Current Advocacy Initiatives

What Lee Specialty Clinic Is — and Why Funding Must Be Restored

Lee Specialty Clinic is Kentucky’s only comprehensive medical, dental, behavioral, and therapeutic clinic for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). It provides specialized care that typical healthcare settings are not equipped to deliver.

Families rely on the clinic for:

• Primary medical care

• Dental care with specialized equipment

• Psychiatry and behavioral health

• Occupational, physical, and speech therapy

• Vision, hearing, and nutrition services

• Trauma‑informed, disability‑competent care

For many adults with IDD, Lee Specialty Clinic is the only place where they can safely receive bloodwork, dental cleanings, or routine exams without trauma or sedation. Families travel from across the state because no alternative exists.

Why This Matters

Recent cuts from the Cabinet reduced the clinic’s funding by nearly 80%, leading to:

• Staff layoffs

• Discharge of medically fragile patients

• Loss of essential services

• The effective closure of the only adult IDD specialty clinic in Kentucky

These cuts put thousands of Kentuckians at risk. Most cannot transition to traditional providers, and many waited years to access care that simply does not exist anywhere else.

What the Council Is Advocating For

The Council on Developmental Disabilities is urging state leadership to:

• Reinstate funding immediately

• Protect continuity of care for adults with IDD

• Listen to families whose loved ones depend on this care

Lee Specialty Clinic is irreplaceable. Restoring funding is the only way to ensure that Kentucky adults with IDD continue receiving the safe, specialized care they deserve.

Press Statement (Board Chair)

“As Board Chair — and as a parent of a child with an intellectual and developmental disability — I cannot overstate the gravity of what the loss of Lee Specialty Clinic means for families across Kentucky. This is not just a service reduction; it is an injustice to a community that already faces some of the greatest barriers to care. Lee Clinic provides specialized, lifesaving support that simply does not exist anywhere else in our state. We stand with the families who are being displaced, and we will continue working to ensure their voices are heard and that Kentucky protects the care this community urgently needs.”

Bill Kenealy

The Council on Developmental Disabilities is actively examining how Kentucky can build a sustainable, inclusive, and high‑quality universal pre‑K system that works for all children — including those with disabilities, complex needs, and dual‑sensory impairments.

We recognize that universal pre‑K presents unique challenges, especially for larger counties like Jefferson and Fayette, where capacity, workforce shortages, and mixed‑delivery coordination are already strained. Families in these communities need solutions that strengthen — not overwhelm — the early childhood system.

That is why the Council is:

• Reviewing funding models used in other states to understand what could work in Kentucky

• Analyzing the impact on existing childcare providers, especially those serving children with disabilities

• Meeting with partners and stakeholders to understand local needs and capacity

• Identifying gaps in workforce, transportation, and specialized supports

• Prioritizing inclusion, ensuring children with disabilities are not left behind in any statewide expansion

A key part of this work is collaboration. We know that no single organization can solve these challenges alone.

The Council is committed to working with Thrive By 5 and other early childhood partners who are already supporting families, strengthening providers, and building community‑based solutions. Their experience in mixed‑delivery systems and workforce stabilization is essential to any successful universal pre‑K model.

Our goal is simple: A universal pre‑K system that is accessible, inclusive, and sustainable — one that supports families, strengthens communities, and ensures every child in Kentucky has the opportunity to thrive.