The federal government's dereliction allows states to fall short on meeting minimum child welfare standards. Below is information specific to Kentucky.

CFSR Results Summary: In its Child and Family Services Review (CFSR) process, HHS determines whether each state is in substantial conformity with 7 specific outcomes (pertaining to the areas of safety, permanency and family and child well-being) and 7 systemic factors (relating to the quality of services delivered to children and families and the outcomes they experience).  In the first two rounds of the CFSR, HHS has concluded that Kentucky was:

Round 1 (2003)

• NOT in substantial conformity with 6 of the 7 Outcomes
• NOT in substantial conformity with 2 of the 7 Systemic Factors

Round 2 (2009)   

• NOT in substantial conformity with 7 of the 7 Outcomes
• NOT in substantial conformity with 3 of the 7 Systemic Factors

Although federal law mandates that any state found not to be operating in substantial conformity during an initial or subsequent review must begin a full review within two years after approval of the state's program improvement plan, HHS has announced that Kentucky will not undergo Round 3 of the CFSR until FY 2016 (see CFSR Technical Bulletin #7 (March 2014)).

Documents from the U.S. Health & Human Services Children's Bureau

• Child and Family Services Review Reports and Results
  
  
  • Kentucky Performance Improvement Plan (Round 2)
  • Final Report: Kentucky Child and Family Services Review, 2009 (Round 2)
  • Kentucky Performance Improvement Plan (Round 1)
  • Final Report: Kentucky Child and Family Services Review, 2003 (Round 1)
• Title IV-E State Reports and Program Improvement Plans (PIPs)
  
  
  • Initial Primary (FY 2002)
  • Primary Review (FY 2005)
  • Subsequent Primary Review (FY 2008)
  • Subsequent Primary Review (FY 2011)
  • PIP
  • Secondary Review (FY 2013)
• Other Documents / Reports
  
  
  • Kentucky AFCARS Assessment Review (2008)
  • Kentucky section from HHS' Child Welfare Outcomes, 2009-2012, Report to Congress

Child Welfare In the News**

• Report is a first step (Opinion) (The Middlesboro Daily News - December 09, 2014) There is nothing about the death or near death of a child, at the hands of their caretaker, which can be viewed positively. Despite this sad and stark reality, we at Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky (PCAK) are encouraged by the release of the second annual report from the Child Fatality and Near Fatality External Review Panel.
•  Editorial | Progress on child deaths (Courier-Journal - December 03, 2014) Two years into its work, an outside panel created to get a better understanding of child deaths and serious injuries in Kentucky has produced a report that provides some disturbing findings about the welfare of children.
• Kentucky review panel calls for changes after reviewing dozens of child-abuse deaths (Lexington Herald Leader - December 02, 2014) Education on safe sleeping practices, programs aimed at stopping abusive head injuries and better access to mental-health assessments could help prevent child-abuse deaths in Kentucky, according to a state review panel.
  

**news summaries taken from daily newsfeed service of HHS' Child Welfare Information Gateway