Rep. David Meade
In response to years of requests by citizens, legislators and professionals that the Adoption and Foster Care system in Kentucky be improved, the 2017 General Assembly created an adoption task force to review those systems. In December, the task force reported their recommendations. HB 1 made major changes to the current system, incorporating those recommendations.
House Bill 1 was a major reform of the adoption and foster care system in Kentucky. Sponsored by Rep. David Meade, who himself is an adoptive parent, HB 1 received significant bipartisan support, passing the House on Feb. 28 with a 94-1 vote, the Senate with amendment on April 2 with a 38-0 vote and final concurrence in the House on April 2 with a 90-1 vote. Observers expect the long lists of children waiting to be adopted to drop significantly in the months and years to come because of this reform.