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Effective: 1/30/2026

C7.28 Normalcy for Children and Youth in Out-of-Home Care (OOHC)

Legal Authority

Introduction

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Normalcy is the right for all children and youth in out-of-home care (OOHC). This includes participation in age-appropriate extracurricular, enrichment, and social activities to achieve emotional well-being and to develop valuable coping skills.

When children participate in extracurricular, enrichment, and social activities, they gain skills to become independent and learn to make good decisions. Some children may test boundaries and break rules; however, with oversight and guidance, this is how a child can learn about natural consequences and understand how to make positive choices.

Normalcy for children and youth in OOHC is achieved when they learn skills, take advantage of opportunities to participate in developmentally appropriate activities, and develop relationships while growing up in a stable, loving family and a supportive community. Children and youth in OOHC should be afforded the same opportunities and experiences as those not in OOHC. To promote normalcy, the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (Cabinet/CHFS) must be responsive to the needs and voices of children, youth, and emerging adults.

The daily per diem for youth in OOHC includes funds for extracurricular, enrichment, school, and social activities (e.g., clubs, ball games, participation in dance class, gymnastics, karate, church, team sports, band, etc.). As funds allow, the Department for Community Based Services (DCBS) will use Youth Development Funds to supplement the additional costs of participating in these activities for youth aged fourteen (14) through twenty-one (21), following procedures in SOP C12.3 Normalacy and Youth Development Funds. 

​The term 'reasonable and prudent parent standard' (RPPS) refers to a standard characterized by careful, sensible parental decisions that maintain a child's health, safety, and best interests, while also encouraging the child's emotional and developmental growth. A child's caregiver shall use RPPS when determining whether to allow a child in OOHC (under the responsibility of DCBS) to participate in extracurricular, enrichment, cultural, and social activities. This includes athletic program participation. Caregivers are DCBS and private child placing (PCP) foster parents, authorized staff, or officials working in a private child care (PCC) facility. In some circumstances, caregivers are also relatives when DCBS retains custody.​
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Practice Guidance

  • PCP foster parents and PCC-authorized officials receive the same training on the RPPS as required by DCBS foster parents; 
  • Authorized PCC staff who have been trained on the RPPS are available on site twenty-four (24) hours a day; 
  • PCP staff are available twenty-four (24) hours a day to foster/adoptive parents for consultation and decision-making about the RPPS.
​Typical activities                                     Non-typical activities
Sleepovers;                                                 Surgery;
Participation in sports;                            ​Birth parent and sibling visits;    
Dating​​;​                                                         Court orders;
Hunting;                                                      Medications- (psychotropic, birth-control);
Swimming/Riding jet skis;                     Tattoos, body piercings, etc.;
Family camping outings:                        Return a child to the birth parent without court approval;
Obtaining a driver's license;                   Discipline policy; 
Household chores/operating a              Operation of an all-terrain vehicles (ATV) unless abiding 
power lawn mower;                                  by KRS 189.515; 

  • Operating an ATV is not an RPPS activity as specifically addressed in KRS 189.515. Caregivers must follow the requirements listed below regarding the use of ATVs: 
    • A caregiver of a minor who is under the age of six (6) shall not knowingly allow that person to operate or be a passenger on an ATV vehicle; 
    • A person under the age of sixteen (16) years shall not operate an ATV vehicle except under the direct supervision of a caregiver; 
    •  A person under the age of sixteen (16) years, when operating or riding as a passenger on an ATV vehicle, shall wear approved protective headgear at all times that the vehicle is in motion; 
    • A caregiver of a minor who is under the age of sixteen (16), or who does not possess an instruction permit, an intermediate license, or an operator’s license shall not knowingly allow that person to carry a passenger while operating an ATV.; and 
    • A caregiver of a minor under the age of sixteen (16) shall not knowingly allow that person to operate an ATV in violation of the age restriction warning label affixed by the manufacturer as required by the federal ATV standards.
  • Caregivers must use the RPPS, characterized by careful and sensible parental decisions that maintain the child’s health, safety, and best interest when selecting babysitters.
  • Babysitters must be age eighteen (18) or older for youth leveled a three (3), designated as care plus, or medically complex.
  • Babysitters for medically complex children must be certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and first aid for adults, infants, and children, and receive child-specific training.
  • Babysitters for care plus children must also receive child-specific training or have training in the mental health treatment of children.

Procedure

The SSW:
  1. Understands that children and youth are allowed to engage in age or developmentally appropriate activities as determined by the child’s caregiver when the caregiver makes decisions using an RPPS; 
  2. Informs caregivers that the law provides legal protection and requires liability standards for caregivers who make decisions applying the RPPS; 
  3. Empowers caregivers to unilaterally make routine caregiving decisions without prior regional approval;
  4. Is available for consultation and guidance when appropriate; 1 and 
  5. Makes caregivers aware of the youth’s rights by informing caregivers of the following requirements: 2 
    1. Youth aged fourteen (14) and older receive a list of youth rights;3 
    2. Youth aged fourteen (14) and older are included in case planning and in the identification of advisors/advocates;4 
    3. Youth aged fourteen (14) and older are involved in transition planning for successful adulthood; ​
    4. Judicial review of normalcy is mandated for youth who have a permanency goal of planned permanent living arrangement (PPLA); and 
    5. School-age youth should be included in case planning when developmentally appropriate.
The R&C worker:
  1. Ensures that DCBS foster/adoptive parents receive training on the RPPS; 
  2. Assures DCBS foster/adoptive parents who receive RPPS training that they are allowed to select short-term babysitters for periods of less than twenty-four (24) hours for children in their care; 
  3. Requests an exception from the FSOS when circumstances warrant using a babysitter for a period lasting longer than twenty-four (24) hours, but not to exceed seventy-two (72) hours;5 ​and 
  4. Documents the reason for the exception in the case record.

Footnotes

  1. Birthparents should be consulted, when appropriate. 
  2. These requirements are outlined in case planning SOP C7.16 Preparation for and Completion of the Ten (10) Day Conference and SOP C7.17 On​going Case Planning.​ 
  3. If the youth did not receive a copy of Rights of the Child at the case planning conference, the worker will provide a copy. 
  4. The youth may invite up to two (2) people to the case planning conference. The SSW, in consultation with the FSOS, may at any time reject a person selected by the youth if the worker has good cause to believe the individual would not act in the best interests of the child. (Section 475(1)(B) of the Social Security Act) 
  5. Babysitting for children who are designated as medically complex is not to exceed twenty-four (24) hours. Any caregiving arrangement beyond twenty-four (24) hours should follow respite guidelines.
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Documents

Revisions

​12/18/2024

  • Babysitters must be age eighteen (18) or older for youth leveled three (3), four (4), or five (5), designated as care plus, or medically complex.​


4/22/2025

 A child's caregiver shall use RPPS when determining whether to allow a child in OOHC (under the responsibility of DCBS) to participate in extracurricular, enrichment, cultural, and social activities.​ This includes athletic program participation. 

Participation in sports Swiming

Swimming/ Riding jet skis

Household chores/ Operating power lawn mowers

  • Extracurricular activities (up to $1,000 $500 per year).


1/2026

The daily per diem for youth in OOHC includes money for extracurricular, enrichment, school, and social-related activities (e.g., clubs, ballgames, participation in dance class, gymnastics, karate, church, team sports, band, etc.). As funds allow, the Department for Community Based Services (DCBS) will use Youth Development Funds to supplement the additional cost to participate in these activities for youth aged 14 through age 21 following procedures in SOP C12.3 Normalacy and Youth Development Funds. . These funds should only be requested when other funding sources have been explored and exhausted (such as foster parent per diem, community programs, MCO, etc.).

Yearly Limit Expenditures:

  • Extracurricular activities (up to $500 per year).
​Lifetime Limit Expenditures:

  • Computer (up to $400); 
  • Driver education and documentation (up to $500);
  • Transportation (up to $500);
  • Employment (up to $300);
  • Education (up to $500);
  • College preparation (up to $300); and 
  • Second Chance Scholarship ($1,000).​


The independent living specialist:
  1. Receives Youth Development Funds Request form and supporting documentation; and 
  2. ​Submits the documents to the central office Chafee program administrator for approval.​