Volunteers needed in 22 counties to review cases of children in foster care

FRANKFORT, Ky., Sept. 16, 2019 – Citizen Foster Care Review Boards in 22 Kentucky counties are seeking volunteers to make a difference in the lives of local children in foster care and other out-of-home care. The boards need volunteers to review cases of children placed in care because of dependency, neglect or abuse, to ensure they are placed in safe, permanent homes as quickly as possible.

The counties in need of volunteers are Barren, Bell, Breathitt, Breckinridge, Bullitt, Floyd, Grayson, Hardin, Harlan, Hart, Jefferson, Knott, LaRue, Lee, Leslie, Letcher, Meade, Nelson, Owsley, Perry, Pike and Wolfe. Volunteers are not required to live in the counties in which they volunteer.

All volunteers must complete a six-hour initial training session. Potential volunteers are encouraged to apply as soon as possible so they can be screened and, if approved, scheduled for training in their area. Potential volunteers must consent to a criminal record and Central Registry check. A recommendation is then made to the chief judge of the District Court or Family Court for appointment.

To get more information and apply to be a volunteer, visit the CFCRB on the Kentucky Court of Justice website at https://kycourts.gov/courtprograms/cfcrb/Pages/default.aspx.

Citizen Foster Care Review Boards
CFCRBs are teams of court-appointed volunteers who review the cases of children in foster and other out-of-home care and make recommendations to state courts and the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services on behalf of the children. The volunteers work to ensure that children’s needs are met while in care and that they are placed in safe, permanent homes as quickly as possible. The CHFS administers the state foster care program.

The Kentucky General Assembly created the Kentucky CFCRB in 1982 to decrease the time children spend in out-of-home care.

More than 700 volunteers across the state serve as CFCRB members. In Fiscal Year 2018, volunteers conducted more than 21,500 reviews of the cases of more than 12,400 children in out-of-home care. To view the 2018 CFCRB Annual Report, visit https://kycourts.gov/resources/publicationsresources/Publications/2018CFCRBAnnualReport.pdf.

The Administrative Office of the Courts provides support services to the CFCRB program. The AOC is the operations arm for the state court system and supports the activities of more than 3,400 employees and 406 elected justices, judges and circuit court clerks. The AOC also executes the Judicial Branch budget.