06/23/2026
The following details were presented by Hardin County Attorney Jenny Oldam at tonight's Fiscal Court Meeting regarding SpringHaven Inc. and its closure next week:
I want to provide some information about the announcement by Springhaven that our local domestic violence program, which has served 8 counties for over 40 years, will be closing next Tuesday, June 30.
The state legislature funds domestic violence shelters and other services in all 15 Area Development Districts by its budget appropriation to the Cabinet for Health and Family Services.
The Cabinet for decades has designated Zero V as the umbrella organization through which this funding flows to each of the 15 districts for these very important services. Zero V is Kentucky’s domestic violence coalition of agencies.
Springhaven is a nonprofit organization governed by a local board of directors. It is funded by a variety of state, federal and local entities. Springhaven lost funding from more than one source and recently lost funding from its largest source, which is ZeroV. So, to be clear, Springhaven is no longer the program being funded by ZeroV for services for victims of DV in Breckinridge, Grayson, Hardin, LaRue, Marion, Meade, Nelson, and Washington Counties.
I want to be very careful and not speak for ZeroV but I do think it's very important that our community, in particular anyone who may be a victim of violence or living in an unsafe situation, know that there are still resources to keep you safe.
Our local community leaders, our state legislators and ZEROV are all committed to making sure that services to victims continue. It will be a challenge until we have a new program up and running. But it is not a challenge that will be borne by the victims who need the services. We will just work harder to make sure the same services are available to you if you need them.
I don’t want anyone who is a victim of domestic violence who needs temporary shelter, an emergency protective order, crises counseling or other help to misunderstand and think that help is not readily available. The help is still there. The funding is still there. It will be coming from a different source. And it is our job as community leaders to make sure victims get what they need.
Several community leaders, including myself, have already met with Zero V and are working to make sure that crises resources including emergency shelter and transportation are available to any victim that needs it 24/7 in all 8 counties. We are also meeting to begin setting up a new program that will replace Springhaven to provide these services long-term. Planning a new program represents an opportunity to improve the level of services available to victims in the 8-county area.
The same 24/7 crisis line will connect you with domestic violence services:
Crisis Hotline: 1-800-767-5838
For more information, please contact ZeroV's Allison Brown at [email protected].
Jenny Oldham
Hardin County Attorney
