Kentucky Families Demand Oversight and Accountability of DCBS
Kentucky Families Demand Oversight and Accountability of DCBS
The Issue
I've personally experienced the devastating impacts of the Kentucky Department for Community Based Services (DCBS) on families like mine. What should have been a system dedicated to the safety and well-being of our children has, in too many cases, become a source of unnecessary disruption and distress. Families across Kentucky are speaking out against due process violations, false allegations, and wrongful removals enacted by DCBS.
In Rowan County and its neighboring districts, numerous families, including mine, have witnessed children being removed without valid court orders, directly contravening Kentucky Revised Statute (KRS) 620.060. These actions have subjected children to emotional harm, exacerbated by the disruption of visitation rights and underlying biases that emerge in custody decisions.
The stories are all too familiar – prolonged or retaliatory investigations persist even when allegations remain unsubstantiated. Documentation is sometimes altered or incomplete, used unjustly to break apart families, all while evidence of misconduct remains buried and without consequence.
To address these systemic problems, we urge the following actions:
1. An independent investigation carried out by the U.S. Department of Justice and the Office of Inspector General.
2. Legislative hearings to examine the operations of the DCBS and the outcomes of child-welfare processes.
3. Enactment of a Kentucky Parents’ Bill of Rights to ensure that transparency and due process are protected.
4. Public reporting of any substantiated misconduct and the subsequent disciplinary actions taken.
5. Provision of reunification support for families who have been wrongfully separated.
The balance of protecting children and safeguarding constitutional rights is not only necessary but imperative. We cannot allow the unchecked power of the DCBS to damage the very families it is meant to protect. Join us in demanding full accountability and transformative reform. Stand with us and sign this petition to bring justice and transparency to the Kentucky DCBS system.
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The Issue
I've personally experienced the devastating impacts of the Kentucky Department for Community Based Services (DCBS) on families like mine. What should have been a system dedicated to the safety and well-being of our children has, in too many cases, become a source of unnecessary disruption and distress. Families across Kentucky are speaking out against due process violations, false allegations, and wrongful removals enacted by DCBS.
In Rowan County and its neighboring districts, numerous families, including mine, have witnessed children being removed without valid court orders, directly contravening Kentucky Revised Statute (KRS) 620.060. These actions have subjected children to emotional harm, exacerbated by the disruption of visitation rights and underlying biases that emerge in custody decisions.
The stories are all too familiar – prolonged or retaliatory investigations persist even when allegations remain unsubstantiated. Documentation is sometimes altered or incomplete, used unjustly to break apart families, all while evidence of misconduct remains buried and without consequence.
To address these systemic problems, we urge the following actions:
1. An independent investigation carried out by the U.S. Department of Justice and the Office of Inspector General.
2. Legislative hearings to examine the operations of the DCBS and the outcomes of child-welfare processes.
3. Enactment of a Kentucky Parents’ Bill of Rights to ensure that transparency and due process are protected.
4. Public reporting of any substantiated misconduct and the subsequent disciplinary actions taken.
5. Provision of reunification support for families who have been wrongfully separated.
The balance of protecting children and safeguarding constitutional rights is not only necessary but imperative. We cannot allow the unchecked power of the DCBS to damage the very families it is meant to protect. Join us in demanding full accountability and transformative reform. Stand with us and sign this petition to bring justice and transparency to the Kentucky DCBS system.
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Petition created on October 25, 2025