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Headshot of Matt Moore

Social Work’s Matt Moore elected president of Alliance of Social Workers in Sports

This article was originally published in UKNow.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Dec. 4, 2024) — Matt Moore, Ph.D., associate dean of student and academic affairs in the College of Social Work (CoSW) at the University of Kentucky, has been elected president of the Alliance of Social Workers in Sports (ASWIS).

He will serve a two-year term.

ASWIS is an international organization dedicated to integrating social work principles into sports, focusing on athlete well-being and supporting professionals in the industry. It’s the only global group addressing the unique needs of athletes and the athletic community through the lens of social work.

Moore, a longtime member of ASWIS, has served in various leadership roles within the organization. As president, he plans to focus on expanding awareness and outreach for sport social work.

“This year marks the 10th anniversary of ASWIS, which is a tremendous accomplishment unto itself,” Moore said. “This milestone presents an opportunity to reflect on how far we’ve come and to envision the future of sport social work and the industry as a whole.”

Honored with the Sport Social Work Legacy award earlier this year, Moore’s innovative approaches and commitment to the field have been pivotal in advancing the profession. He is also the founder and editor of Sport Social Work Journal.

Looking ahead, Moore identified three key priorities for ASWIS. “I will focus on expanding educational opportunities at all levels, growing research to establish sports social work as an evidence-based entity, and building national and international partnerships to create internships, career opportunities and collaborations with organizations that can drive change in the sports world.”

Last month, the CoSW announced the launch of The Sport Social Work Collaborative — a partnership between ASWIS, the Sport Social Work Journal, and the college’s Sport Social Work Research Lab.

The collaborative is focused on leading research, teaching and outreach efforts that seek to promote the healthy development of athletes, coaches and communities. The CoSW is also home of the International Institute on Sport Social Work.

As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It’s all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.   

In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.  

Supporting families every step of the way: A recap of CoSW’s recognition of National Adoption Month

LEXINGTON, Ky. – This November, the College of Social Work (CoSW) recognized National Adoption Month, a month to reflect and honor the importance of familial bonds, as well as focus on creating and strengthening pathways for young people to have lasting bonds and connections.

Take a look back at how the CoSW honored National Adoption Month with its faculty, staff, students and community.

National Adoption Month: Recognize the importance of familial bonds

In Kentucky, there are over 8,000 youths in foster care. Of those, approximately one-third are waiting to be adopted. Whilst every effort is made to find adoptive homes for these youth, the unfortunate reality is that for many of them, particularly teens, the comfort of a safe, stable forever family will never be actualized.

Celebrating National Adoption Month by Supporting Families Every Step of the Way

Adoption is often viewed as the “happy ending” to a child’s story of loss, but the truth is that adoption is just the beginning of a new chapter, one that can be both rewarding and complex. Behind the smiles and celebrations, adoptive families often face unique challenges related to trauma, attachment, and identity that require continued care and understanding.

National Adoption Month: Building Permanent Family Connections with Tara Pulaski

This November, Tara Pulaski, College of Social Work’s (CoSW) Children’s Justice Act Task Force and Citizens Review Panel program coordinator, is honoring how her family of three came to be and embracing their adoption and kinship journey. Pulaski and her husband adopted their son when he was 13 years old, navigating familial bonds as a kinship caregiver. Their son, now 15, was Pulaski’s husband’s biological nephew before he was adopted after nine months.

Adoption Support for Kentucky (ASK)

During the month of November, ASK hosted a virtual support group or training every day. Offering information on a range of topics including strategies for parenting teens, creating memories and meaningful family traditions for blended families, and trust-based relational intervention.

Want to improve adoption? Listen to those who have been there.

Since 1995, November has been marked as a time of deep introspect about adoption. This year, Adoption Awareness Month is focused on raising awareness about the importance of supportive networks for youth in and from foster care.

Dr. Tarkington Newman and PhD student Levone Lee standing at the Sport Social Work Research Lab table

Sport Social Work Research Lab announces new international partnership, grant-funded project, and book  

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Throughout the fall 2024 semester, the Sport Social Work Research Lab (SSW-RL) at the University of Kentucky College of Social Work (CoSW), has secured several new collaborative partnerships under the direction of Dr. Tarkington J Newman. Newman and the SSW-RL have also co-authored a new book, “Coaching Values and Life Skills through Physical Education and Sports.” 

Read below for the latest updates on the SSW-RL’s new partnerships and book. 

International Research Collaborative 

The SSW-RL, in collaboration with the UK International Center, has formally established an international research collaboration with the Polytechnic Institute of Porto. 

The partnership is in support of an ongoing 10-year grant through the Portuguese Institute of Sport and Youth, which is being conducted with scholars from eight countries, including the United States, Canada, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Spain, Australia, and New Zealand. The project – “Coach Education and Positive Youth Development through Sport” – seeks to assess youth sport systems and organizations, develop evidence-informed education for coaches, and provide governmental policy recommendations. Already, this partnership has produced 13 peer-reviewed journal articles, three book chapters, and 10 international and national workshops and trainings. 

Select Peer-Reviewed Publications: 

Newman, T., Santos, F., Collins, K., Pierce, S., Kochanek, J., Mercier, V., & Lee, L. (2024). Social justice promotion in youth sport: Insights from current high school coaches. Sport Coaching Review, I29(2), 206-220. https://doi.org/10.1080/21640629.2024.2324633  

Santos, F., Newman, T., Vella, S., Camiré, M., Rathwell, S., Strachan, L., MacDonald, D., Pierce, S., & Milistetd, M. (2024). Promoting positive mental health in Portuguese and Brazilian youth sport: The roles and responsibilities of policymakers, coaches, and coach developers. International Sport Coaching Journal. https://doi.org/10.1123/iscj.2023-0131  

Newman, T., Black, S., Santos, F., Jefka, B., & Brennan, N. (2023). Coaching life skill development and transfer: A scoping review of facilitative coaching practices in youth sports. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 16(1), 619-656. https://doi.org/10.1080/1750984X.2021.1910977  

Tarr, C., Newman, T., Santos, F., & Turgeon, S. (2023). The duality of sport social workers coaching critical positive youth development within competitive youth sport. International Sport Coaching Journal, 11(1), 124-135. https://doi.org/10.1123/iscj.2022-0080 

Movember Foundation 

This grant-funded project, which is being conducted in partnership with researchers from Illinois State University, is supported by the Movember Foundation. The project is dedicated to co-creating youth sport programming with two local community organizations, which were designed for youth in underserved communities of color in Chicago (Beyond the Ball) and San Diego (UWEAST), respectively. The resultant youth sport programming will be designed to promote healthy masculinity, mental health literacy, and emotional regulation skills among youth through the use of sport and recreation. Ultimately, the goal of the project is to create evidence-informed, culturally appropriate programming that can be scaled and implemented nationally and internationally. 

Coaching Values and Life Skills through Physical Education and Sports 

This book was co-authored by Newman alongside Dr. Koon Teck Koh and Muhammad Shufi Bin Salleh from the National Insitute of Education at Nanyang Technological University (Singapore). The book is intended for physical education teachers, youth sport coaches, and sport managers from around the world. By bridging the gap between theory and practice, the book provides tangible evidence-informed approaches for teaching values and life skills through physical education and sport. 

Learn more about the book here. 

For more information and to get involved with the SSW-RL, please email Dr. Tarkington J Newman (tarkington.newman@uky.edu). 

Tara Pulaski and her family on her son's adoption day

National Adoption Month: Building Permanent Family Connections with Tara Pulaski

LEXINGTON, Ky. – This November, Tara Pulaski, College of Social Work’s (CoSW) Children’s Justice Act Task Force and Citizens Review Panel program coordinator, is honoring how her family of three came to be and embracing their adoption and kinship journey.

Pulaski and her husband adopted their son when he was 13 years old, navigating familial bonds as a kinship caregiver. Their son, now 15, was Pulaski’s husband’s biological nephew before he was adopted after nine months.

“When we officially adopted our son, it meant permanency and stability for our family. It was a great comfort, it meant that our son was officially our child, even though he was in our heart before. It also meant that he was legally connected back to our family,” Pulaski said.

Across the nation, nearly 2.7 million young people are being raised by a relative. This care arrangement, referred to as kinship care, is necessary when parents are unable to safely care for children in their home. It is estimated that Kentucky has one of the highest rates of kinship care in the country. 

For Pulaski, having that permanent family connection with her son was important to not only her and her husband, but also to their siblings, parents, and everyone involved with their son.

“We became a forever family not just with us but our extended family as well,” Pulaski said. “Our son is flourishing and doing well in school and socially. Seeing him grow as a person has been rewarding to see.”

During their adoption and kinship journey, Pulaski faced many challenges that come with raising a teenager, but having a child that was in foster care presents additional challenges with the trauma associated. Pulaski found support in resources offered by the CoSW, including Adoption Support for Kentucky, the Foster Parent Training Program, and the Kentucky Kinship Resource Center.

Through these resources, Pulaski and her husband were able to participate in trainings and webinars on trauma-informed parenting, as well as connect with caregivers that had adopted or fostered, giving them a community to connect who shared similar journeys.

“This community of caregivers was important to us because when you are adopting or fostering, you are not on a traditional journey as other parents, so it really gave us a group that understood the unique challenges, feelings, and emotions that we were having,” Pulaski said.

During National Adoption Month this November, Pulaski reflects on the representation the month brings, celebrating the non-traditional journey and reminding her that families can come together in a lot of different ways.

“Through the good and the bad and no matter what happened, we reminded our son that this was his forever home and we’re going to stay together,” Pulaski said. “That really got us through all the difficulties and challenges.”

Levone Lee standing in front of research poster

Social Work Ph.D. student publishes first lead-author article

LEXINGTON, Ky. – University of Kentucky College of Social Work Ph.D. student, Levone Lee, published his first lead-author article, titled “Attitudes Toward Aggressive and Violent Behaviors and the Role of Life Skills Among University Club Sport Athletes.” This article examines the relationship between life skills developed in sport context and attitudes toward aggressive and violent behaviors outside of sports.

Dr. Tarkington Newman, CoSW Associate Professor and Director of the Sport Social Work Lab, and Stéphanie Turgeon, professor at Université du Québec en Outaouais, were co-authors on this publication, exploring skills developed in sport like emotional regulation, social interaction, teamwork, leadership, problem-solving, and time management.

“The findings in this article indicated that for university club sport athletes, life skills developed in sport context in general are linked to socially favorable attitudes toward aggressive and violent behaviors,” Lee said. “When athletes develop skills like emotional control, teamwork, and problem-solving within the sports setting, they are more likely to adopt attitudes that reject or minimize aggressive and violent behaviors outside of sports.”

Lee, a second-year Ph.D. student, is a researcher in the Sport Social Work Research Lab at the CoSW. The intersection of sports and social work has been a passion for Lee, and a unique opportunity to help focus on an athletes’ well-being on and off the playing field.

Sport is a valuable context for life skills development and life skills developed through sports have the potential to be applied in other social settings outside of sports, Lee mentioned. This transfer of skills can lead to more positive attitudes toward aggression and violent behaviors.

“These life skills help individuals respond to conflicts or challenges in a socially responsible and constructive way, rather than resorting to harmful or destructive actions,” Lee said. “Since attitudes are often directly associated with behavior outcomes, developing life skills in a sports context and applying them in other areas of life may help reduce aggressive and violent behaviors overall.”

As a student and sport social work researcher, publishing his first lead-author article is a significant milestone in Lee’s academic journey. It marks the progress and growth of Lee as a student and as a researcher.

“This paper also serves as a reminder of the invaluable support and mentorship I’ve received, as well as the privilege of collaborating with other scholars. Additionally, I am deeply grateful for the opportunities and platform provided by my school, which has made this achievement possible,” Lee said.

As Lee continues to explore sport social work, his article provides valuable insights for administrators, coaches, and other stakeholders who are responsible for supporting the positive development of university club sport athletes to prioritize efforts aimed at developing the most relevant life skills.

“The study findings are also relevant for supporting youth, particularly marginalized youth in sports, as fostering these skills can contribute to healthier social interactions and long-term personal development. Such relevance aligns with social work’s goals of promoting social equity and well-being for all youth,” Lee said.

Image of Drs. Scanlon and Ratliff presenting at CSWE

UK College of Social Work attends 2024 Council on Social Work Education Annual Program Meeting

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — For over 85 years, the University of Kentucky College of Social Work (CoSW) faculty have conducted cutting-edge research aimed at addressing society’s most challenging social conditions. The impact of that research was on full display at the 2024 Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Annual Program Meeting (APM), held in Kansas City from October 24-27. 

CSWE APM is the largest gathering of social work educators, researchers, and academic administrators in the United States. This year, CoSW faculty conducted more than 20 juried presentations, spanning an array of topics, including creating and sustaining an LGBTQ+ pipeline in social work education, creating psychologically safe spaces for belonging and epistemic justice, and exploring social workers’ experiences with moral distress. 

“CSWE APM presented multiple opportunities for our faculty and staff to engage in vital career growth, enhance the visibility of their research and teaching efforts, and network with social work peers from across the globe,” Dr. Matt Moore, CoSW Associate Dean of Academic and Student Affairs said. 

Among CoSW faculty, Dr. Antonio Garcia, Associate Professor at CoSW and Buckhorn Professor of Social Work, was selected to receive the CSWE Minority Fellowship Program’s (MFP) 50th Anniversary Social Work Excellence Award. 

“I am deeply honored to receive the Minority Fellowship Program’s 50th Anniversary Social Work Excellence Award,” Garcia said. “This recognition from CSWE reflects not just my work, but the collective effort to advance mental health and behavioral services for underserved communities.” 

As part of the Forward, Together Strategic Framework, the College continues to make significant investments to bolster research efforts consistent with the University of Kentucky’s Research Priorities Initiative. These investments include new pilot initiatives designed to expand professional development opportunities, increase support for extramural proposals, and strategically disseminate resources. 

Over the last five years specifically, the College’s extramural research folio has grown by 335 percent. 

“Attending and presenting at CSWE’s APM provided me with valuable opportunities for growth, networking, and knowledge exchange,” Dr. Desha Scanlon, Clinical Assistant Professor, said. “I attended presentations that helped me gain exposure to the latest research findings, and innovative practices, enhancing my understanding and skills across a variety of areas. Presenting my work on field education fosters my credibility as an innovative social work field educator.” 

Dr. Stephanie Ratliff, Field Education Director, echoed that a large group of social work educators attended her and Scanlon’s presentation, Moving Past Crisis Response: An Integrated Support Model for Placement Struggles in Field Education. 

“It was validating to see the number of social work educators who attended the presentation about how the UK CoSW Field Team serves and supports students through the placement support process,” Ratliff said. 

In line with CoSW’s ongoing commitment to holistic well-being, the Self-Care Lab hosted its popular Self-Care Suite. This year, the Self-Care Suite offered innovative wellness activities, including virtual reality (VR) meditations and complimentary 10-minute chair massages for participants, providing an immersive experience to promote relaxation and mindfulness amid the dynamic conference environment. 

“Our faculty and staff left with new ideas for innovation, additions to their research agendas, and best practices for engaging students in their educational programs. It was also a perfect place to showcase our CoSW self-care initiatives, to meet future colleagues, and to demonstrate to our peers that UK is a leader in social work spaces,” Moore said. 

You can learn more about CSWE, and see a full list of CoSW presenters, by visiting the APM website.

Sara Corman at UK Men's Soccer practice

Social Work’s Sara Corman fosters well-being in student-athletes through sport social work

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Sara Corman, a master’s student at the University of Kentucky College of Social Work (CoSW), is exploring a unique component of social work through her practicum this fall. Corman is currently working as a Sport Social Worker with the University of Kentucky men’s soccer team, helping student-athletes with life skill development.  

Sport Social Work, a relatively new field, focuses on the athlete as a whole person and not just their performance on the field.  Social work offers a unique perspective in the athletic space, emphasizing mental and behavioral health. Social workers can help get to the root of the presenting problem and address it, which may lead to improved performance. The CoSW is also home to the Sport Social Work Collaborative, a partnership dedicated to leading research, teaching, and outreach efforts that seek to promote the healthy development of athletes, coaches, and communities. 

“The areas I’m focusing on with the team are life skill development and overall wellness promotion,” Corman said. “I go to all the trainings and games, as well as conduct one-on-one meetings and group meetings to talk about things that your everyday college student is going to deal with like time management, communication, among others.” 

Corman started with the team in August, working with the team through training camp and the first three weeks of preseason, arguably the most important time for student-athletes as they get adjusted to their new training and class schedule. 

Men’s Soccer head coach, Johan Cedergren, emphasizes the need to have a member of the support staff who the student-athletes can approach to talk about how things are going on the field, but also what could be going on off the field. 

“As a coach, you’re always looking for new ways to improve and do things better to find new ways to connect with your athletes,” Cedergren said. “My thinking was, to add Sara to the staff having the formal social work training and experience that she has, it adds another way to connect with the guys and figure out where we are individually and also as a group.”  

One of the most important areas for Corman with the men’s soccer student-athletes is relationship building. Helping the student-athletes know that she is an advocate for them on and off the field. 

“My focus is on the student-athlete as a person and their overall wellness. I work with the team a lot on their communication with each other, leadership and staying organized. Many things that any person could benefit with a little guidance on, but hopefully, it also benefits them on the soccer field,” Corman said. 

Corman and Cedergren meet on a regular basis to discuss different things observed at practice or games, as Corman can view the athletes on more of a personal level, observing body language and behavior when things are going well, or not going well.  

Adding Corman to the staff has added a different perspective to the men’s soccer support staff, giving a more complete picture of the individual student-athlete to help with their overall success. 

“The student-athletes are here because of their skills in the game of soccer, but they’re also here to grow as young men. I’ve been a head coach for 13 years and one of the main reasons I do this for a living is that I love to work with and develop these guys over four or five years,” Cedergren said. “What I want them to take away from this first fall working with a sport social worker is that it’s another level of what Kentucky men’s soccer is willing to do to make sure that we can help these student-athletes develop in all aspects of life.”  

For Corman, the little moments she shares with the team have been one of the most rewarding parts of her time with men’s soccer. Getting to know them as athletes, but also the person they are off the field.  

“I always like to remind them that you are an athlete on the field, but you are also a person off the field,” Corman said. “I want them to know that they will always have someone in their corner.” 

College faculty at CSWE Conference

University of Kentucky College of Social Work to Attend CSWE Annual Program Meeting 2024 in Kansas City

Lexington, KY (Oct. 14, 2024) – The University of Kentucky College of Social Work (CoSW) is excited to participate in the 2024 Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Annual Program Meeting (APM), taking place in Kansas City on October 24-27th.

CSWE APM is the largest gathering of social work educators, researchers, and academic administrators in the United States. Building on the momentum of last year, the College will feature a diverse lineup of talented students and faculty, delivering 15 juried presentations.

Highlights include:

  • Madri Hall-Faul on the intersections of social work research, policy, and education, and the implications for collaborative practices.
  • Kathryn Showalter discussing the education of Social Work PhD students with a focus on policy research.
  • Laneshia Conner exploring the revival of Native cultural practices in social work education.
  • Diane Loeffler, Natalie Pope, Holden Dillman, Don Rooks, and Rebecca Willis-Nichols presenting findings on rural service provider experiences during Kentucky’s 2022 floods.
  • Taylor Dowdy-Hazlett, Shelby Clark, and Ryan Barney sharing insights on foster parents’ professional quality of life, addressing secondary traumatic stress, burnout, and compassion satisfaction.
  • Cherra Mathis presenting on social workers’ experiences navigating resistant institutions and stakeholder perspectives on interventions for parenting foster youth survivors of IPV.

Among CoSW faculty, Dr. Antonio Garcia, Associate Professor at CoSW and Buckhorn Professor of Social Work, has been selected to receive the CSWE Minority Fellowship Program’s (MFP) 50th Anniversary Social Work Excellence Award.

In line with CoSW’s ongoing commitment to holistic well-being, the Self-Care Lab will once again host its popular “Self-Care Suite” at this year’s APM. This year, the Self-Care Suite will offer innovative wellness activities, including virtual reality (VR) meditations and complimentary 15-minute chair massages for participants, providing an immersive experience to promote relaxation and mindfulness amid the dynamic conference environment.

For 85 years, CoSW faculty have conducted cutting-edge research aimed at addressing society’s most challenging social conditions. Over the last five years specifically, the College’s extramural research folio has grown by 335%.

As part of the Forward, Together Strategic Framework, the College continues to make significant investments to bolster research efforts consistent with the University of Kentucky’s Research Priorities Initiative. These investments include new pilot initiatives designed to expand professional development opportunities, increase support for extramural proposals, and strategically disseminate resources.

CoSW looks forward to engaging with the broader social work community at the 2024 APM and continuing to lead in addressing grand challenges in our field.

For more information about the CSWE APM, please click here.

Two people shaking hands before a sports game

College of Social Work announces Sport Social Work Collaborative

LEXINGTON, Ky. – A new collaboration has been announced at the University of Kentucky College of Social Work (CoSW) that will advance Sport Social Work as a unique specialization within the social work profession. The Sport Social Work Collaborative is a partnership between the Sport Social Work Research Lab (SSW-RL), Sport Social Work Journal (SSWJ), and Alliance of Social Workers in Sports (ASWIS). 

The Sport Social Work Collaborative will be housed within the SSW-RL at the College of Social Work.  Through this strategic partnership, the Sport Social Work Collaborative is dedicated to leading research, teaching, and outreach efforts that seek to promote the healthy development of athletes, coaches, and communities. 

“Thinking about networks of communication, the lab does a lot of research but then the Alliance provides access to and an understanding of that research,” Dr. Tarkington Newman, CoSW professor and Director of the SSW-RL, said. “With the Sport Social Work Journal, they are collecting and collating new research that is coming out about different topics, educating and inspiring sport social workers.” 

Synergizing the efforts of three distinct sport social work entities, the Sport Social Work Collaborative will be the first conglomerate of its kind. As a result, the Sport Social Work Collaborative will be uniquely positioned to conduct innovative translational research, develop novel educational opportunities, and engage in meaningful service and outreach partnerships that meet the needs of current and aspiring sport social work professionals.  

“Speaking from the Alliance side, the collaboration is breaking down barriers. Often, we get siloed into our different specialties and this collaboration gives us a chance to remove those limitations,” Dr. Richard Weaver, CoSW lecturer and executive committee member of the ASWIS, said. “From collegiate athletics to youth sports, to policy makers, we are creating a central location where everybody can have a seat at the table. This gives us an opportunity to expand our reach.” 

Further, the Sport Social Work Collaborative is a vested partner in the professional development of aspiring sport social work students. All such efforts will be carried out via the SSW-RL. 

Dr. Matt Moore, CoSW Associate Dean of Academic and Student Affairs and editor of the Sport Social Work Journal, looks to amplify the voices of sport social workers through the unity of the three organizations.  

“Collaborations of this nature bring together the strengths and perspectives of industry leaders, which can lead to new innovation in the sport social workspace. The impact of such a collaboration on research, community outreach, and education is profound,” Moore said. 

The Sport Social Work Research Lab, Alliance of Social Workers in Sport, and the Sport Social Work Journal all share a common vision and desire to produce outcomes for the sport social work profession and beyond. 

For more information on the Sport Social Work Collaborative, please email Dr. Newman at tarkngton.newman@uky.edu.  

Close up of a man carrying his child on his back outdoors.

Building family connections with Rachael Petrey at the Kentucky Kinship Resource Center

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Family connections, both biological and connections that are created through love, have guided Rachael Petrey’s kinship journey, ultimately leading her to the Kentucky Kinship Resource Center (KKRC) at the University of Kentucky College of Social Work (CoSW).

Petrey, KKRC Program Coordinator, has cared for five different kinship children over the course of her adult life, both relative and fictive kin. This care arrangement, referred to as kinship care, is necessary when parents are unable to safely care for children in their home. 

“I’ve always viewed kinship care as not only something we do but something that’s an integral part of our everyday life,” Petrey said.

Beginning as a Peer Support Specialist with the KKRC, Petrey was able to see families grow and thrive through the KKRC programs and have their needs met in many different ways. That inspired her to take on a bigger role in the program and become a program coordinator in July 2024.

Now, Petrey is able to support kinship families at a programmatic level, making sure the needs of families take precedent, and constantly working to make the programs at the KKRC more personalized to kinship families.

“A big reason that the kinship program is so successful is that it was specifically designed to support kinship families in Kentucky,” Petrey said. “We really looked to design the program specific to the needs of the families. It’s very personalized.”

The KKRC provides a continuum of services to meet the unique needs of kinship providers across the Commonwealth, including one-on-one peer support, support groups, and online webinars and trainings. Recently, the KKRC expanded and will now serve all caregivers, whether they have custody, are fostering, or are caretaking for a family member or friend’s child.

A large part of Petrey’s position is not only connecting families with these resources, but also empowering them in their kinship journey and equipping families with the knowledge and skills to make an impact in their community.

“The biggest things I hope families take away from the programs at the KKRC are support, education and connection,” Petrey said. “It’s not just providing resources, it’s providing support for families, while also empowering them to feel confident and comfortable enough to continue to reach out and continue to seek support to have their needs met.”

As a kinship provider herself, Petrey’s biggest advice for new kinship families is to not be afraid to ask for help. She emphasizes the importance of reaching out for support and seeking assistance, highlighting that the KKRC is available to offer an array of supportive services.

“If we utilize the access we have for support and resources from the very beginning, rather than waiting until challenges become overwhelming, it will make that journey much easier for everyone involved,” Petrey shared.

To learn more about the Kentucky Kinship Resource Center and its programs, please visit the KKRC website.