Foster care (also known as out-of-home care) is a temporary service provided by each state for children who cannot live with their families. Children in foster care may live with relatives or with unrelated foster parents. Foster care can also refer to placement settings such as group homes, residential care facilities, emergency shelters, and supervised independent living.
In Kentucky, foster care is regulated by the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, specifically through the Department for Community Based Services (DCBS). Foster care serves as a temporary arrangement for children who are unable to live with their biological families due to safety concerns, abuse, neglect, or other family crises. The goal is to provide a safe, stable, and nurturing environment. Children in foster care may be placed with relatives, known as kinship care, or with non-relative foster parents. Other placement options include group homes, residential care facilities, emergency shelters, and supervised independent living programs for older youth. The state works towards reunification with the biological family as the primary goal, but if that is not possible, it seeks other permanent solutions such as adoption. Kentucky state statutes and regulations outline the requirements for foster care providers, the rights of children in foster care, and the procedures for foster care placements and case management.