Ky.gov
Effective: 5//22/2025

C7.58 Credit Reports for Youth in Foster Care

Legal Authority

Introduction

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Practice Guidance


​The SSW is responsible for ensuring inaccuracies on the credit report are addressed for foster youth between the ages of fourteen (14) and seventeen (17) years old. The SSW may collaborate with the private child placing (PCP) case manager, foster parent, or other member of the youth’s treatment team to ensure it is completed. The annual credit report should be uploaded into TWIST, and efforts to address inaccuracies on the report should be documented in the youth’s case file. 

The SSW is responsible for ensuring that an annual credit report for foster youth age eighteen (18) and over is requested and that any inaccuracies on the report are addressed. The SSW should collaborate with the PCP case manager or foster parent to ensure these tasks are completed. The annual credit report should be uploaded into TWIST, and efforts to address inaccuracies on the report should be documented in the youth’s case file. 

The following mailing address must be used when requesting a credit report for a youth in care: 275 East Main St., Frankfort, Kentucky 40601 

Youth aged eighteen (18) and over in out-of-home care have the right to refuse to request an annual credit report or to share a copy of the report. The SSW should advise the youth that assistance to interpret and resolve inaccuracies in the credit report is available upon request and document the youth's decision in their case file. 


Procedure


For youth between the ages of fourteen (14) and seventeen (17) who are in the custody of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (Cabinet/CHFS):

  • Central office staff will work directly with the credit bureaus, TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian to request an annual credit report for youth. 
  • The central office staff will provide the results to the service region administrator (SRA) or the regional credit report email box. The SRA or regional designee of the credit check box will disseminate the results to the appropriate SSW. The SSW will upload a copy of the report to TWIST. 
  • The SSW will ensure the credit report results are shared with the youth, as well as assist in interpreting and resolving any inaccuracies in the report. 
  • The SSW is responsible for ensuring any inaccuracies in the youth’s credit report are addressed. 
  • If inaccuracies are discovered on the youth’s credit report, the SSW will ensure the youth receives assistance in resolving the issue by following guidelines on: 
    • The Administration for Children and Families website; or
    • The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau website.
  • Confirmation that the annual credit report has been completed should be provided during the youth’s case planning and transition planning meetings. If a check has not been completed, it should be added to the respective plan as a task.

For youth age eighteen (18) and older who are in the custody of  the Cabinet:
  • The SSW ensures an annual credit report is completed online via AnnualCreditReport.com  or Free Credit Scores - Intuit Credit Karma. The credit report should be uploaded into TWIST.
  • If the youth’s credit report cannot be accessed online, the SSW will ensure the youth is assisted in requesting a report via a paper form.
  • If the youth has a documented IQ of seventy (70) or below, the SSW may request that central office staff assist in obtaining a credit check through the credit bureaus, TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian. 
  • The SSW will ensure the credit report results are discussed with the youth, along with education on why a credit report is necessary, how to read a credit report, and how to dispute inaccuracies on a report. 
  • The SSW will ensure the youth receives assistance in resolving any inaccuracies identified on the credit report by following guidelines on: 
    • The Administration for Children and Families website; or
    • the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau website
  • If a youth age eighteen (18) and older declines to request their credit report, the SSW will document efforts to assist them in obtaining the report and their decision to decline. 
  • If the youth age eighteen (18) and over elects to request their credit report independently and declines to provide a copy, the SSW should advise the youth that assistance to interpret and resolve inaccuracies in the credit report is available upon request. The youth's decision regarding the credit report should be documented in TWIST.




Documents

Revisions

​5/22/2025

Practice Guidance

  • During the case planning, tasks are added to the Independent Living Section of the case plan such as: 
    • Central office staff will request an annual credit check for youth at age fourteen (14) through seventeen (17) and provide the results to the FSOS who will disseminate the ​results to the appropriate SSW. 
    • The SSW will assist in requestin​g an annual credit check for youth at age eighteen (18) until the child is discharged from care. 
    • ​The SSW will share the results of the credit check with all youth, fourteen (14) and up and provide additional information about why a credit check is necessary, how to dispute and what to look for when reviewing a credit report. 
    • Additional information can be found on the Federal Trade Commission’s website. 
  • Central office staff works directly with the credit bureaus, TransUnion, Equifax and Experian, to request credit checks for youth ages fourteen (14) through and seventeen (17).

The SSW is responsible for ensuring inaccuracies on the credit report are addressed for foster youth between the ages of fourteen (14) and seventeen (17) years old. The SSW may collaborate with the private child placing (PCP) case manager, foster parent, or other member of the youth’s treatment team to ensure it is completed. The annual credit report should be uploaded into TWIST, and efforts to address inaccuracies on the report should be documented in the youth’s case file. 

The SSW is responsible for ensuring that an annual credit report for foster youth age eighteen (18) and over is requested and that any inaccuracies on the report are addressed. The SSW should collaborate with the PCP case manager or foster parent to ensure these tasks are completed. The annual credit report should be uploaded into TWIST, and efforts to address inaccuracies on the report should be documented in the youth’s case file. 

The following mailing address must be used when requesting a credit report for a youth in care: 275 East Main St., Frankfort, Kentucky 40601 

Youth aged eighteen (18) and over in out-of-home care have the right to refuse to request an annual credit report or to share a copy of the report. The SSW should advise the youth that assistance to interpret and resolve inaccuracies in the credit report is available upon request and document the youth's decision in their case file. 

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For youth who are fourteen (14) and older

  1. Central office staff request a credit check annually for all youth who have attained fourteen (14) years of age and shares the results with the FSOS, who in turn, forwards them on to the appropriate SSW. 
  2. If no credit history is found, the SSW discusses the results with the youth and maintains a copy in youth’s case file, annually. 
  3. If issues are discovered with the youth’s credit history, the SSW assists the youth in resolving these issues by following guidelines on: 
    1. The Administration for Children and Families website; and 
    2. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau website. 
  4. The SSW notifies the central office point person at (502) 564-2147, once issues are resolved.

For youth between the ages of fourteen (14) and seventeen (17):

  • Central office staff will work directly with the credit bureaus, TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian to request an annual credit report for youth. 
  • The central office staff will provide the results to the service region administrator (SRA) or the regional credit report email box. The SRA or regional designee of the credit check box will disseminate the results to the appropriate SSW. The SSW will upload a copy of the report to TWIST. 
  • The SSW will ensure the results of the credit report are shared with the youth, as well as assist in interpreting and resolving any inaccuracies in the report. 
  • The SSW is responsible for ensuring any inaccuracies in the youth’s credit report are addressed. 
  • If inaccuracies are discovered on the youth’s credit report, the SSW will ensure the youth receives assistance in resolving the issue by following guidelines on: 
    • The Administration for Children and Families website; or
    • The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau website.
  • Confirmation that the annual credit report has been completed should be provided during the youth’s case planning and transition planning meetings. If a check has not been completed, it should be added as a task to the respective plan.

​​​​Youth who are eighteen (18) and older
  1. The SSW assists all youth, eighteen (18) and older, in requesting and interpreting a credit check through AnnualCreditReport.com , until the youth exits care. 
  2. If no credit history is found, the SSW discusses the results with the youth and maintains a copy in youth’s case file, annually. 
  3. If issues are discovered with the youth’s credit history, the SSW assists the youth in resolving these issues by following guidelines on: 
    1. The Administration for Children and Families website; and 
    2. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau​ website. 
  4. The SSW reports the following information to central office, via e-mail (chaffeeilp@ky.gov) or by telephone: 
    1. Youth’s name; 
    2. Date of birth; 
    3. Social security number; 
    4. Date credit check was requested online; 
    5. Credit report outcomes; and 
    6. Date any issues were resolved (as applicable).​​​


For youth age eighteen (18) and older who are in the custody of  the Cabinet:
  • The SSW ensures an annual credit report is completed online via AnnualCreditReport.com  or Free Credit Scores - Intuit Credit Karma. The credit report should be uploaded into TWIST.
  • If the youth’s credit report cannot be accessed online, the SSW will ensure the youth is assisted in requesting a report via a paper form.
  • If the youth has a documented IQ of seventy (70) or below, the SSW may request that central office staff assist in obtaining a credit check through the credit bureaus, TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian. 
  • The SSW will ensure the credit report results are discussed with the youth, along with education on why a credit report is necessary, how to read a credit report, and how to dispute inaccuracies on a report. 
  • The SSW will ensure the youth receives assistance in resolving any inaccuracies identified on the credit report by following guidelines on: 
    • The Administration for Children and Families website; or
    • the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau website
  • If a youth age eighteen (18) and older declines to request their credit report, the SSW will document efforts to assist them in obtaining the report and their decision to decline. 
  • If the youth age eighteen (18) and over elects to request their credit report independently and declines to provide a copy, the SSW should advise the youth that assistance to interpret and resolve inaccuracies in the credit report is available upon request. The youth's decision regarding the credit report should be documented in TWIST.