Volunteers critically needed to review cases of children in foster care

Citizen Foster Care Review Boards make recommendations to help children

FRANKFORT, Ky., Feb. 8, 2022 – Citizen Foster Care Review Boards in all 120 Kentucky counties are in critical need of volunteers to review the cases of local children in foster care. Volunteers have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of these children, who are in care due to dependency, neglect or abuse.

Thousands of children are placed in foster and other out-of-home care each year in the commonwealth. CFCRBs are teams of court-appointed volunteers who review the Cabinet for Health and Family Services’ files on the children and make recommendations to the cabinet and state courts on each child’s behalf. CFCRBs help ensure children receive necessary services while in care and are placed in safe, permanent homes as quickly as possible.

Volunteers generally spend one day a month reviewing cases.  

Potential volunteers must apply, consent to criminal record and Central Registry checks and complete six hours of initial training. Training takes place via two Zoom meetings and a self-paced program. Those interested are encouraged to apply as soon as possible so they can be screened and, if approved, scheduled for training.

Once a potential volunteer has completed training, a recommendation is made to the chief judge of the local Family Court or District Court for appointment to the CFCRB.

To apply and get more information, visit kycourts.gov and click Family & Juvenile Services in the Court Programs box. On the Family & Juvenile Services page, click Citizen Foster Care Review Board on the left.

 Citizen Foster Care Review Board
The Kentucky General Assembly created the state CFCRB in 1982 to decrease the time children spend in out-of-home care.

More than 700 volunteers across the state serve as members of the Kentucky CFCRB. During Fiscal Year 2021, volunteers conducted more than 19,000 reviews of more than 11,000 cases of children in care.

The Administrative Office of the Courts administers the CFCRB program. The AOC is the operations arm for the state court system and supports the activities of nearly 3,300 employees and 406 elected justices, judges and circuit court clerks. The AOC also executes the Judicial Branch budget.