To become a foster parent in Kentucky, you apply through the Department for Community Based Services (DCBS), a division of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, which places children removed from their homes due to abuse, neglect, or dependency.1Kentucky Legislative Research Commission. 922 KAR 1:350 – Requirements for Public Child Welfare Agency Foster Parents, Adoptive Parents, and Respite Care Providers You must be at least 21 years old and meet health, financial, and home safety standards set by state regulation before certification. The full process includes background checks, pre-service training, a home study, and a physical home inspection. Most families finish in a few months, though timelines vary by region.
Who Qualifies
The core eligibility rules come from 922 KAR 1:350. You must be at least 21. Every adult in the household submits a health form (the DPP-107) completed by a medical professional confirming no illness or condition that would pose a safety risk to a child or interfere with your ability to parent.1Kentucky Legislative Research Commission. 922 KAR 1:350 – Requirements for Public Child Welfare Agency Foster Parents, Adoptive Parents, and Respite Care Providers If there is any indication of current or past mental health or substance abuse concerns in the household, DCBS can require further evaluation before moving forward.
Your income has to cover your own household expenses without relying on foster care reimbursement. The state wants to see that the per diem you receive for a foster child goes toward that child’s care rather than covering your rent or groceries.1Kentucky Legislative Research Commission. 922 KAR 1:350 – Requirements for Public Child Welfare Agency Foster Parents, Adoptive Parents, and Respite Care Providers You don’t need to be wealthy. You do need to show stability through pay stubs, tax returns, or bank statements.
Background Checks and Disqualifying Convictions
Every applicant and every adult household member goes through several layers of screening under 922 KAR 1:490: an in-state criminal records check through the Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet or the Administrative Office of the Courts, a fingerprint-based FBI criminal history check, and a child abuse or neglect check through the Kentucky Central Registry for every state you have lived in during the past five years.2Kentucky Administrative Regulations. 922 KAR 1:490 – Background Checks for Foster and Adoptive Parents and Relative and Fictive Kin Caregivers Household members between ages 12 and 17 also submit to a child abuse or neglect check.3Cabinet for Health and Family Services. DPP-157 Background Check Request for Foster or Adoptive Applicants and Adolescent or Adult Household Members
Under KRS 199.640 and 199.645, certain felony convictions permanently bar approval:
- Crimes against a child or involving the abuse or neglect of a child
- Spousal abuse
- Sexual assault, rape, or homicide
A felony conviction for physical assault, battery, or a drug-related offense disqualifies you if it occurred within the past five years.4Child Welfare Information Gateway. Background Checks for Prospective Foster, Adoptive, and Kinship Caregivers – Kentucky A decade-old drug felony will not automatically shut you out, but a recent one will. Crimes against children, sexual offenses, and homicide carry no time limit.
Home Safety Standards
Before certification, your home has to pass a safety inspection. The basics include working heat, lighting, ventilation, smoke detectors on every floor, a fire extinguisher, and a carbon monoxide detector if the home has a fuel-burning appliance or attached garage.5Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services. Safety Requirements Each child placed in the home must have their own bed that is age- and size-appropriate, plus dedicated storage space such as a dresser or closet.6Cabinet for Health and Family Services. Virtual Foster Home Safety Check
Two areas trip up a surprising number of families: firearms and swimming pools. All firearms and ammunition must be locked separately and kept completely inaccessible to children. A swimming pool has to meet state and local safety requirements, and the home study will include a specific supervision plan for pool access.6Cabinet for Health and Family Services. Virtual Foster Home Safety Check The inspector walks through every room, plus garages, storage spaces, and any outdoor areas accessible to children.
Documents to Gather
The Kentucky Foster-Adoptive Caregiver Application asks for detailed information about every person living in your household: previous addresses, employment history, and personal disclosures that feed into the background investigation. The application is available from your local DCBS office or through the KY FACES program.
Beyond the application itself, plan on:
- Medical clearance forms (DPP-107) for every adult in the home1Kentucky Legislative Research Commission. 922 KAR 1:350 – Requirements for Public Child Welfare Agency Foster Parents, Adoptive Parents, and Respite Care Providers
- Recent pay stubs, tax returns, or bank statements showing you can cover your own expenses
- Documentation that your home has active utility service and appropriate insurance coverage
- Personal references who are not related to you and can speak to your character and ability to care for a child
Accuracy matters. Previous addresses feed directly into multi-state child abuse registry checks, and errors or gaps can hold up the whole process.
Training and the Home Study
Kentucky requires prospective foster and adoptive parents to complete a pre-service training curriculum before certification. It covers trauma-informed care, the specific needs of children in state custody, and how to work cooperatively with biological families and DCBS staff. An applicant cannot receive more than eight hours of training in a single 24-hour period, so the curriculum spans multiple sessions over several weeks.
After training, a social worker conducts the home study. This goes well beyond checking the house. Expect interviews about your family dynamics, parenting approach, motivation for fostering, and willingness to support reunification with biological parents. The social worker is trying to understand how you handle stress, how your household runs day to day, and what kinds of placements would fit. You will also indicate preferences on the age, number, and needs of children you can care for.
A physical home inspection happens alongside the interviews. The social worker walks through every room and outdoor area, verifying safety standards and confirming the sleeping arrangements described in your floor plan. Once the home study and inspection are complete, the full application packet goes to the regional office for final review. Approval typically follows within several weeks.
What Foster Families Receive
Kentucky reimburses foster families through daily per diem payments based on the child’s age and the level of care required. The base per diem covers everyday costs like food, clothing, personal supplies, and non-medical transportation.7Legal Information Institute. 922 KAR 1:520 – Supplements to Per Diem Rates Children with exceptional physical, emotional, or behavioral needs may qualify for a higher tier through a high-risk or parenting youth supplement. Rates are set by the Cabinet and adjust periodically, so ask your DCBS worker for the current schedule.
Foster children in Kentucky receive Medicaid coverage that includes medical, dental, vision, and mental health services, so you don’t pay out of pocket for the child’s healthcare.8KY RISE. Health The state also provides a clothing allowance based on the child’s age. Reimbursements for school supplies, activity fees, and similar costs may be available case by case through your caseworker.
How Foster Payments Are Taxed
Under federal tax law, payments from the state for caring for a foster child in your home are generally excluded from your taxable income. This covers the per diem and most other payments from a state agency or qualified foster care placement agency. The exclusion has limits: if you care for more than five foster individuals age 19 or older, or more than ten foster individuals under 19, the difficulty-of-care payments above those thresholds become taxable. Payments for simply keeping open space available for emergency placements are also taxable.
A foster child placed with you by a state agency or court order can qualify as your dependent for tax purposes if they live in your home for more than half the year, are under 19 (or under 24 if a full-time student), and don’t file a joint return claiming credits.9Internal Revenue Service. Qualifying Child Rules Meeting those tests can make you eligible for the Child Tax Credit and the Earned Income Tax Credit.
Keeping Your Certification Current
Certification isn’t permanent. Kentucky requires foster and adoptive homes to complete a full re-evaluation every three years from the month of the original approval. The Recruitment and Certification worker handles it, including updated background checks, a new home inspection, and a review of how placements have gone.10Commonwealth of Kentucky. C9.17 Foster or Adoptive Home Re-Evaluation If you let recertification lapse, you cannot accept new placements until it is complete.
If Fostering Leads to Adoption
Many Kentucky foster parents eventually adopt children who cannot safely return to their biological families. Once parental rights are terminated, the child becomes legally available for adoption, and foster parents who have developed a bond with the child are often given priority consideration.
If the child meets Kentucky’s “special needs” definition, ongoing support through the Adoption Assistance Program may continue after finalization. The definition is broad: it includes children with physical, mental, or emotional disabilities, members of sibling groups placed together, children who have experienced previous adoption disruptions or multiple placements, children from racial or ethnic minority groups who are two or older, and children age seven or older with a significant emotional attachment to their foster family.11Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services. Kentucky Adoption Assistance Handbook The monthly subsidy is typically set at the same rate as the DCBS foster care per diem the child was already receiving and cannot exceed that amount, and Medicaid coverage continues.