FRANKFORT — Citizen Foster Care Review Boards statewide are hosting virtual town hall meetings to talk about mental health challenges for Kentucky families and children, including those that result in children being placed in foster care. Residents of Martin County and other eastern Kentucky counties are invited to attend a meeting Thursday from noon-1 p.m.
Residents must register at bit.ly/June82023 and will receive a confirmation email with the Zoom link before the meeting.
A press release from the Administrative Office of the Courts says mental health and substance misuse are significant factors in families being referred to the foster care system for child abuse and neglect. And while mental health treatment rates are low for all young people with major depression, young people of color are much less likely to receive treatment for depression than those who are white.
Among the questions for discussion at the town halls are:
Are families and children struggling with unmet mental health needs for treatment or counseling in your community?
What are the barriers to accessing mental health care?
What solutions are available to remove barriers to access and treatment?
What specific solutions could improve treatment and access for children of color?
Findings from the meetings will be reported to the state CFCRB and included in its annual recommendations to the Supreme Court of Kentucky, the governor and legislature.
The meetings are among the reforms called for in House Bill 1, 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.
Thursday’s meeting is also for residents of Adair, Bath, Bell, Boyd, Breathitt, Carter, Casey, Clay, Clinton, Cumberland, Elliott, Floyd, Green, Greenup, Harlan, Jackson, Johnson, Knott, Knox, Laurel, Lawrence, Leslie, Letcher, Lewis, Magoffin, Marion, McCreary, Menifee, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Perry, Pike, Powell, Pulaski, Rockcastle, Rowan, Russell, Taylor, Washington, Wayne, Whitley and Wolfe.
Those who are unable to attend the town hall in their region may register for a meeting in another region:
June 20 – register at bit.ly/June202023.
June 22 – bit.ly/June222023.
For more information, email cfcrb@kycourts.net.
Citizen Foster Care Review Boards
CFCRBs are teams of court-appointed volunteers who make a difference in the lives of local children in foster care in Kentucky. The children are in care due to dependency, neglect or abuse. The 700-plus volunteers review cases and make recommendations to state courts and the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services on behalf of the children. The volunteers work to ensure that children’s needs are met while in care and that they are placed in safe, permanent homes as quickly as possible. The CHFS administers the state foster care program.
The Kentucky General Assembly created the Kentucky CFCRB in 1982 to decrease the time children spend in out-of-home care. In Fiscal Year 2022, volunteers reviewed 21,376 cases involving 12,947 children in out-of-home care. View the latest CFCRB annual report at bit.ly/CFCRBannualreport2022.
Volunteer with a CFCRB
Make a difference for the children in your community by serving as a CFCRB volunteer. CFCRBs throughout Kentucky need volunteers. Get more information and apply at bit.ly/CFCRBvolunteer.
Administrative Office of the Courts
The Administrative Office of the Courts provides support services to the CFCRB program. The AOC is the operations arm of the state court system and supports the activities of nearly 3,300 employees and 413 elected justices, judges and circuit court clerks. The AOC also executes the Judicial Branch budget.