In partnership with the Lucille Packard Foundation for Children’s Health, NASHP is excited to announce a new state learning community focused on improving health care delivery for children with chronic and complex needs (CCCN).  

Approximately 20 percent of all children and youth in the U.S. have chronic and complex needs, including physical, mental, and behavioral health conditions. Children with chronic and complex needs have greater needs and require more specialized care than children without special needs, yet they experience significant challenges to accessing quality care, and many do not receive the care and services needed. More than half of CCCN in the U.S. are covered by Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program. To improve systems of care for children and youth with chronic and complex needs, states have implemented an array of policies and leveraging various strategies across systems. 

In 2026, NASHP will engage invited leaders from state Medicaid, public health, behavioral health, disability, and other child-serving agencies to discuss strategies, innovations, and opportunities to support and advance systems of care for this population. This learning community will provide a state-only forum for states to engage in discussion on policy innovations and promising practices to maintain and sustain public financing of services and supports for CCCN.  

NASHP will conduct in-depth state policy analyses and develop policy resources to elevate and highlight leading state policy strategies in access, health care delivery, and financing, as informed by the needs and priorities of states participating in the learning community. These efforts build on NASHP’s ongoing work, expertise, and history in health policy research, in-depth knowledge of policy needs and solutions for CCCN, such as the Serving Children and Youth with Chronic and Complex Needs: A Resource Center for States, the National Standards for Systems of Care for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs (CYSHCN) (NSC) and the National Care Coordination Standards for CYSHCN. 

To learn more, contact Heather Smith at hsmith@nashp.org.