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

FRANKFORT, Ky., May 19, 2025 – Twenty-six Kentucky counties are calling on compassionate community members to make a difference in children’s lives through volunteering withCitizen Foster Care Review Boards. CFCRB volunteers review cases of children in foster care due to dependency, neglect and abuse, and make critical recommendations regarding their care and placement.

 

“It takes a lot of wonderful people to do this meaningful work, and we are greatly in need of more volunteers to join us,” CFCRB State Chair Rosalyn Patton-Pelt said.

 

Learn more in a brief video at https://kcoj.info/VolunteerCFCRB.

 

Volunteers are needed statewide, but the following 26 counties are in dire need: Boone, Boyd, Bracken, Campbell, Carter, Clay, Elliott, Fleming, Greenup, Hardin, Johnson, Kenton, Laurel, Lawrence, Lewis, Magoffin, Martin, Mason, McCreary, Montgomery, Morgan, Powell, Robertson, Rowan, Whitley 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 the children’s cases and make recommendations to the Cabinet for Health and Family Services and state courts for each child. Boards recommend services to help children and advocate for placing children in safe, permanent homes as soon as possible, whether with their parents, other relatives or an adoptive family. The CHFS oversees the state foster care program.

 

Volunteers generally review cases one day a month.

 

Potential volunteers are required to apply, consent to criminal record and Central Registry checks and complete six hours of initial training. The 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, the local Family Court or District Court judge recommends their appointment to the local CFCRB.

 

To apply and get more information, visit https://kcoj.info/CFCRBVolunteer. A CFCRB recruitment flyer is available at https://kcoj.info/CFCRBrecruitflyer to be shared in communities.

 

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.

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