During this holiday season, the Citizen Foster Care Review Board is asking for volunteers to join a board to review cases of children in foster care due to dependency, neglect and abuse.
Volunteers make a difference in the lives of these children by providing recommendations to the courts about each child’s care and placement.
Volunteers are needed statewide, with these area counties in dire need: Anderson, Bourbon, Bullitt, Calloway, Fayette, Franklin, Henry, Jefferson, Meade, Scott, Shelby, Spencer, Trimble and Woodford counties.
Volunteers generally review cases with their fellow board members one day a month in a virtual meeting.
“The Christmas season is synonymous with love, joy, hope, peace and goodwill towards all,” CFCRB State Chair Rosalyn O. Patton-Pelt said. “The Citizen Foster Care Review Board is in need of volunteers whose values coincide with this season of giving. The opportunity to serve others reminds the recipient that they are cared about and seen. In these most uncertain times, it is important for our communities to come together and support one another, especially the most vulnerable – our children.
“Children in out-of-home care are often overlooked and rarely heard. Foster Care Review Board volunteers help close the gaps in the foster care system by reviewing and reporting findings and recommendations for every child experiencing out-of-home care across the commonwealth. We need volunteers like you to join the Citizen Foster Care Review Board to make a difference. ‘Tis the season!”
To apply and get more information, visit https://kcoj.info/CFCRBVolunteer. Learn more about how to volunteer in a brief video at https://kcoj.info/CFCRBVideo. A CFCRB recruitment flyer is available at https://kcoj.info/CFCRBrecruitflyer to be shared in communities.
About CFCRB
Thousands of children enter foster care or other out-of-home placements in the commonwealth each year. CFCRBs, made up of court-appointed volunteers, conduct in-depth reviews of these cases and provide recommendations to the Cabinet for Health and Family Services and state courts. The boards assess needed services and advocate for placing children in safe, permanent homes as quickly as possible, whether with parents, relatives or adoptive families. CHFS oversees the state’s foster care system.
Individuals interested in serving must first apply and undergo both a criminal background check and a Central Registry screening. Before joining a board, volunteers also complete six hours of introductory training.
The training consists of two live Zoom sessions paired with two self-paced webinar modules. Prospective volunteers are encouraged to apply early to allow time for the screening process and, if accepted, to be placed in an upcoming training cycle.
The Kentucky General Assembly created the state CFCRB in 1982 to decrease children’s time in out-of-home care.
More than 700 dedicated volunteers across the state serve as members of the Kentucky CFCRB. The average length of service is six years, demonstrating a long-term commitment to children in need.
CFCRBs review each child’s case in foster care at least once every six months as required by statute. In fiscal year 2024, volunteers reviewed 19,565 cases involving 11,301 children in out-of-home care. Learn more at https://kcoj.info/CFCRB2024.
