CHFS Adoption Services

In Kentucky, hundreds of children wait for the love and security of an adoptive family. Most of these children are older, have special physical, mental or emotional needs, or they are part of a sibling group. Adoption can give these children a brighter future.

The Department for Community Based Services (DCBS), an agency of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, is the primary adoption agency in Kentucky. DCBS places hundreds of children and youth for adoption each year. Most of these children were removed from their birth parents by court order for a variety of reasons. A majority of them have emotional scars from a background that includes abuse or abandonment. These children have been maltreated and exploited. Parental rights were terminated because the parents were unable or unwilling to provide proper care for their children. The children are considered "special needs" because they are older, have brothers and sisters that need to be placed with them or they have moderate to severe emotional, physical/medical or mental disabilities. These are the children least likely to be served in an adoption program. From a parenting perspective, your primary task is to teach the child to trust adults.

By Kentucky statute, DCBS is involved in every adoption that occurs in the state. In placements made by licensed private agencies and independent placements, the department receives and processes copies of the adoption application and/or petition and forwards the confidential adoption reports to the courts. The department is legally mandated to investigate all adoption cases.