Kentucky

While foster parents are just as unique as the children and youth they care for, the most important qualifications to become a foster parent include the ability to provide a safe, loving, and nurturing home.

Foster parents may be single, married, or cohabitating couples. Prospective foster parents must be willing to participate in an in-depth home study process and work collaboratively with the licensing team to demonstrate they are:

• In good physical and mental health.

• Financially able to support their household without the reimbursement from being a foster parent.

• Able to provide adequate physical space in their home to ensure a child or youth's privacy and comfort.

• Able to provide positive references.

• Willing to complete background checks.

• Willing to engage in pre-service training.

• Willing to work with multiple NYAP team members including educators, therapists, case managers, and medical professionals.


National Youth Advocate Program deeply values and is committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion and seeks and welcomes a diverse community of foster parents.

Additional state qualifications:

• At least 21 years old.

• Adult children complete interviews whether they reside in the home or not.

• Provide at least four positive references, one of which must come from a relative.

• Provide credit references or credit report

• Provide a copy of any visitation orders for children that are not physically in the custody of the parent

• Further documentation or evaluation is needed if there is an indicator of current or past mental health/substance abuse issues

• Youth and adults 12 years old and older complete a central registry check