{"data":{"id":"us-ky/krs-625.050","jurisdiction":"us-ky","citation":"KRS 625.050","heading":"Requirements and conditions of petition.","body":"(1) A petition for involuntary termination of parental rights shall be entitled \"In the\ninterest of ..., a child.\"\n(2) The petition shall be filed in the Circuit Court for any of the following counties:\n(a) The county in which either parent resides or may be found;\n(b) The county in which juvenile court actions, if any, concerning the child have\ncommenced; or\n(c) The county in which the child involved resides or is present.\n(3) Proceedings for involuntary termination of parental rights may be initiated upon\npetition by the cabinet, any child -placing agency licensed by the cabinet, any\ncounty or Commonwealth's attorney, or parent.\n(4) The petition for involuntary termination of parental rights shall be verified and\ncontain the following:\n(a) Name and mailing address of each petitioner;\n(b) Name, sex, date of birth, and place of residence of the child;\n(c) Name and address of the living parents of the child;\n(d) Name, date of death, and cause of death, if known, of any deceased parent;\n(e) Name and address of the putative father, if known by the petitioner, of the\nchild if not the same person as the legal father;\n(f) Name and address of the person, cabinet, or age ncy having custody of the\nchild;\n(g) Name and identity of the person, cabinet, or authorized agency to whom\ncustody is sought to be transferred;\n(h) Statement that the person, cabinet, or agency to whom custody is to be given\nhas facilities available and is willing to receive the custody of the child;\n(i) All pertinent information concerning termination or disclaimers of parenthood\nor voluntary consent to termination;\n(j) Information as to the legal status of the child and the court so adjudicating;\nand\n(k) A concise statement of the factual basis for the termination of parental rights.\n(5) No petition may be filed under this section prior to five (5) days after the birth of\nthe child.\n(6) No petition may be filed to terminate the parental rights of:\n(a) A woman solely because of her use of a nonprescribed controlled substance\nduring pregnancy if she enrolls in and maintains substantial compliance with\nboth a substance abuse treatment or recovery program and a regimen of\nprenatal care as recommended by her he alth care practitioner throughout the\nremaining term of her pregnancy. Upon certified completion of the treatment\nor recovery program, or six (6) months after giving birth during which time\nsubstantial compliance with a substance abuse treatment or recover y program\nhas occurred, whichever is earlier, any records maintained by a court or by the\ncabinet relating to a positive test for a nonprescribed controlled substance\nshall be sealed by the court and may not be used in any future criminal\nprosecution or future petition to terminate the woman's parental rights; or\n(b) Any parent solely because of a disability as defined in KRS 199.011 unless\nthe parent has been provided, or unless the parent has knowingly and\naffirmatively rejected in writing, adaptive and supportive services based on an\nindividual assessment of the parent.\n(7) Any petition filed pursuant to this section shall:\n(a) Include a copy of any individual assessment required under subsection (6) of\nthis section and the services provided pursuant to t he assessment, or the\nrejection of offered services signed by the parent; and\n(b) Be fully adjudicated and a final judgment shall be entered by the court within\nsix (6) months of the service of the petition on the parents.","path":["KRS Chapter 625"],"source_url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=56126","current_through":"Includes enactments through the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"09/05/2026","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T21:00:08Z","sha256":"43fb7f1fcbd28ce768fc80bf7c5d1627cbbd2c6081513e366ad407fdb0cf5a0c","source_id":"us-ky","stale":false,"prev":"us-ky/krs-625.046","next":"us-ky/krs-625.060"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}