Kentucky has the second highest female imprisonment rate. Operations Open Arms works with our community to reduce the impact on our children and support women upon reentry.
We provide three programs: Incarcerated Foster Care, Recovery Over Incarceration, & Short-Term Foster Care. All three programs offer case management, support services, respite care, foster home services, and services to strengthen the parent-child bond for incarcerated women and their children. Criteria include currently incarcerated, history of incarceration, and women with children.
If you are facing sentencing, have been incarcerated, or are choosing recovery over incarceration and believe you could benefit from our services please contact us.
Our Kids Clothes Closet is designed to provide children entering our foster care program with essentials such as a bed, bedding, clothing, luggage, car seat, and other necessities. These items are upgraded as needed while the child is in the foster care program. When exiting the program, the children receive upgraded items and take with them a journal, backpack, blanket, and memory box. Our goal is to provide them with essentials and empower them.
The clothes closet is also available to foster families in the community. Please contact us to learn more about visiting the clothes closet and making donations.
Incarceration Services
This program is designed for women who are being sentenced or serving time and need an option for placement of their children. Sometimes, women may not realize they have options, and as a result their children automatically enter states care. In other cases, women may turn to their family or friends for help, only to discover that it’s not a viable long-term option. Operation Open Arms is nationally accredited, and state licensed to provide foster homes, however, we operate privately and offer an alternative to the state system.
Upon intake, incarcerated women meet with a social worker to learn about services and assess whether Operation Open Arms is the right fit for their needs, and if we can provide the necessary support. Should both parties agree, we then proceed with the development of a transition plan, visitation/communication plan, and facilitating meetings with the case manager and foster family. This process can move quickly or take place over time, depending upon the situation.
Each mother is assigned a case manager who focuses on setting goals, such as increasing support and preserving the child parent bond. This case manager will continue working with the family throughout re-entry, reunification, and post-reunification. Additionally, a separate case manager is assigned to the child to oversee their needs and ensure they have a loving, nurturing, and stable home environment. The two case managers collaborate, providing a comprehensive team approach.
Re-entry into society is a challenging adjustment with many tasks to accomplish. Our goal is to offer additional support, making the transition to reunification a gradual process that allows mothers the time they need to achieve their goals, stabilize, and successfully reunify with their children. Once reunified we continue case management and support services including respite for a minimum of six months.
“I was skeptical about using OOA. I really didn’t know who else to turn to for help. I didn’t have much local support. I needed someone to help me with my child. It was hard. I don’t trust people and it meant I had to trust them, strangers. I found a great job for myself and a new apartment. A family took care of my child while I took care of both of us with my job and apartment. OOA helped me with some items for my home, support, and a home for my child. The staff and family genuinely care. As they say, with courage I changed my circumstances. I made a better life for me and my child, OOA helped us to be able to do that. I am thankful. I would tell others to trust and put the work in because with support you can change your circumstances.” - Anonymous Biological Mother Testimony
Regarding Foster Homes
Our foster homes are private residences that have passed a thorough inspection process including background checks; assessments; interviews; and much more. We collaborate with community professionals to train foster families and provide additional training through our experienced staff. Our aim is to ensure homes are secure, safe, well-trained, and loving homes.
Our goal is to provide each child with a dedicated foster home where they will stay with the same family throughout their time in the program. This family can continue as a respite family, providing ongoing support and stability. Typically, the process includes a meeting between the child’s family and the foster family before placement, which is the first step in building continuous support.
The foster family has a case manager who supervises and supports the needs of the child.
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Recovery Over Incarceration
This program is designed to support women with children who are either deferred to recovery programs instead of sentencing or are entering a recovery program with a history of incarceration. Through collaboration with local recovery centers and community grants, we provide temporary homes for children while their mothers undergo medical detox and enter recovery programs. The length of stay in our care can vary from ten to thirty days, depending upon the recovery center’s requirements.
Our goals are to offer a loving, nurturing, and stable home environment for the children while their mothers are in recovery programs; continue providing respite care the same home environment as needed; preserve the child parent bond; offer additional case management support for the family; and work with the team to reduce risks that can lead to incarceration.
Short-Term Services
Due to funding limitations, this program has limited availability. This program is designed for women who have been incarcerated and are in need of a temporary home for their children due to homelessness, recovery, or other related needs. Our goal is to provide case management and a loving, nurturing, and stable home environment for the children while their mothers work to improve their situation. We understand that in some cases, additional support is necessary to reduce the risk of further incarceration.
Adoption Services
Operation Open Arms offers home studies, investigations, birth parent interviews, and post-placement services for independent, interstate, or agency adoptions. We can collaborate with your attorney, agency, or other professionals to address your specific needs.
Occasionally, foster placements lead to adoptions. This is not the (primary) goal.
If you require adoption services, please contact us to find out how we can assist you.
