Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission Awards ChooseWell Communities Major Grant to Expand Pilot for Families in Early Recovery
ChooseWell Communities (CWC) is thrilled to announce it has been awarded a significant grant from the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission (KYOAAC) to expand its bold workforce and recovery support program for parents in early recovery with young children. This award reflects the state’s growing investment in innovative, family-first solutions that break the cycle of addiction, foster stability, and reduce long-term public costs.
This state-level funding—administered through the Office of the Kentucky Attorney General—comes from the Commonwealth’s share of national opioid settlements. The funds are directed toward evidence-based initiatives that prevent opioid misuse, strengthen recovery, and support families deeply affected by the crisis.
About the Project: KYnship Creates
ChooseWell’s awarded project, titled KYnship Creates: 2025–2026 Recovery Opioid Abatement Pilot Expansion, is a 12-month supported employment initiative that empowers parents in early recovery from substance use disorders (SUD/OUD) to gain job skills, maintain sobriety, and provide stable homes for their children under age 5.
The initial 12-week phase of the pilot, launched in early 2024 and funded by Louisville Metro Government’s opioid settlement funds, is already in motion. This new grant from KYOAAC will extend and deepen the impact by supporting:
A full 12-month pilot program that builds both personal recovery capital and long-term workforce readiness
Comprehensive support services—including daily structure, therapeutic programming, and trauma-informed job training
An external evaluation study to measure outcomes, assess effectiveness, and guide future expansion
Click here to learn more about our KYnship Creates project.
Why It Matters
KYnship Creates is designed to reduce reliance on foster care and incarceration—two of the most expensive consequences of untreated addiction. The estimated annual cost to the state for foster care and incarceration per family is over $160,000. By contrast, the cost to serve a family in the KYnship Creates program is just $16,400—a tenfold savings that also supports healing, reunification, and hope.
Additionally, employed individuals in recovery experience:
Lower rates of recurrence
Greater abstinence
Improved quality of life
Stronger reentry into community life
A Statewide Model for Change
The program aligns with the Commission’s priority areas—recovery-focused employment, family reunification, and recovery housing—and meets its criteria for collaboration, service expansion, and addressing unmet regional needs. ChooseWell is uniquely positioned to scale this pilot and inspire similar models across Kentucky.
“Our vision is a Commonwealth where no parent in recovery has to choose between their sobriety, their livelihood, and their child,” said Kim Mascaro, CEO of ChooseWell Communities. “This investment affirms that vision and allows us to demonstrate how smart, compassionate programming can change lives and save taxpayer dollars.”