Several counties are facing a lack of child welfare volunteers. Rowan, Fleming, Lewis, Montgomery, and Morgan counties are among a total of 26 counties without enough Citizen Foster Care Review Board workers. People working with CFCRB help with the organization’s goal of reviewing the cases of children in the foster care system.
Volunteers typically review one case each month. Mika Tyler is the State Vice Chair for Kentucky’s Citizen Foster Care Review Boards. She said building a board with diverse experiences is important.
“So, it’s very easy as far as the process goes to become a volunteer. There is no background needed in a child welfare or family science background. In my boards, we love to have all different types of backgrounds on there,” said Tyler.
At least three volunteers are needed for each board. Tyler said reviewers can work from anywhere.
“The one great part about this type of volunteering, it is virtual. So, you do not go in person, it is all virtual. You can be at home, you can be on vacation, there’s several different locations you can take part in it,” said Tyler.
In 2024 CFCRB reviewed over 19,000 cases involving children in out-of-home care.
More information on volunteering can be found on the Citizen Foster Care Review Boards web page.