Rachael Petrey

Rachael Petrey serves as a Program Coordinator with the University of Kentucky College of Social Work, supporting the Kentucky Kinship Resource Center (KKRC). In this role, she leads the coordination and implementation of kinship support programs serving caregivers across Kentucky, including overseeing KY-KINS and Kinship Catalogue, and supporting KIN-VIP (Kinship Virtual Integration Program). Her work focuses on connecting kinship caregivers with practical resources, peer support, and education to strengthen families and promote stability.

Rachael has built her career supporting children and families through community-based services and cross-system collaboration. Her professional background includes experience as a corporate trainer and educational advocate, as well as providing training support for the Department for Community Based Services (DCBS), and serving as a Community Educational Specialist in the mental health field. In those roles, she developed and implemented community-based programming, delivered education on parenting and life skills, and connected families to essential supports and services

In her current role, Rachael works closely with state and community partners to ensure services are accessible, responsive, and grounded in real-life needs. She focuses on reducing barriers to support and ensuring services feel approachable, meaningful, and easy to engage with. She is deeply committed to ensuring kinship caregivers feel supported, valued, and equipped, because when caregivers are supported, families are stronger.