Idaho Health and Welfare Budget Cuts May Endanger Crisis System

Proposed 1% and 2% reductions could impact suicide prevention, foster care, and children's mental health services

Published on Feb. 16, 2026

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The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare warns that proposed budget cuts of 1% in the current fiscal year and 2% in fiscal year 2027 could disrupt the state's crisis response system. The cuts would reduce funding for suicide prevention, foster care, and children's and family mental health services, leading to higher long-term costs and worse outcomes for Idahoans.

Why it matters

The cumulative effect of these relatively small cuts could have a significant impact on critical programs that provide early intervention and prevention services. Without these services, there are risks of increased suicide rates, more children staying in foster care longer, and families going without mental health or substance abuse treatment.

The details

Nearly every state agency, including the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, has already reduced its budget by 3% under the direction of Gov. Brad Little. The additional 1% and 2% cuts proposed by the legislature's budget committee would further reduce funding for programs like youth suicide prevention, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Hotline, and family therapy services. These cuts could lead to reduced services, increased hospitalizations, and more reliance on the crisis system rather than preventative care.

  • The 1% cuts for the current fiscal year will be voted on by the full House and Senate.
  • The 2% permanent cuts will be implemented starting in fiscal year 2027.

The players

Juliet Charron

Director of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, who warns that cutting these programs too deeply will lead to higher costs and worse outcomes.

Lee Flinn

Director of the Idaho Crisis and Suicide Hotline, who says it's important to ensure Idahoans aren't falling through the cracks and getting their crisis needs addressed later.

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What they’re saying

“If you take those Jenga pieces out, the tower falls.”

— Juliet Charron, Director, Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (Idaho Capital Sun)

“In terms of the budget cuts that are being discussed, one thing I would hope that Idahoans would realize, and that lawmakers also consider, is that we are Idaho's 988 center, and we don't do this alone.”

— Lee Flinn, Director, Idaho Crisis and Suicide Hotline (Idaho Capital Sun)

What’s next

The 1% cuts for the current fiscal year will go to the full House and Senate for a vote on the 2026 Idaho Budget Rescission Act. The 2% permanent cuts starting in fiscal year 2027 will be baked into the maintenance budgets for each agency, so restoring any of the funding would require a separate 'enhancement' budget bill to be approved.

The takeaway

These budget cuts could have far-reaching consequences for Idaho's crisis response system and the vulnerable populations it serves. Lawmakers must carefully weigh the long-term impacts of reducing funding for suicide prevention, foster care, and children's mental health services, which could ultimately lead to higher costs and worse outcomes for the state.