Citizen Foster Care Review Board
Working for Kentucky's Future … Our Children
Kentucky has the largest volunteer-based citizen review system in the nation.
The Citizen Foster Care Review Board (CFCRB) helps find safe and permanent homes for Kentucky’s foster children. The Kentucky General Assembly created the CFCRB in 1982 as a way to decrease the time children spend in foster care. Today there are more than 800 volunteers who serve on 142 boards throughout the state. In 2006, volunteers conducted 15,095 reviews on 6,333 children in out-of-home care. These abused, neglected and dependent children have been placed in foster care and are in the custody of the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services. The CFCRB operates within the Division of Dependent Children’s Services of the Administrative Office of the Courts in Frankfort.
The 2007 Citizen Foster Care Review Board Annual Report (841KB-PDF) offers an in-depth look at the CFCRB program.
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How to Become a CFCRB Volunteer |
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Advocating for the dependent, neglected and abused children in your community can be an important way to invest your time. Citizen Foster Care Review Board volunteers come from a variety of educational and professional backgrounds, but they all have in common a deep compassion for children. Of those who volunteer, the majority are female, the average age is 51 and the average length of service is 5.13 years.
Those interested in volunteering must complete a six-hour initial training session and consent to a criminal record and central registry check. New volunteers are trained in the following:
- Department of Community Based Services procedures
- Forms used in abuse, neglect and dependency cases
- The court process
- Mental health issues of children in out-of-home care
- How to conduct a file review
Once the training is completed, a recommendation is made to the chief judge of the local District Court or Family Court for appointment. Judges appoint volunteers for three-year terms. All volunteers receive a comprehensive handbook on the program and opportunities to earn the required six hours of annual continuing education.
Training Calendar
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Review Board Meetings |
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The review boards usually meet once a month for approximately two hours. Each board consists of at least three members, with some boards having as many as 12 members.
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