Procedure for placement of children who are in custody of department -- State-level and regional placement coordinators -- Type of placement -- Cases of unmet need -- Recruitment and reporting
KRS 199.801
in effect199.801. Procedure for placement of children who are in custody of department -- State-level and regional placement coordinators -- Type of placement -- Cases of unmet need -- Recruitment and reporting
(1) The department shall establish a procedu re throughout the state that is designed to determine and expedite the placement of children who are in the custody of or committed to the department. The procedure shall utilize state -level and regional placement coordinators who may be state employees or employees of a contracted entity.
(2) The type of placement selected for a child in the custody of or committed to the department shall be the best alternative for the child that is in closest proximity to the child's home county, including considerations of the child's current early care and education provider or school, in order to promote educational stability for the child to the extent practicable in accordance with KRS 199.802 and the federal Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015, Pub. L. No. 114 -95.
(3) If the type of placement that best suits the child's needs is not available in the child's home county, the regional placement coordinator shall document the circumstance as an unmet need and may seek a placement in surrounding counties, regions, and the state, in that order.
(4) If the type of placement that best suits the child's needs is not available within the state, the regional placement coordinator shall contact the commissioner of the department or the commissioner's designee to explore out -of-state placement.
(5) The department shall develop a diligent recruitment plan and reporting to support the recruitment and retention of family foster homes that are responsive to the needs of children in care, areas of unmet need, and strategies to meet the need. The plan and reporting shall be used as a guide in the establishment and modification of agreements with placements for the care of children in the custody of or committed to the cabinet and shall be made available upon request.
(6) The department shall ensure that placement provisions exist to ensure that:
(a) Safe and adequate foster care placements designed to meet the individual needs of all children, including in prevention, safety, ongoing, and adoptive services are occurring; and
(b) Placements are the least restrictive, most family-like setting consistent with the child's specific individual needs.
Effective: July 15, 2026
History: Amended 2026 Ky. Acts ch. 68, sec. 2, effective July 15, 2026. -- Amended 2020 Ky. Acts ch. 64, sec. 5, effective July 15, 2020. -- Amended 2018 Ky. Acts ch. 159, sec. 7, effective July 14, 2018. -- Amended 2005 Ky. Acts ch. 99, sec. 46, effective June 20, 2005. -- Amended 2000 Ky. Acts ch. 14, sec. 60, effective July 14, 2000. -- Created 1998 Ky. Acts ch. 395, sec. 4, effective July 15, 1998.
Source: Kentucky Legislative Research Commission (legislature.ky.gov)URL: https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=57452Fetched: 10/20/2026