Kentucky
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Pre-Service Training

State-approved foster and adoptive families must complete 15 hours of the National Training and Development Curriculum for Foster and Adoptive Parents (NTDC) in a hybrid format, with an additional 15 hours required within two years of being approved, totaling 30 hours. This training is mandatory before finalizing an adoption. Approved relative caregivers are not required to complete this training but are encouraged to participate in trainings relevant to their parenting needs.

Services Offered Through the State’s Post-Permanency Support Program

The Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services (Cabinet) provides services to adoptive, guardianship, and relative families and contracts with the University of Kentucky (UK) and Western Kentucky University (WKU) to support families post permanency. UK coordinates the Adoption Support for Kentucky (ASK) Program, while WKU coordinates The Network.

Services include:

ASK offers virtual support groups for foster, adoptive, relative, and fictive-kin caregivers statewide. There is a general support group for any foster, adoptive, relative, or other caregiver across the state. There are two specialized support groups—one for LGTBQ2S+ parents and one for parents of teens. Each group meets twice a month. The groups are facilitated by individuals with lived experience who have received 12 hours of certification training and who complete continuing education every year.

State staff provide information and referral to local services for families who reach out for help. The depth of support provided may vary by region. Staff often work in partnership with the SKY program.

Both ASK and The Network provide training opportunities across the state for foster and adoptive families. Most trainings are offered virtually and topics may vary depending on the region.

The Network has a staff of trained parents who offer peer support to foster and adoptive families. Staff must complete crisis training before they begin serving families. Most support occurs via phone, text, or email. Staff only go into the home when there is a crisis or no other worker or agency is available for support.

The Post Adoption Placement Stabilization Services (PAPSS) program supports adoptive families at risk of placement disruption with state staff coordinating with the managed care organization (MCO), community partners, and other supports. PAPSS covers up to 90 days of residential treatment per year for the child, along with related expenses like travel to therapy. To qualify, families must exhaust community resources, the child must meet residential care criteria, and families must work with the Cabinet toward reunification.

Many adopted children receiving subsidy benefits receive Medicaid services through Aetna. For those that choose to participate, the Aetna Supporting Kentucky Youth (SKY) program offers a care management team which can help families access the resources they need. For a child or youth to qualify, they must have an adoption or guardianship subsidy agreement.

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In the last quarter of fiscal year 2023, ASK had 1,395 attendees for trainings and 392 attendees for the general support groups offered.

Geographic Area Covered

All services offered are statewide.

Eligible Population for the Overall Post-Permanency Program

  • All families who adopted from the state’s foster care system

  • All families who adopted from foster care in other states, territories, or tribes

  • All families who adopted through intercountry adoption

  • All families who adopted through private adoption

  • All families who have guardianship of a child from foster care

Variations in Eligibility for the Post-Permanency Program

PAPSS is only available for children and youth who were adopted through the state foster care system. The Aetna SKY program is available only to children who have Aetna coverage through their adoption or guardianship assistance. All other services are available to all foster, adoptive, guardianship, relative, and fictive kin families.

Accessibility

All regional Cabinet staff receive cultural awareness trainings.

Depending on the community’s need, ASK also offers specialized support groups including groups for LGBTQ2S+ and interracial families as well as parents who are hard of hearing or deaf.

Outreach and Engagement

The Cabinet regional subsidy workers send an annual letter in the summer, which the family has to review and return. The subsidy worker’s name is listed on the letter, as well as what resources are available in the state. The Cabinet also uses the govDelivery system, a product of Granicus, to notify adoptive families regarding specific policies changes or learning opportunities that may be of interest to them.

ASK and The Network also maintain social media accounts and send monthly emails to foster and adoptive families to advertise training and support group information, collect data via surveys, and share other information.

How the Post-Permanency Program Is Operated

  • Through contracts or grants with multiple private agencies offering different services

Notes About Who Provides Which Service(s)

Both programs offer trainings and support groups. However, ASK is primarily offered to adoptive families, while The Network is offered to foster and adoptive families. The Network also offers peer support.

Adoption/Guardianship Assistance/Subsidy Review and Changes

Adoptive families receive an annual contact form from the state and, if the child’s needs or family’s situation changes, can request changes to adoption assistance, either verbally or in writing to their regional subsidy worker. Renegotiations are managed by the subsidy worker, who completes a form and provides approval. Central office may be involved if the situation warrants it.

As of July 1, 2024, subsidized guardianship is available to caregivers, but these subsidies cannot be renegotiated. Families are informed of this through a provided handbook and are encouraged to seek additional support from the MCO or other community resources if needed.

Tracking Adoption/Guardianship Discontinuity

Information not available.

Post-Permanency Program Spending (FY 2023)

  • $2 million – $4,999,999 million

Funding Sources for the Post-Permanency Program (FY 2023)

  1.  Title IV-B, Part 1 (Child Welfare Services/CWS)
  2. Title IV-B, Part 2 (Promoting Safe and Stable Families/PSSF)
  3. Adoption savings(reported on CB 496 Part 4 – Annual Adoption Savings Report)
  4. State funds

 

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