Contact:
Mara Powell
mpowell@kyyouth.org
Statement from Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates
LOUISVILLE, KY – The Governor recently proclaimed September as Kinship Care Awareness Month. Typically, that would mean a time to honor those grandparents, relatives, and close family friends stepping up to care for children. Instead, Kinship Month is wrapping up on a distressing note.
We can only hope that it’s a case of unintended consequences and this harmful course can be reversed. Just days ago the Governor emphasized his commitment to kids and funding kinship related programming in the next state budget. Surely neither the Governor Beshear and CHFS Secretary Dr. Stack actually want to use more tax dollars on less effective practices; limit the impact of kinship care as a critical piece in the child welfare spectrum; and, set the state system of care up for longer-term challenges.
And yet those are the exact results we can anticipate with the Executive Branch’s recent changes to the Kentucky Transitional Assistance Program (KTAP).
KTAP payments – one of the only financial assistance programs available to support kinship caregivers outside of the foster care system – will be reduced for these families in need. Details on the cuts are still being determined but what we do know is that Kentucky’s grandparents and other relatives who have stepped up time and time again to care for some of our most vulnerable kids will suffer. These cuts will bring unbalanced checkbooks for families who will likely need to choose between purchasing school supplies and diapers and paying for utility bills and fuel for their cars. The changes to payments are expected to begin in November, just as families prepare for the holiday season.
Questions should abound about this decision.
- Why are we balancing budgets on the backs of grandparents and other relatives who have stepped up to keep children out of traditional foster care?
- Why is the Executive Branch unilaterally making this decision when the decision to increase payments were reviewed and supported by the Kentucky General Assembly?
- And finally, why is the administration choosing to make a decision that increases the likelihood of additional foster care costs if kinship placements are disrupted?
As we face more questions than answers, Secretary Dr. Stack encouraged kinship caregivers and others concerned about changes to their family’s assistance to call 855-306-8959 or visit their local Department for Community Based Services office to apply for other benefits or find community resources.
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About Kentucky Youth Advocates
Kentucky Youth Advocates believes all children deserve to be safe, healthy, and secure. As THE independent voice for Kentucky’s children, we work to ensure policymakers create investments and policies that are good for children. Learn more at www.kyyouth.org.
Photo by Malin Björk on Unsplash
I just can’t believe they are doing this to families ! We have electric bills that are 500 dollars . Prices are going up and they are taking everything away! Shame on Ky !!!!!
Hello. I’m writing in regards to lowering Ktap. We were fighting to get kinship and that failed . With the high cost of utilities and rent and groceries we will see more people homeless! I thought we were trying to fix this issue. I’m raising 2 grandchildren and feel like we are being punished . 200 don’t even cover groceries . I really hope this is reconsidered . My car repairs were put on credit and the girls dental . So bankruptcy is the only way to fix this ???? Come on do better Ky
I think it’s a crying shame. The government reduced payment on K-Tap. I’m a great grandparent raising a great grandchild. We are struggling already. No help on medical transportation for his therapy sessions each week out of our county bc of car ownership and snap benefits cut bc I could no longer afford out of the pocket pay for two days a week childcare. The Federal government pays more to get rid of legal immigrants then the USA citizens get help to survive. It’s crazy how the system works.