KRS 600.010: Title and intent of KRS Chapters 600 to 645.

(1) KRS Chapters 600 to 645 shall be known as the Kentucky Unified Juvenile Code.

(2) KRS Chapters 600 to 645 shall be interpreted to effectuate the following express

legislative purposes:

(a) The Commonwealth shall direct its efforts to promoting protection o f

children; to the strengthening and encouragement of family life for the

protection and care of children; to strengthening and maintaining the

biological family unit; to ensuring that policies and practices utilized are

supported by data and research and are monitored or measured for their

effectiveness in achieving the intended results; and to offering all available

resources to any family in need of them;

(b) It also shall be declared to be the policy of this Commonwealth that:

1. All efforts shall be di rected toward providing each child a safe and

nurturing home;

2. Emphasis shall be placed on involving families in interventions

developed for youth, providing families with access to services

necessary to address issues within the family, and increasing

accountability of the youth and families within the juvenile justice

system;

3. To the extent possible, out -of-home placement should only be utilized

for youth who are high -risk or high -level offenders, and that low -risk,

low-level offenders should be serve d through evidence -based

programming in their community; and

4. As the population in Department of Juvenile Justice facilities is reduced

through increased use of community -based treatment, and if staffing

ratios can be maintained at the levels required by accreditation bodies,

reductions of the number of facilities should be considered;

(c) The court shall show that other less restrictive alternatives have been

attempted or are not feasible in order to insure that children are not removed

from families except when absolutely necessary;

(d) Any child brought before the court under KRS Chapters 600 to 645 shall have

a right to treatment reasonably calculated, through the use of evidence -based

programs when available, to bring about an improvement of his or he r

condition and, to the extent possible, have that treatment administered in the

county of residence of the custodial parent or parents or in the nearest

available county;

(e) KRS Chapter 635 shall be interpreted to promote the best interests of the child

through providing treatment and sanctions to reduce recidivism and assist in

making the child a productive citizen by involving the family, as appropriate,

and by advancing the principles of personal responsibility, accountability, and

reformation, while m aintaining public safety, and seeking restitution and

reparation;

(f) KRS Chapter 640 shall be interpreted to promote public safety and the

concept that every child be held accountable for his or her conduct through the

use of restitution, reparation, and sanctions, in an effort to rehabilitate

delinquent youth; and

(g) It shall further be the policy of this Commonwealth to provide judicial

procedures in which rights and interests of all parties, including the parents

and victims, are recognized and all parties are assured prompt and fair

hearings. Unless otherwise provid ed, such protections belong to the child

individually and may not be waived by any other party.