Ky.gov
Effective: 9/9/2026

C1.14 Community Response

Legal Authority

Introduction

​​​​​​​​​​​Community response refers to an approach that offers voluntary, community-based resources or services to a family when a report regarding a child between the ages of three (3) and ten (10) has been made to the Department of Community Based Services (DCBS) but does not meet acceptance criteria for a child maltreatment assessment. 

Practice Guidance

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  • When reports are made to DCBS, the reporter has some type of concern about the child's or family's well-being. However, fewer than half of reports to DCBS meet the acceptance criteria, meaning that historically, more than half of reports received no response to the concern reported. Often, these are needs that a community-based agency serving children and families could readily meet, addressing the need, strengthening the family, and promoting well-being. Using a community response approach connects families to the support and resources they need, reducing the likelihood of future reports or ​maltreatment.  
  • Community response is currently offered in Bath, Boone, Campbell, Clark, Kenton, Montgomery, Powell, and Rowan counties. 
  • Community response services are completely voluntary. Whether a family accepts community response services should not affect future reports or assessments.  Information about the services provided by the community response provider does not become part of the TWIST record. 
  • Some services are provided directly by the community response providers, but the provider can refer families to other community-based resources and services as well. 
  • Providing information necessary for outreach to the community response provider identified for each county is not a violation of confidentiality policies.  


Procedure

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The Division of Prevention and Community Wellbeing (DPCW) Staff:

  1. Provide administrative and technical support to providers of the community response program;
  2. Work in collaboration with community providers and other partners to evaluate the effectiveness of community response and make data-informed recommendations about expansion to other counties;
  3. Provide technical assistance to staff, families, and partners regarding community response. 
Centralized Intake Staff: 

  1. Determine eligibility for community response, including:
    1. Allegations do not meet acceptance criteria for an assessment regarding alleged maltreatment;
    2. The family resides in a county where community response is offered;
    3. The family does not have an active child protection case;
    4. Family includes a child in the household between the ages of three (3) and ten (10);
  2. Provide the family’s basic information to the appropriate community provider based on county so that the community provider can reach out to the family to offer support;
  3. Does not provide detailed information regarding the original allegation but a generalized description of the family’s needs;
  4. Contacts DPCW for technical assistance as needed. ​


Documents

Revisions