Iowa Gubernatorial Candidates on Health and Well-Being

This page presents the views of the two candidates running to become Iowa’s governor in 2018. Incumbent candidate Governor Kim Reynolds (R) and retired businessman Fred Hubbell (D) answered the coalition’s questions on seven important child and family policy issues. All responses are printed without editing.

A thank you to both candidates for responding to these important questions.

What actions will you take to ensure access to services to address the developmental, emotional, and mental health needs of infants, children and young adults?

GOV. REYNOLDS

FRED HUBBELL

This year, I signed a first of its kind executive order (EO2) to create a children’s mental health care system to initially, develop and recommend specific the steps necessary to build an integrated, well-coordinated, and sustainable children’s mental health system. And long-term, the Board will serve as the state-board providing oversight and technical assistance to the entire system. EO2 establishes a statewide children’s mental health board charged with:

Analyze and identify target populations to be served by the Children’s System;
Analyze and identify services to be delivered locally to target populations to be served by the Children’s System;
Analyze and design a long-term sustainable funding structure for the Children’s System;
Establish, as necessary or appropriate, any local area boards, commissions, or entities and such local area boards, commissions, or entities’ membership components and governance expectations in order to further the purposes and goals of the Children’s System, taking into consideration geographical factors, existing structures, services, or organizations, the Mental Health and Disability Commission, and judicial district lines;
Analyze and identify any legislative, regulatory, and policy ideas that are
designed to improve children’s mental health in the State;

In every community I visit, I hear how Iowans are hurting from lack of access to the mental health services they need. In December I released a comprehensive mental health plan that includes establishing a Children’s Mental Health Program, expanding jail diversion programs, supporting community-based services, and adding 50-75 new in-patient beds across the state. As governor I’m committed to putting real funding behind my plan to enact the long-term solutions this crisis needs and Iowans deserve.

GOV. REYNOLDS

FRED HUBBELL

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