In the U.S. there are 2.7 million grandparents raising their grandchildren under age 18, with 55,000 of them in Kentucky alone. There are several reasons for grandparents to raise their grandchildren, including parental death, parental substance abuse, military deployment, child abuse and neglect, parental mental and physical health issues, and parental disability. Research tells us that grandparents raising their grandchildren, as well as other relatives raising kids, known as kinship care, is good for children [...]

For families at risk of child abuse and neglect, family preservation services work with caregivers to alleviate issues in a home and promote a safe home environment for the child. Children do best when they are in families, and we know that whenever possible, children should remain at home with their parents and when needed, receive services to preserve the family. In Kentucky, a large percentage of child victims of abuse and neglect have risk [...]

May is National Foster Care Month, established to raise awareness around the challenges faced by foster care youth and acknowledge foster parents, mentors, volunteers, and child welfare professionals who help foster youth make permanent connections. Over the next few weeks, we will release a series of blogs about challenges and opportunities related to foster care so stay tuned.  Parents and caregivers make decisions for children in order to keep them safe but also to ensure [...]

The Citizen Foster Care Review Board (CFCRB) of Kentucky was established in 1982 in an effort to decrease the amount of time children spend in foster care, and they are seeking new volunteers. There are currently 149 review boards throughout Kentucky. CFCRB volunteers are appointed by their chief Family Court or District Court judge to review the cases of children placed in the custody of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services due to dependency, [...]

As April comes to a close, the prevention efforts that we discussed throughout the 2015 Child Abuse Prevention Month don’t have to end. There are many things we can do beyond the month of April—as caregivers and community members—to ensure families feel supported and children are safe from abuse and neglect. We know child abuse can occur in any home, regardless of neighborhood or annual income. We also know there are things we can do [...]

Parenting is hard and does not come with an instruction manual specific to each individual child. We know that caregivers don’t usually want to hurt their child, but the stress of parenting can sometimes result in abuse. Yet certain factors, known as protective factors, can diminish the risks of child abuse and neglect when established in a family. Parental Resilience A parent who can bounce back from challenges has a better chance of dealing with [...]

It’s the time of year where the weather is beginning to warm up and we start looking forward to all of our favorite summer activities. Even though kids will still be in school for a few more weeks, it is also the time where we begin to make plans for summer camps and child care. As a child I had the opportunity to attend local camps for sports and music. I have many positive memories [...]