Kentucky Caregiver Affidavit and JCPS Louisville School Enrollment

Jefferson County Public Schools is the largest school district in Kentucky, serving Louisville and the surrounding county. JCPS uses a centralized registration system that processes enrollment for roughly 100,000 students — and the process for enrolling a child under a caregiver affidavit works a bit differently here than in a small rural district where you walk into the school office and talk to the registrar.

How JCPS Registration Works

JCPS operates centralized online registration alongside neighborhood school enrollment centers. For a kinship caregiver enrolling a child, the process is:

1. Start online: JCPS uses an online registration portal for new student intake. You will create an account and begin the enrollment application there.
2. Upload the affidavit: The portal accepts document uploads. Upload a scanned or photographed copy of your notarized Caregiver's Authorization Affidavit. Make sure the notary seal and signatures are legible in the image.
3. Provide supporting documents: Birth certificate, immunization records (or a plan to get them within the grace period), and proof of residence at your Louisville/Jefferson County address.
4. Complete in-person verification: JCPS enrollment centers may require an in-person visit to verify documents. Bring the original notarized affidavit — not just the uploaded copy.

What JCPS Cannot Require

Under KRS 158.144, JCPS — like every Kentucky school district — must accept a valid caregiver affidavit for enrollment. The district cannot demand:

• A formal court custody decree
• A judicial guardianship order
• Signed consent from the biological parent (beyond what is on the affidavit itself)

If a JCPS registration clerk tells you that you need a court order, that is incorrect. Ask to speak with the Director of Pupil Personnel or the district's legal office. The statutory immunity in KRS 158.144(4)-(5) protects school officials who accept the affidavit in good faith.

Missing Records

Children entering kinship care often arrive without school records, immunization documentation, or academic transcripts from a prior school. JCPS must establish interim enrollment while those records transfer. Kentucky enrollment regulations give a statutory grace period for missing immunizations and health records — the child attends class while you work on getting the documents.

If the child was previously enrolled in another JCPS school (common in Louisville kinship situations where the child moved across the county), the records should transfer internally. If they came from out of district or out of state, JCPS will request records from the former school.

School Assignment in JCPS

JCPS assigns students to schools based on a combination of address, school capacity, and the district's student assignment plan. When you enroll a child under a caregiver affidavit, the child is assigned based on your home address — not the parent's former address. If you want a specific school that is not your assigned resides school, you would apply through the district's school choice process like any other family.

Remember the anti-circumvention rule in KRS 158.144(2)(b): the affidavit cannot be used solely to circumvent school assignment policies or gain athletic eligibility. A genuine kinship placement where the child lives with you is not circumvention.

For the complete caregiver affidavit walkthrough — including the form itself, notarization, annual renewal, medical consent, and handling pushback from any institution — the Kentucky School and Medical Consent Guide covers every step.

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