STAFF REPORTS

FRANKFORT – The Administrative Office of the Courts invites the public to participate in a virtual town hall meeting June 8 to discuss improving outcomes for Kentucky children and families involved in the state foster care system.

Citizen Foster Care Review Boards are hosting a series of town halls as part of reforms called for in legislation passed in 2018 to address issues with foster care and adoption processes.  The legislation requires CFCRBs to offer regional meetings at least twice a year to get public input on the foster care system. One such meeting specifically for residents of southeastern Kentucky will be held from noon to 1 p.m. June 8.

In connection with June as National Reunification Month, the town hall meetings will focus on efforts to reunify families and on changes since the implementation of the Family First Prevention Services Act. The act was signed into law in 2018 with the aim of keeping children in the child welfare system safely with their families.

The meeting will include time for open discussion. Due to confidentiality, specific cases will not be discussed.

Town hall participants should be prepared to voice their concerns about the foster care system, talk about how communities can better support families and discuss these questions about the Family First Prevention Services Act:

•Have services to preserve families increased in your area?

•Are more family and youth peer supports available in your area?

•Are more services in place to strengthen families and children once families have been reunified?

Registration is required. Click here to register.