Maternal and Child Health

The Child Fatality Review Program helps protect children in Kentucky by learning from past tragedies. When a child dies, a team led by the county coroner works with local groups to understand what happened and support the family.

Mission: To reduce health and life threats, particularly deaths, among all Kentucky Children under 18 years of age.

The Bourbon County Health Department plays an important role by:

• Studying child deaths to find ways to prevent them.
• Sharing helpful health resources with the review team.
• Suggesting changes to laws and programs to keep kids safer.
• Putting safety plans into action and checking if they work.

Our goal is to make sure every child has a safer, healthier future.

Safe Sleep Kentucky

Safe Sleep Kentucky is a statewide effort to raise awareness of and help inform parents and other child caregivers of the importance of safe sleep for babies. The effort seeks to prevent Sudden Unexpected Infant Deaths (SUID) by emphasizing ABCD, the four letters associated with the best practices to ensure infants sleep safely. For more information on the Safe to Sleep, visit our Safe Sleep page here.

Cribs for Kids

We are honored this year to be selected as one of 40 recipients of the Safe Sleep Building Blocks Grant Program, an initiative by Cribs for Kids, Baby Safety Foundation (formerly JPMA Cares), and Safe Kids Worldwide. This one-time grant provides essential infant safe sleep products, education, and community outreach support to help reduce sleep-related infant deaths.

Through this program, we have received 20 Safe Sleep Survival Kits, each including:

• A Cribette play yard
• A Cribette sheet
• A Snoozzzette wearable blanket
• A Sleep Baby Safe & Snug board book
• A pacifier
• Safe sleep education materials 

We’re thankful for the chance to teach more families in Bourbon County about safe sleep and support local families who can’t afford a safe place for their little ones to sleep. 

If you need a safe sleep space for your baby and can’t afford one, you may be able to get a free play yard. Fill out the form below so we can see if you’re eligible.

*Eligibility includes – must be in the third trimester, a recipient of WIC/SNAP, or uninsured, and have exhausted the maternal health program options through your health insurance provider.

Some health insurance plans now offer extra benefits to help moms get a safe crib for their little one. Check with your insurance provider to see if you’re eligible—your baby’s safety starts with where they sleep.

CredibleMind: Free Online Mental Health & Wellbeing Resource

Mental health is a key concern in Bourbon County. In our 2022 Community Health Assessment, residents named mental wellness as a top health need. Local data backed this up, showing an average of 5.7 poor mental health days reported by residents each month. We listened—and responded with action.

We’re proud to have launched CredibleMind, a free, confidential online platform designed to help you take charge of your mental well-being. It offers helpful articles, self-check tools, and links to local support services—all available 24/7.

Explore the platform at Bourbonco.crediblemind.com and learn more about how it can support you.

Parent Café: A Place to Share, Learn, and Grow

Parent Café is a special program that helps parents and caregivers talk about what makes families strong. It’s part of the Kentucky Strengthening Families Initiative and gives adults who care for children a chance to learn from each other in a fun and supportive setting.

During each Parent Café, families use conversation cards—made by parents—to guide the discussion. These talks help connect real-life experiences with Protective Factors, which help families stay healthy and strong.

Any adult who takes care of a child is welcome to attend. Click here to learn more about how Parent Cafés work and how to join.

Community Baby Shower

Our health department offers a community baby shower twice a year. New, expecting, or relatives as parents can participate in our baby shower. To learn when we will offer a baby shower for residents, please follow our Facebook and Instagram accounts (@bourboncohd) for our announcements.

HANDS

HANDS is a voluntary home visiting program that reviews prenatal attachment and child development from pregnancy up to the age of 3. This program is NOT INCOME-BASED and DOES NOT require insurance. To learn more about the program, visit our HANDS page.

Free Smoke Alarms – Supply Limited

We are providing free smoke alarms as part of our initiative to enhance housing safety and prevent injuries in the community. We have partnered with local fire departments to handle the installation of these alarms. Please note that this offer is exclusive to residential properties in Bourbon County. To register for your free smoke detectors, click here.

Mental Health Support