During the 2026 Kentucky General Assembly, advocates, attorneys, judges, individuals with lived experience, and policymakers continued an important conversation: How can Kentucky strengthen legal representation for the children and families involved in child welfare cases?

This conversation led to meaningful amplification of an important issue, even if the related bills did not reach the finish line this session. 

Why Legal Representation Matters?

Quality legal representation is vital in child welfare cases, which involve some of the most important decisions a court can make for a child and family. Access to high-quality representation helps protect legal rights, strengthens judicial decision-making, improves permanency outcomes, reduces the time children spend in foster care, and leads to more frequent family visitation.

In Kentucky, judges appoint a Guardian ad Litem (GAL) to represent every child involved in dependency, neglect, and abuse cases. Similarly, judges may appoint Court Appointed Counsel (CAC) for parents involved in these cases. Both GALs and CACs are licensed attorneys in the Commonwealth and are appointed from a list of attorneys maintained by the judge.

However, Kentucky is facing a shortage of attorneys available to serve in these cases. In a 2025 survey conducted by the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC), two out of three judges surveyed reported a decrease in available attorneys in all or some of the counties in their district over the past five years. Low compensation, the challenging nature of child welfare cases, and an overall lack of attorneys were cited as key factors contributing to these shortages.

Progress During the 2026 Session

With this in mind, Kentucky Youth Advocates, along with partners across the child welfare and judicial systems, advocated for reforms to ensure that attorneys are properly supported and, most importantly, that every child and parent involved in these cases has the high-quality legal representation and consistent advocacy they deserve. 

House Bill 598, sponsored by Representative Dietz, would have created the Department of Family Representation and Advocacy, an independent agency focused on strengthening the quality and consistency of GALs and CACs in child welfare cases. The Department would have centralized attorney appointment, compensation, training, oversight, and support services for eligible children and parents.

Additionally, House Concurrent Resolution 36, sponsored by Representative Lockett, would have established the Child Welfare and Family Court Reform Task Force to review existing laws, agency policies, and current processes. This task force would have sought input from experts in the field, as well as individuals with lived experience, to evaluate the current system and develop recommendations for future legislation. 

HB 598 and HCR 36 both advanced through the House Families and Children Committee with favorable intent, but did not receive a vote on the House Floor.

During the HB 598 committee hearing, Chair Heavrin emphasized an important point for advocates to carry forward: Conversations about reforming child welfare legal representation must remain centered on what is best for kids and what will help children and families involved in these cases.

The Work Continues

Although HB 598 did not become law and HCR 36 was not adopted this session, both proposals helped elevate the need to improve Kentucky’s child welfare and family court systems. Both proposals were filed and passed through committee, while also sparking conversations among legislators, judges, attorneys, and advocates about the need for change.

Advocacy often takes time. Many policies that eventually become law require multiple sessions of education, coalition-building, refinement, and persistence. 

We will continue to work alongside policymakers, judges, attorneys, parents, caregivers, young people, and community partners to strengthen legal representation and improve outcomes for children and families. 

If you want to help us on this advocacy journey, you can:

  • Read this blog to learn more about child welfare legal representation in Kentucky.
  • Review our Issue Brief on Strengthening Legal Representation for Kentucky Families.
  • Reach out to your state legislators during the interim to voice why this issue is important.
  • Share your experience as a GAL or CAC in child welfare cases, or as a parent, caregiver, or young person impacted by the system. To help inform this continued advocacy, email Andrew Alvey at aalvey@kyyouth.org.