Kentucky Court of Justice
Volunteers needed to assist children in foster care in Bullitt, Henry, Oldham, Shelby, Spencer and Trimble counties

FRANKFORT, Ky. -- Citizen Foster Care Review Boards in Bullitt, Henry, Oldham, Shelby, Spencer and Trimble counties are seeking volunteers to make a difference in the lives of local children in foster care. Volunteers are needed to review cases of children placed in foster care because of abuse, dependency and neglect to ensure these children are placed in safe, permanent homes as quickly as possible.

Volunteers are not required to reside in the county where a board meets.

The Kentucky General Assembly created the Citizen Foster Care Review Board, or CFCRB, in 1982 as a way to decrease the time children spend in foster care. CFCRB volunteers review Cabinet for Health and Family Services files on children placed in out-of-home care and work with the cabinet and courts on behalf of the state’s foster children. The volunteer reviewers help ensure that children receive the necessary services while in foster care and are ultimately placed in permanent homes.

All volunteers must complete a six-hour initial training session and consent to a criminal record and central registry check. A recommendation is then made to the chief judge of the District Court or Family Court for appointment.

The CFCRBs for Bullitt, Henry, Oldham, Shelby, Spencer and Trimble counties meet monthly in their home counties. The meeting schedules for these boards are as follows:

Bullitt County: First Tuesday of each month, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. local time

Henry County/Trimble County: Meeting time and day to be determined based on availability of new volunteers. The board will meet alternately between Henry County and Trimble County.

Oldham County: Fourth Tuesday of each month, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. local time

Shelby County: Fourth Wednesday of each month, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. local time

Spencer County: Fourth Friday of each month, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. local time

For more information, contact:
Amy Smitha or Kirstie Willis
Salt River Trail CFCRBs
Administrative Office of the Courts
502-595-3498 or amys@kycourts.net or kirstiewillis@kycourts.net 

Individuals who would like to volunteer but are not available for the aforementioned meetings may contact Smitha or Willis to get information on other CFCRBs.  

Approximately 800 volunteers across the state serve as members of the Kentucky Citizen Foster Care Review Board. The boards operate within the Division of Dependent Children’s Services of the Administrative Office of the Courts in Frankfort. As the operations arm for the state court system, the AOC supports the activities of nearly 3,300 court system employees and 403 elected justices, judges and circuit court clerks, and executes the Judicial Branch budget.