{"data":{"id":"us-ky/krs-620.023","jurisdiction":"us-ky","citation":"KRS 620.023","heading":"Evidence to be considered in determining the best interest of a child.","body":"(1) Evidence of the following circumstances if relevant shall be considered by the court\nin all proceedings conducted pursuant to KRS Chapter 620 in which the court is\nrequired to render decisions in the best interest of the child:\n(a) Mental illness as defined in KRS 202A.011 or an intellectual disability as\ndefined in KRS 202B.010 of the parent, as attested to by a qualified mental\nhealth professional, which renders the parent unable to care for the immediate\nand ongoing needs of the child;\n(b) Acts of abuse or neglect as defined in KRS 600.020 toward any child;\n(c) Substance use disorder, as defined in KRS 222.005, that results in an\nincapacity by the parent or caretake r to provide essential care and protection\nfor the child;\n(d) A finding of domestic violence and abuse as defined in KRS 403.720, whether\nor not committed in the presence of the child;\n(e) Any other crime committed by a parent which results in the death or\npermanent physical or mental disability of a member of that parent's family or\nhousehold; and\n(f) The existence of any guardianship or conservatorship of the parent pursuant to\na determination of disability or partial disability as made under KRS 387.500\nto 387.770 and 387.990.\n(2) In determining the best interest of the child, the court may consider the\neffectiveness of rehabilitative efforts made by the parent or caretaker intended to\naddress circumstances in this section.\n(3) In determining the best interest of the child, the court shall have access to the entire\nprotection and permanency record of the child that is prepared, owned, used, in the\npossession of, or retained by the cabinet.","path":["KRS Chapter 620"],"source_url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=55112","current_through":"Includes enactments through the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"09/05/2026","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T21:00:08Z","sha256":"5a4787da959c50ce190fe4954569d552a1dda8279414044c160208508e8a070a","source_id":"us-ky","stale":false,"prev":"us-ky/krs-620.020","next":"us-ky/krs-620.025"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}