” Campaign in Partnership with Healthier Colorado to Prioritize Youth Mental Health in 2026 Governor's Race

Children's Colorado and Healthier Colorado today announced the launch of Mind Our Future Colorado, a new statewide initiative that calls on Colorado’s gubernatorial candidates to commit to bold and comprehensive solutions to address Colorado’s child and youth mental health crisis and ensure youth mental health is a top priority in the 2026 gubernatorial race and beyond.

“Colorado has the opportunity to be a leader in confronting the ongoing national 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. “As Colorado welcomes a new governor, we're joining youth, healthcare experts and leaders across the state in calling for a commitment from candidates that youth mental health be a top priority this election.”

Ongoing mental health crisis

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.

In 2025, Children’s Colorado experts cared for more than 14,400 pediatric patients who received mental health treatment within the integrated System of Care (inpatient, partial hospitalization, outpatient, etc.). The number of visits increased 6% compared to 2024, which reflects what Children’s Colorado experts were anecdotally experiencing during the summer 2025.

New statewide initiative

Mind Our Future Colorado is building a powerful coalition of advocates, organizations and community members 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.  

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.

Reporting on the state of youth mental health in Colorado 

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. 

"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.”

Progress demands partnership 

In the coming months, Mind Our Future Colorado will launch efforts to gather input on policy solutions from individuals and groups across the state, including youth, business leaders and rural communities, through a series of roundtable discussions. The campaign 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. 

“Since declaring a state of emergency for youth mental health in 2021, we have seen the powerful change that can happen when Colorado leaders listen to the perspectives of families and young people and work to create solutions together” said Ron-Li Liaw, MD, Mental Health In-Chief at Children’s Colorado. “Sustained progress will require the partnership of many organizations and state leaders advocating on behalf of children and youth, who don’t have the ability to vote themselves. This coalition brings together the voices of families and young people who want to help shape the mental health supports, systems, programs and policies our youth desperately need. I am hopeful for the future of Colorado and the mental health system that will be realized through this collective action.”

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