Kentucky has implemented the Title IV-E Guardianship Assistance Program (GAP). This program supports states, who opt to provide guardianship assistance payments for the care of children by relatives who have assumed legal guardianship of eligible children for whom they previously cared as foster parents. This will be a transformative program for Kentucky to increase placement and support to relatives, increase a child's timeliness to permanency, and support long term stability for youth. Additional funding is needed to support the program long term.
Independent Living services are specialized services designed to enhance the self-sufficiency skills of older children currently or formerly in foster care, private child care, and other state funded living arrangements. Services are provided both directly by staff and by contract agencies. Services include formal classroom and experiential life skills trainings; room and board assistance for aged-out youth 18-21 years of age; educational assistance for post-secondary education; the opportunity to both mentor and be mentored on post-secondary campuses and in the community; transitional planning; and provision of youth conferences. The loss of the Independent Living services would result in children leaving the foster care system unprepared to enter the world as productive, tax-paying adults. Rather is the likelihood they would enter the criminal, homeless, or adult services population increasing the poverty in Kentucky.
Private Child Caring/Child Placing services and emergency shelter services are essential components of a protective service program that provides temporary placement services for children who are unable to remain in their own homes because of severe abuse, neglect, exploitation, abandonment, or because they have specialized treatment needs.
Adoption is the legal process by which a child becomes a legal child of a person or persons other than his/her biological parents. It is a complex social and emotional experience that ensures permanency and well-being for children. DCBS provides services prior to adoption in order to bring children and families together and services after adoption to provide support to the family structure.
Intensive Family Based Services (IFBSS) are cost-effective, home-based alternatives to institutionalization for children who are dually diagnosed. Services are provided through contracts with local comprehensive care centers or other appropriate contractors. These services are designed to meet the needs of individual children and his/her families and may include, but are not limited to, in-home services, family therapy, respite care, behavior management and consultation, and individual counseling.
Psychiatric services provide 24-hour care to DCBS committed children and youth with behavioral health or mental health issues. Services are provided by various psychiatric hospitals and psychiatric residential treatment facilities throughout Kentucky.
The budget includes additional General Fund in the amount of $14,600,000 in each fiscal year to fully fund the Relative and Fictive kin foster care reimbursements passed, but not funded, in the 2024 Regular Session through Senate Bill 151, and codified at KRS 620.142.
The budget includes additional General Fund in the amount of $22,000,000 in each fiscal year to continue providing services for children in out-of-home-care. These funds are partially replacing TANF grant funds previously used for out-of-home care services.
The budget includes additional General Fund in the amount of $2,000,000 for a total of $8,000,000 in each fiscal year to support direct service costs for Domestic Violence Shelters.
The base budget in each fiscal year includes General Fund for the following programs:
The base budget includes Tobacco Settlement Funds in the amount of $2,000,000 in each fiscal year for the Early Childhood Adoption and Foster Care Supports Program.