Volunteers sought in 69 counties to review cases of children in foster care

Volunteers have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of these children

FRANKFORT, Ky., Feb. 14, 2024 – Citizen Foster Care Review Boards in 69 counties – more than half of Kentucky’s 120 counties – need volunteers to review the cases of local children in foster care and make recommendations. Volunteers have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of these children who are in care due to dependency, neglect or abuse.

The counties in need are Anderson, Bath, Bell, Bourbon, Boyd, Bracken, Breathitt, Bullitt, Butler, Calloway, Campbell, Carroll, Carter, Clark, Clay, Clinton, Crittenden, Estill, Fleming, Floyd, Fulton, Grayson, Greenup, Hancock, Hardin, Harlan, Harrison, Hart, Hickman, Jackson, Jefferson, Jessamine, Johnson, Kenton, Knott, Knox, Larue, Laurel, Lawrence, Lee, Leslie, Letcher, Lewis, Lincoln, Livingston, Madison, Magoffin, Marshall, Martin, Mason, McCracken, McCreary, McLean, Menifee, Muhlenberg, Nicholas, Ohio, Owen, Owsley, Pendleton, Perry, Pike, Powell, Robertson, Trigg, Warren, Wayne, Webster and Wolfe.

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 conduct interactive reviews on children committed to the Cabinet for Health and Family Services 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 review cases one day a month, with time of day varying by board.  

Potential volunteers must apply, consent to criminal record and Central Registry checks and complete six hours of initial training. The six-hour training includes two sessions held via Zoom and two self-study webinars. 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 kcoj.info/CFCRB.

Citizen Foster Care Review Board

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

More than 700 volunteers across the state serve as members of the Kentucky CFCRB.

CFCRBs review each child’s case in foster care at least once every six months, as required by statute. In its 2023 fiscal year, volunteers reviewed 20,142 cases involving 11,905 children in out-of-home care. View the latest CFCRB annual report at kcoj.info/CFCRB2023.

The Administrative Office of the Courts

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 413 elected justices, judges and circuit court clerks. The AOC also executes the Judicial Branch budget.