Kentucky Must Pay Relatives Who Care For Children In Temporary Foster Care Placements

On January 27, 2017, a federal appeals court ruled that the State of Kentucky must make foster care maintenance payments to relatives who foster a child in the same way that the state pays non-related licensed foster parents. Before this ruling, the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) inspected the homes of relatives caring for children in the foster care system, and had to approve the person as a caregiver before finalizing the child’s temporary placement. However, the state did not make foster care payments to relative caregivers caring for children placed in their homes on . . .