Ky.gov
Effective: 5/6/2025

C7.52 Alternative Placements

Legal Authority

Introduction

​​​​​​​​

Practice Guidance

Procedure

Job Corps

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. A memo requesting approval must be submitted from the service region through the Transitional Services Branch to the Division of Protection and Permanency's (DPP's) Director's Office for consideration for a youth to reside at a Job Corps center. The memo should be drafted and submitted by the SSW and reviewed by the independent living specialist (ILS), family service office supervisor (FSOS), service region clinical administrator (SRCA), and service region administrator (SRA) to include the following information:
  • Updated DPP-​886A;
  • Placement search efforts;
  • Explanation supporting why Job Corps is the most appropriate placement for the youth; 
  • Youth's education level;
  • H​istory of drug use, violent/aggressive behaviors, mental health concerns, criminal history, or sexual misconduct;
  • Youth identified with a disability or an IQ of seventy (70) or below; and
  • Additional supports are recommended for youth if approved for the ​Job Corps.
The memo must be signed, either in hard copy or electronically, by regional leadership.

​Foster youth age eighteen (18) or older who are on extended commitment to the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS/Cabinet) are permitted to reside at a Job Corps center without additional approval.

The SSW will ensure that the youth has appropriate placement when the Job Corps is not in session.

College Campus

The SSW will notify the ILS when a youth plans to live on a college campus. The ILS will conduct a campus consult meeting with the youth and assist the youth in completing the college application process.  

Youth must be at least seventeen (17.5) years old to live on a college campus. A memo must be sent to the Transitional Services Branch for youth between the ages of seventeen (17.5) and eighteen (18) years old requesting to live on a college campus. The memo should be sent through the regional ILS, through the Transitional Services Branch Manager, to the director of DPP. Youth aged eighteen (18) and older do not need approval from central office and should follow normal regional placement practices.

Youth planning to reside on a college campus must be placed with a scattered site independent living program (ILP). The SSW should specify ILP 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. 

​Military Academy/School

A youth in the custody of CHFS is not permitted to be placed in a military academy or school.

Military Training while on extended commitment

Foster youth interested in enlisting in the military while on extended commitment are typically not permitted to remain in care. However, a request may be submitted to the DPP director for consideration while attending basic training. A memo requesting approval for a youth to remain in care while attending basic training must be submitted from the service region through the Transitional Services Branch to the director of the DPP office for consideration.  The memo should be drafted and submitted by the SSW and reviewed by the ILS, FSOS, SRCA, and SRA. The SSW will coordinate with the regional ILS 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 placement. The youth must be willing to communicate with the SSW once a month through email, mail, and/or phone. The youth will be responsible for notifying the SSW in a timely manner of the expected return date so​ the SSW can send out a placement search prior to the youth's return from basic training.     

Personal Care Home

  • If, under exceptional circumstances, the SSW, FSOS and the family’s team determine that a personal care home or family care home best meets the placement needs of a child, the SSW requests written approval from the Service Region Administrator (SRA), or designee, for a placement of up to six (6) months. 
  • If the family’s team evaluates the placement during periodic reviews and determines that it continues to meet the child’s needs, the SSW may request a written approval for an extension of the placement.



Documents

Revisions

​8/1/2023 Addition: 

A youth must be at least seventeen and a half (17.5) years old to be placed in a Job Corps center.  A memo requesting approval must be submitted from the service region through the Transitional Services Branch to the director’s office for consideration for a youth to reside at a Job Corps center.  The memo should be drafted and submitted by the SSW and reviewed by the independent living specialist (ILS), family service office supervisor (FSOS), service region clinical administrator (SRCA), and service region administrator (SRA) to include the following information:
  • Updated DPP-​886A;
  • Placement search efforts;
  • Explanation supporting why Job Corps is the most appropriate placement for the youth; 
  • Youth's education level;
  • Include history of drug use, violent/aggressive behaviors, mental health concerns, criminal history, or sexual misconduct;
  • Youth identified with a disability or IQ of seventy (70) or below; abd
  • Additional supports recommended for youth if approved for Job Corps.
The memo must be signed, either hard copy or electronically, by regional leadership.

The SSW will notify the Independent Living Specialist when a youth plans to live on a college campus. The Independent Living Specialist will conduct a Campus Consult Meeting with the youth and assist the youth in completing the college application process.  
Youth must be at least seventeen (17) and one-half (1/2) years old to live on a college campus. A memo must be sent to the Transitional Services Branch for youth between seventeen 17 ½ and eighteen (18) years old requesting to live on a college campus. The memo should be sent through the regional Independent Living Specialist, through the Transitional Services Branch Manager, to the Director of the Division of Protection and Permanency (DPP). Youth aged eighteen (18) and older do not need approval from central office and should follow normal regional placement practices. 
Youth planning to reside on a college campus must be placed with a scattered site independent living program.  The SSW should specify independent living program (ILP) 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. 

Military Training while on extended commitment

Foster youth interested in enlisting into the military while on extended commitment are typically not permitted to remain in care, however a request may be submitted to the director of DPP to be considered to remain in care while attending basic training.  A memo requesting approval for a youth to remain in care while attending basic training must be submitted from the service region through the Transitional Services Branch to the director of DPP office for consideration.  The memo should be drafted and submitted by the SSW and reviewed by the ILS, FSOS, SRCA, and SRA to be considered to remain on extended commitment while attending basic training while enlisted in the military.  The SSW will coordinate with the regional ILS to secure payment for a storage unit for the youth's belongings through Youth Development Funds if an arrangement isn't able to be worked out with the youth's placement.  The youth will have to be willing to communicate with the SSW once a month through email, mail, and/or phone.  The youth will be responsible for notifying the SSW timely of the expected return date in order for the SSW to send out a placement search upon the youth's return from basic training.     






8/1//2023 Deletion: 

Foster youth under the age of seventeen (17) are not typically permitted to reside at Job Corps centers. However, this can be approved on a case-by-case basis. The SRA or designee should submit a request to the Division of Protection and Permanency (DPP) director or designee, documenting how the placement is in the best interest of the youth.

At the discretion of the SSW, foster youth age eighteen (18) or older are permitted to reside on a college campus. Foster youth under age eighteen (18) may be permitted to reside on a college campus on a case-by-case basis. The SRA or designee should submit a memo requesting approval to the DPP director or designee.

The SSW will notify the regional independent living specialist (ILS) that a youth has been approved to live on campus. The ILS will submit a request for monthly maintenance payments to the Chafee program administrator.

Youth who live on a college campus must provide their transcript to the SSW promptly upon the conclusion of each semester.

Youth must maintain at least a 2.0 grade point average (GPA) to be eligible to reside on a college campus. Youth whose GPA falls below a 2.0 will be issued a warning letter. If a youth's GPA falls below 2.0 for two (2) consecutive semesters, the youth will not be permitted to reside on campus.

The SSW will ensure that the youth has an appropriate placement during holidays and summer breaks.​

5/6/2025

Personal Care Home

  • If, under exceptional circumstances, the SSW, FSOS and the family’s team determine that a personal care home or family care home best meets the placement needs of a child, the SSW requests written approval from the Service Region Administrator (SRA), or designee, for a placement of up to six (6) months. 
  • If the family’s team evaluates the placement during periodic reviews and determines that it continues to meet the child’s needs, the SSW may request a written approval for an extension of the placement.