Kentucky Earns Another "D" on Protecting Kids

When it comes to state rankings of child welfare, Kentucky's motto has always been "Thank God for Mississippi." As often as we rank in the bottom 10 states on every measure - poverty, health, education - we rest easy in the knowledge that Mississippi will always be worse.

But a long string of near-worsts is nothing to be proud of. And now we've got another one.

A new report by two leading child advocacy groups on Thursday gave Kentucky a failing grade for not doing enough to protect the legal rights of abused kids.

Kentucky was one of eight states to earn a “D” and one of 15 states to earn a “D” or an “F.” Kentucky’s failing grade was due in part for not requiring training for attorneys who are appointed to represent children in court and failing to mandate that the legal representation continue through the appeal process.

SNIP

Kentucky’s failing grade came as no surprise to child advocates who have been pushing for changes to the state’s court-appointed legal system for decades.

Kentucky does provide voluntary training for court-appointed attorneys, called guardian ad litems. That training has improved over the years. But it is not mandatory and there is no checks and balances on whether a court-appointed attorney is competent, said David Richart, of the National Institute on Children, Youth and Families in Louisville. Richart has written five different reports calling for changes in the way the state handles legal representation for children and parents accused of abusing and neglecting children.
“You could fall asleep during the training and sign on and say that you have completed the training,” Richart said. “To me there is no accountability in how that training is conducted.”

SNIP

At the press conference in Washington D.C. on Thursday, child advocates said that they hoped that the report would give advocates and legislators ammunition to change state laws and to improve the legal system for children.

Read the whole thing.

Add abused children to the list of citizens-without-lobbyists who will keep getting the shit-covered end of the budget stick from Frankfort.