Officials said public input is needed to support foster children in the Commonwealth. The Citizen Foster Care Review Boards are hosting several virtual town hall meetings to discuss topics important to improving the child welfare system.
Town Halls occur each year so advocates can collect data and information on different issues. Mika Tyler is the State Vice Chair for Kentucky’s Citizen Foster Care Review Boards. She said these sessions allow boards to work effectively for kids in need.
“Our main goal is to make sure that these kids are not going to fall through the cracks of the system when they are in the state’s care. So, we always want to make sure that keeping the goal of permanency as the goal there,” said Tyler.
This year’s town halls will focus on creating normalcy through extracurricular activities. Sessions are scheduled for June 5, 10, 12, and 16 from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. Discussion will be based on extracurricular activities, and how to get foster children more involved. Tyler said understanding how normalcy can help kids is a priority.
“We would like for all the children everywhere, all children, to be able to be normal kids. And be able to go to a friend’s house, go to sleep overs, go on vacations, do all of those types of things. There are barriers in place that sometimes prevent that,” said Tyler.
After the town hall meetings, the agency will present their findings to state lawmakers with the goal of improving the foster care policy. Registration is required. More information is available by emailing cfcrb@kycourts.net. The session for Rowan and several surrounding counties is set for the June 10.