Kentucky judge tells lawmakers child removal process doesn’t move quick enough in abuse investigations

FRANKFORT, Ky. (FOX 56) — A Kentucky family court judge raised concerns to lawmakers over the process to get children out of bad situations, sometimes taking too long.

 “We feel like there’s too many children falling through the cracks,” Judge Kent Varney of Pike County told a panel of lawmakers on the legislative oversight and investigations committee.

Varney said many of his colleagues feel there’s a disconnect between the judiciary and the Department of Family and Children Services. At Thursday’s meeting, Varney elevated his concerns that the process for removing a child from an abusive home does not move forward quickly enough, and that delay could allow further harm.

“This did not meet acceptance criteria. This was a report from a teacher. Someone who has a duty to report child abuse or neglect,’ Varney said, explaining one case he dealt with that required multiple concerned calls before authorities stepped in.

“At that time, the child had lost about 30% of his body weight. The children disclosed that one child, at least, was locked into a room with no lights and was set there, not fed. And the child said he was fed Vaseline,” Varney said when removal occurred.

“If you’re going to put those duties on us, we should be able, once we call in, that it triggers an automatic investigation,’ Varney said, arguing a 2024 law requiring one or more mandatory reporters calling in before an automatic investigation is triggered is being interpreted to mean multiple reports are required. He asked lawmakers to make a clarification.  “We can’t ignore a report. We have to process it. It has to go through the process. So we have to look at all of them. However, like I said, this new legislation has raised the burden, not the burden, has raised the standards for us on certain levels of professionals reporting on what we have to do and next steps,” Cabinet for Health and Family Services general counsel Wesley Duke said when asked about the process by the committee.

Thursday’s testimony may contribute to new legislation on the issue for the 2026 session.