Ky.gov
Effective: 4/22/2025

C4.3 CPS Aftercare Planning

Legal Authority

Introduction

​​​​​​​​​​​The aftercare plan is part of the case closure process for investigations and ongoing cases. It is negotiated in agreement with the family and other parties involved in the plan. The plan identifies the continuum of services needed or desired by the family, the nature of the follow-up, and who will provide the services. The purpose of the aftercare plan is to ensure stability and well-being for the child(ren)and family and to document that the SSW has identified all service needs and has made appropriate referrals to meet those needs.

Practice Guidance

  • If an aftercare plan is to be utilized following a specialized investigation, the plan can include non-protective issues, such as licensing regulations, as well as protective issues that are either child-specific or general concerns that affect the home, entire facility, or program.​
  • Following a specialized investigation, if the provider will be monitored by another regulating or oversight agency, the aftercare plan should reflect coordination among involved agencies and may refer to cooperation with that agency’s efforts.  Regulating agencies may include:
    • ​​​Department for Community Based Services (DCBS) recruitment and certification (R&C) worker for a DCBS foster, adoptive, or respite care home; 
    • Office of Inspector General (OIG) Division of Regulated Child Care (DRCC) for licensed or certified child care providers;
    • Department for Behavioral Health Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities (DBHDID) for Supports for Community Living (SCL) programs or facilities;
    • The administrative head or oversight entity for other unlicensed programs (e.g., day camps, summer camps, or schools).  
  • The aftercare plan may be negotiated and agreed upon verbally,​ and a hard copy mailed. The SSW will utilize another FSOS or designee as a witness to the agreement. 
  • The SSW does not include monitoring of any portion of an aftercare plan without the provider's explicit knowledge and written consent. 
  • The preferred method for completing the aftercare plan is through the TWIST offline application, which can be accessed with or without an internet connection.



Procedure

Aftercare Planning During the Closure of an Investigation

Aftercare planning is utilized when risk factors remain that do not rise to the level of opening a case for ongoing services; however, additional guidance or information may assist the family in preventing future abuse or neglect. Aftercare planning may also be utilized to ensure the family's stability and well-being. Examples of the appropriate use ​for an aftercare plan may include:

  • A substantiated finding will be made, but the referral can be closed; 
  • An unsubstantiated finding will be made, but there are risk factors or family needs that can be addressed through a written plan or linkage to other service providers; 
  • An unsubstantiated finding will be made, but community resources are requested by the family or recommended by the SSW; or 
  • When a safety or prevention plan was negotiated during the investigation.

Aftercare Planning during the Closure of an Ongoing Case

The aftercare plan is also used when an ongoing case has been assessed for closure and no safety threats remain that require ongoing service provision. This includes:

  • Factors resulting in maltreatment are resolved and the parent or guardian can protect and meet the needs of the child(ren); 
  • Documented risk of maltreatment is reduced, and the parent or guardian can protect and meet the needs of the child(ren); or
  • Case planning goals have been achieved.

The aftercare plan is used in advance of closing any ongoing case, upon completion of protection and permanency services. The plan indicates what referrals have been made or services recommended to continue preventive measures, which may include actions that the family intends to take as well as community resources that have been arranged.

The SSW:
  1. Explores with the family and family's support system the need for continued services from community partners that include financial, medical, child care, etc.; 
  2. Negotiates with the family, including identified fathers as outlined in SOP C7.13 Family Attachment and Involvemen​t​,​ and the family's support system a specific and measurable plan for the family to obtain services to address existing needs;
  3. Establishes with the family and the family's support system additional and potential resources that may be called upon to prevent maltreatment or home instability, should a situation or crisis arise in the future; 
  4. Provides any needed referrals; 
  5. Advises individuals served that they may request assistance from community partners including DCBS and identifies possible resources for the family;
  6. Negotiates the aftercare plan with the family and other relevant individuals involved; 
  7. Ensures the plan addresses the needs of the child and family related to stability and wellbeing, as well as addressing any remaining assessed risk. Aftercare tasks or services may include, but are not limited to: ​
    1. ​​​​​​Behavioral health services for parents or children;
    2. Economic supports;
    3. Housing;
    4. Utilizing appropriate medical or public health services;
    5. Early childhood services (e.g., child care, early intervention, Health Access Nurturing Development Services (HANDS);
    6. Employment, adult education, or vocational services;
    7. Transportation;  
    8. Educational or Family Resource Youth Service Center (FRYSC) services;  
    9. Respite;
    10. Parent support groups;
    11. Disability services; and 
    12. Other community resources as needed. 
  8. Ensures the plan is signed and/or agreed upon and dated by all parties who have a task/role on the plan;
  9. Ensures that all parties involved in the plan receive a copy of the aftercare plan by using the individual's preference of email, text, picture, and/or hard copy mailed, and provides a copy to the following: 
    1. Family members, including children of appropriate age; 
    2. Alleged perpetrators (when safe to do so); 
    3. Relatives, fictive kin, and other caregivers; and 
    4. Community partners involved. 
  10. Files a copy of the aftercare plan, after FSOS review, in the case file.
The FSOS:
  1. Consults with the SSW regarding case closure to ensure the safety threats and risk factors can be mitigated by using the aftercare plan. 
  2. Documents the consultation in the case record.


Contingencies and Clarifications

For families who do not have access to email or the ability to receive a copy of the signed aftercare plan by text, the SSW should complete the appropriate plan using the template linked within this SOP. The hard copy should be left with the family. The SSW should take a picture of the signed plan with their tablet and upload it into TWIST.

Related Information

Child Protection Branch Manager
 275 East Main Street, 3E-B
 Frankfort, KY 40621
 (502) 564-2136 (phone)​

​Division of Prevention and Community Well-Being Branch Manager 
275 East Main Street, 3E-A

Frankfort, KY 40621
 (502) 564-5333 (phone)

Commonwealth Office of the Ombudsman
209 St. Clair Street
Frankfort KY 40601
(866) 596-6283
 TTY (for hearing impaired) 1-800-627-4702
kyombud@ky.gov​


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Documents

Revisions

4/22/2025

Introduction

The purpose of the aftercare plan is to ensure stability and well-being for the child(ren)and family and to document that the SSW has identified all service needs and has made appropriate referrals to meet those needs.

Practice Guidance

  • If an aftercare plan is needed to be utilized following a specialized investigation, the plan can include non-protective issues, such as licensing regulations, as well as protective issues that are either child-specific or general concerns that affect the home, entire facility, or program. 
  • If it is decided by all involved parties that the tasks on the aftercare plan will be monitored, those that may agree to participate in the monitoring include: 
    • The recruitment and certification (R&C) worker, for a Department for Community Based Services (DCBS) foster, adoptive, or respite care home; 
    • The DCBS Division of Child Care (DCC), for registered family child care homes or licensed child care centers; 
    • The Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental, and Intellectual Disabilities (DBHDID) for supports for community living (SCL) programs or facilities; 
    • The program or agency director and license holder or school superintendent or board, for unlicensed facilities (e.g. Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) day camps, summer camps, and schools); and 
    • The person identified on the plan, if the issue is child-specific; 
​Procedure​

Aftercare planning is utilized when risk factors remain that do not rise to the level of opening a case for ongoing services; however, additional guidance or information may assist the family in preventing future abuse or neglect. Aftercare planning may also be utilized to ensure the family's stability and well-being. Examples of the appropriate use for an aftercare plan may include:

  • A substantiated finding will be made, but the referral can be closed; 
  • An unsubstantiated finding will be made, but there are risk factors or behaviors family needs that can need to be addressed through a written plan or linkage to other service providers; 

  • The aftercare plan is also used when an ongoing in-home case has been assessed for closure and no safety threats remain that require ongoing service provision. This includes:​
  1. Explores with ​the family and family's support system the need for continued services from community partners that include financial, medical, child care, etc.; 

​​​5. Advises individuals served that they may request assistance from child welfare community partners including DCBS and identifies possible resources for the family;

7. Ensures the plan addresses the needs of the child and family related to stability and wellbeing, as well as addressing any remaining assessed risk. Aftercare tasks or services may include, but are not limited to: ​
    1. ​​​​​​Behavioral health services for parents or children;
    2. Economic supports;
    3. Housing;
    4. Utilizing appropriate medical or public health services;
    5. Early childhood services (e.g., child care, early intervention, Health Access Nurturing Development Services (HANDS);
    6. Employment, adult education, or vocational services;
    7. Transportation;  
    8. Educational or Family Resource Youth Service Center (FRYSC) services;  
    9. Respite;
    10. Parent support groups;
    11. Disability services; and 
    12. Other community resources as needed. 
​​​​8.  Includes monitoring by those who participated in the aftercare planning process; 
​

11.  Documents on the aftercare plan that community partner(s), when they are included in aftercare planning and are assigned specific tasks, will make a report to centralized intake if safety threats arise after case closure; and