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Effective: 01/08/2026

C12.8 Out of Home Care (OOHC) Placement Settings for Transition Age Youth

Legal Authority

Introduction

​​​​​​​​Transition-age youth may reside and receive services in any of the placement types outlined in SOP Chapter C7 Out of Home Care Services. This may include relative or fictive kin caregivers, any Department for Community Based Services (DCBS) foster home, private child placing (PCP) foster home, or private child caring (PCC) residential setting.  In addition, several other placement types may be utilized to meet the needs of transition-age youth in out-of-home care (OOHC), depending upon individual circumstances and needs. ​

Practice Guidance

​

  • In addition to traditional placement types available to all youth in OOHC, transition-age youth may benefit from caregiving environments or programs that support transitional services, which may only be considered for older youth in care, depending on their specific needs. These may include:
  • ​A youth in the custody of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (Cabinet​/CHFS) is not permitted to be placed in a military academy or school or serve active duty in the military. However, exceptions can be considered for completion of basic training or service in the reserves or National Guard.   

ILP Placement Settings:
  • ​Youth must be at least seventeen and a half (17.5) years old to be placed in a supervised ILP setting with the approval of the director of the Division of Protection and Permanency (DPP) or designee. A youth will not be considered for a supervised TLP solely because placement efforts have been exhausted. The placement must meet the needs of the youth and be in their best interest.
  • Youth must be at least eighteen (18) years old and have completed the LYFT Independent Living curriculum to be placed in a scattered-site apartment. Youth should not automatically be considered eligible for a scattered-site apartment upon turning eighteen (18). 
  • It is essential to avoid moving youth from one TLP to another in the exact location. The SSW should work with program staff to address issues and involve the PCC liaison in central office if needed.​​

  • For youth placed in scattered-site apartment settings, program staff will withhold rent each month from their stipend and maintain the money in a savings account for the youth. Program staff will provide a monthly ledger of savings balance to the youth.
  • For youth placed in a scattered-site apartment setting, program staff and youth will complete a walk-through of the unit upon move-in and exit. The cost of repairs to the unit for any damage caused by the youth may be recovered from the youth’s savings, up to one thousand dollars ($1,000). Within thirty (30) calendar days of exiting the program, program staff must provide the youth with their savings.

Job Corp
  • Job Corps is a free educational and vocational training program with campuses across the state. A youth must be at least seventeen and a half (17.5) years old to be placed in a Job Corps center.  Additional supports are recommended for youth who will be placed in a Job Corps center.  

College Campus 
  • Youth planning to reside on a college campus must be placed with a scattered-site TLP to provide services. The SSW should specify TLP search and what school the youth will attend when completing the DPP-886A Application for Referral and Needs Assessment if the youth is requesting to live in a dorm setting. 


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Procedure

​The SSW:

  1. ​Does not consider supervised TLP, Job Corps center, or college campus as a placement setting for any youth under seventeen and a half (17.5) years of age;
  2. Utilizes the Transitional Living Readiness Checklist as a tool to assess if a youth is appropriate for a supervised TLP or scattered-site TLP setting;
  3. Follows procedures for placement search as outlined in SOP C7.8 Private Child Placing (PCP) or Child Caring (PCC) Agency to locate supervised or scattered-site TLP services for youth age  eighteen (18) and over, including scattered-site TLP services for youth who will reside on a college campus;
  4. Seeks additional approval prior to seeking placement and services for any youth at least seventeen and a half (17.5) years of age, but not yet eighteen (18) years of age, when considering supervised TLP, Job Corps, or college campus placement settings;
  5. Submits a memo requesting approval for placement of a youth between seventeen and a half (17.5) and eighteen (18) years of age through supervisory channels to be forwarded to the Transitional Services Branch and the DPP Director for consideration of placement in supervised TLP, Job Corps, or a college campus. The memo should be forwarded through and reviewed by the transitional living specialist (TLS), family services office supervisor (FSOS), service region clinical associate (SRCA), service region administrator associate (SRAA), service region administrator (SRA), and include the following information:
    1. Updated DPP-886A;
    2. Documentation of placement search efforts;
    3. Explanation of the reasons the proposed placement setting (Job Corps, supervised IL, or college campus) is the most appropriate and in the youth’s best interest; 
    4. Youth's education level;
    5. Any history of drug use, violent/aggressive behaviors, mental health concerns, criminal history, or sexual misconduct;
    6. Whether the youth has any disabilities or an IQ of seventy (70) or below;
    7. How any clinical needs will be met in the placement setting; and 
    8. Any additional supports recommended for the youth in the proposed placement setting.
  6. ​Notifies the TLS of any youth planning to reside on a college campus so that additional assistance can be provided with application processes;
  7. Ensures timely referrals for placement for youth who reside in settings that are not year-round, including Job Corps and college dormitories; 
  8. Submits a memo requesting approval for a youth to remain committed to the Cabinet while attending basic training, serving in military reserves or National Guard, if the plan is for the youth to return to placement upon completion. The memo should be forwarded through and reviewed by the TLS, FSOS, SRAA/SRCA, and approved by the SRA prior to submitting to the Transitional Services Branch Manager for DPP director approval, and should document the following:
    1. ​​Youth’s intent to return to placement and continue extended commitment upon completion of basic training;
    2. Youth’s willingness to communicate with the SSW at least monthly via text, email, mail, or by phone; 
    3. Youth’s agreement to notify SSW of the return date so that caregiving or placement arrangements can be finalized;
    4. Coordinates with the TLS to make arrangements for storage of the youth’s belongings in a storage unit utilizing Youth Development Funds, if arrangements cannot be made with the youth’s caregiver.
The TLS:
  1. Works in partnership and provides consultation to the SSW and regional team to help determine the best options for youth who may benefit from placement settings and services utilized only for older youth in OOHC;
  2. Reviews all requests for youth at least seventeen and a half (17.5) years of age, but less than eighteen (18) years of age, to be placed in supervised TLP, Job Corps, or reside on a  college campus;  
  3. Conducts a campus consult meeting with youth who intend to live on a college campus and assists the youth in completing the college and housing application processes; 
  4. Reviews all requests for youth to remain committed while attending military basic training; and
  5. Assists youth who will remain committed while attending basic training to secure payment for a storage unit for the youth's belongings through Youth Development Funds if arrangements cannot be made with the youth's caregiver;

The SRA: 
  1. Reviews requests for placement of youth between the ages of seventeen and a half (17.5) and eighteen (18) years old to be placed in supervised TLP, Job Corps, or to live on a college campus; 
  2. Reviews requests for a youth to remain committed while attending military basic training with a plan to return to a placement following completion; 
  3. Seeks approval from the DCBS commissioner or designee (DPP Director) for a youth at least seventeen and a half (17.5) years of age, but less than eighteen (18) years of age, to reside in a supervised TL, Job Corps, or reside on a college campus by:
    1. ​Indicating SRA approval of the plan by signing the memo in hard copy or electronically; and
    2. Submitting required documentation to the Transitional Services Branch Manager, who will review and forward it to the DPP Director;
  4. Forwards requests for a youth to remain committed while attending military basic training by:
    1. ​Indicating SRA approval of the plan by signing the memo in hard copy or electronically; and
    2. Submitting required documentation to the Transitional Services Branch Manager, who will review and forward it to the DPP Director;​



Documents

Revisions