FRANKFORT, Ky. -- Citizen Foster Care Review Boards in 46 counties are seeking volunteers to make a difference in the lives of local children in foster care. Volunteers are needed to review cases of children placed in foster care because of dependency, neglect or abuse to ensure these children are placed in safe, permanent homes as quickly as possible.
Volunteers are needed in every region of Kentucky. The counties most in need of volunteers are Anderson, Barren, Bell, Bourbon, Boyd, Boyle, Breathitt, Bullitt, Calloway, Carter, Casey, Christian, Clark, Clay, Clinton, Daviess, Fayette, Floyd, Franklin, Graves, Hardin, Harlan, Henderson, Hopkins, Jefferson, Jessamine, Laurel, Letcher, Lincoln, Madison, Magoffin, McCracken, Nelson, Oldham, Owsley, Perry, Pike, Pulaski, Rockcastle, Russell, Scott, Shelby, Spencer, Taylor, Whitley and Wolfe.
Volunteers are not required to reside in the county where a board meets.
The Kentucky General Assembly created the state CFCRB in 1982 as a way to decrease the time children spend in foster care. CFCRB volunteers review Cabinet for Health and Family Services files on children placed in out-of-home care and work with the cabinet and courts on behalf of the state’s foster children. The volunteer reviewers help ensure that children receive the necessary services while in foster care and are ultimately placed in permanent homes.
All volunteers must complete a six-hour initial training session and 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.
Individuals who are interested in volunteering may get more information and apply to volunteer on the CFCRB web page at http://courts.ky.gov/courtprograms/cfcrb/Pages/default.aspx
Potential volunteers are encouraged to apply as soon as possible so they may be scheduled for training.
Citizen Foster Care Review Board
Approximately 800 volunteers across the state serve as members of the Kentucky Citizen Foster Care Review Board. The Administrative Office of the Courts oversees the boards. The AOC is the operations arm for the state court system and supports the activities of 3,300 court system employees and 403 elected justices, judges and circuit court clerks. The AOC also executes the Judicial Branch budget.
