Residents invited to weigh in on Kentucky foster care system
Barren County is included in the June 4 regional session, which will be held virtually from 11 a.m. to noon CDT. Registration is required.
GLASGOW, Ky. — Barren County residents involved in or affected by Kentucky’s foster care system will have an opportunity to share ideas and concerns during a statewide series of virtual community forums focused on child welfare.
The forums, hosted by the Kentucky Citizen Foster Care Review Boards, are designed to gather public input on ways to improve foster care services and outcomes for children and families across the state.
Barren County is included in the June 4 regional session, which will be held virtually from 11 a.m. to noon CDT. Registration is required.
Organizers say the discussions will focus on barriers to family reunification, gaps within the child welfare system and needs within local communities. Biological and foster parents, relative caregivers, former foster youth, child advocates and community leaders are encouraged to participate.
To protect confidentiality, individual foster care cases will not be discussed.
The forums are part of reforms established under House Bill 1, legislation passed in 2018 aimed at addressing challenges within Kentucky’s foster care and adoption systems.
Feedback collected during the meetings will be reported to the state Citizen Foster Care Review Board and included in annual recommendations sent to the Kentucky Supreme Court, governor and state legislature.
The June 4 session includes residents from Barren County and several surrounding counties across western and south-central Kentucky.
Registration for the June 4 forum is available through the Kentucky Court of Justice registration page.
The Kentucky General Assembly created the Citizen Foster Care Review Board program in 1982 to help reduce the amount of time children spend in out-of-home care. More than 700 volunteers currently serve on review boards statewide.
According to the Administrative Office of the Courts, nearly 20,000 foster care reviews were conducted during fiscal year 2025 involving more than 11,000 Kentucky children.
More information about the program is available through the Kentucky Court of Justice CFCRB page.
