Kentucky Changes Child Welfare System; Study Group For Performance-Based Contracting Established

On April 13, 2018, Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin signed legislation, House Bill 1, to make changes to the state’s adoption and foster care system. The changes expand the definition of child abuse to include prenatal drug abuse, speed up termination of parental rights, implement performance-based contracting, and create a study group to examine the possibility of privatizing foster care in Kentucky.

Additional information about the provisions of House Bill 1 are as follows:

Although the bill expands the definition of child abuse to include prenatal drug use; however, the law states that pregnant women who enroll in addiction . . .