Kentucky Youth Advocates, in partnership with Casey Family Programs and True Up Kentucky, is launching a new project focused on foster care alumni and their experiences in residential care or institutional settings* while in the child welfare system. Our researchers include foster care alumni, helping shape questions and facilitate conversations. 

KYA and True Up will advocate and work for those with lived experiences in the child welfare system by lifting up their voices with the Department for Community Based Services, the Kentucky Courts, and the Kentucky General Assembly. This is an important part of the continued work to transform the Kentucky child welfare system and re-imagine how private child-caring institutions can serve families in a youth-focused way. KYA, in partnership with foster care alumni, will dive into Kentucky constituents’ views of institutional care and share identified recommendations that would aid youth in their success. 

We are hosting interviews and focus groups with young adults with residential care experience, caregivers (biological, foster parent and kinship) who cared for youth with a residential or institutional experience, and providers of services in those same settings.

Want to get involved in the project? 

Help us gather insights from young people in Kentucky based on their experiences in institutional settings because of child welfare involvement. Sign up to participate in a listening session HERE.

*Institutional care includes non-clinical group placements and group homes; homes for pregnant and parenting teens; therapeutic residential treatment facilities; shelters and transitional placements; and multiple placements (experience with two or more of the other types of institutions listed).