Ky.gov
Effective: 8/22/2025

C6.31 Involuntary Termination of Parental Rights (TPR)

Legal Authority

Introduction

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​For children in out-of-home care (OOHC), the SSW, in consultation with the FSOS, staff, and other professionals involved in the case, may consider pursuing termination of parental rights (TPR) at any point in the case, depending on the case-specific circumstances; however, a pre-permanency conference should occur no later than nine (9) months after the child enters OOHC as outlined in SOP C7.12 Timeframes for All OOHC Cases. In general, if the family is unable or unwilling to meet the child’s need for a permanent, safe, and nurturing home, the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS/Cabinet) considers termination of parental rights (TPR) as a means to provide permanency.  

Once a child has been in OOHC for 15 of the last 48 months, state law requires the agency to file for TPR, unless there are compelling reasons not to file. The agency may elect not to file or join a petition to TPR of a parent if:

  • The child is being cared for by a relative who has custody or who wishes to receive custody;
  • The agency has documented in the case plan (which must be available for court review) a compelling reason for determining that filing such a petition would not be in the best interest of the individual child; or
  • The agency has not provided to the family, consistent with the time period in the case plan, services deemed necessary for the safe return of the child to the home, when reasonable efforts to reunify the family are required. (45 CFR 1356.21 (i)(2)).
  • The Cabinet may not file a petition for involuntary TPR based solely on a disability of a parent without providing targeted adaptive or supportive services that could enable the parent to provide essential care and protection for the child.
Federal language around compelling reasons is broad. Such reasons may include, but are not limited to, the following: 

  • No grounds for TPR exist;
  • Adoption is not an appropriate goal—perhaps due to the parents’ recent progress.
The SSW, in consultation with the FSOS as appropriate, may exercise some discretion as to whether or not there is a compelling reason not to move forward with TPR. However, the justification for not moving forward will be clearly documented, as required by the federal standard, on the case plan and available for court case review. Policy reflects that , according to statute, a court review is referred to as a case review. 


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Practice Guidance

  • Federal law (Title IV-B, Section 475 (5)(E) of the Social Security Act and 45 CFR 1356.21 (i)) requires that when a child has been in foster care for 15 of the most recent 22 months, a petition is filed. However, state law requires that when a child has been in foster care for 15 out of 48 months, a petition must be filed by the end of the child’s 15th month in foster care, unless there are compelling reasons not to file. In calculating when to file a petition, the state:
    • Will calculate the 15 out of the most recent 48 months period from the date the child entered foster care as per the requirements of state law;
    • Will use a cumulative method of calculation when a child experiences multiple exits from and entries into foster care during the 48-month period; and
    • Will not include trial home visits or runaway episodes in calculating 15 months in foster care.
  • If the court has issued a waiver of efforts for any reason, the SSW consults with supervisory staff and the Office of Legal Services (OLS) within 30 calendar days as outlined in SOP C6.8 Judicial Determination of Reasonable Efforts and Aggravated Circumstances to ensure that the petition for involuntary TPR is filed as quickly as possible. Service provision to the family is no longer required unless the court has specifically made orders regarding additional service provision. The SSW updates any existing case plans and visitation schedules accordingly.
  • Per federal law (45 CFR 1356.21 (i)(1)(ii)), when an infant has been designated by the court as abandoned under the state’s safe infant laws, the petition to TPR must be filed within 60 calendar days of the judicial determination that the child is an abandoned infant.
  • Per federal law (45 CFR 1356.21 (i)(1)(iii)), if a waiver of reasonable efforts has been granted due to the parents' previous felony conviction, the petition for TPR must be filed within 60​ calendar days of the judicial determination that reasonable efforts to reunify are not required. Applicable convictions under Kentucky statute include: 
    • A situation where the parent caused or contributed to the death of another child of the parent; and
    • A felony assault that resulted in serious bodily injury to the child or to another child of the parent;
  • If another party files a petition to involuntarily TPR, the worker notifies OLS.  OLS files a motion to be joined as a party to the petition.  (Title IV-B, Section 475 (5)(E) of the Social Security Act and 45 CFR 1356.21 (i)).
  • State law (KRS 625.090) governs TPR procedures.  The circuit court may involuntarily TPR of a parent of a named child if the circuit court finds from the pleadings and by clear and convincing evidence that:
    • The child has been adjudged to be abused or neglected, as statutorily defined, by a court of competent jurisdiction;
    • The parent has been convicted of a criminal charge relating to the physical or sexual abuse or neglect of any child, and that physical or sexual abuse, neglect, or emotional injury to the child named in the present termination action is likely to occur if the parental rights are not terminated; and
    • TPR would be in the best interest of the child.
  • State law provides that no TPR shall be ordered unless the circuit court also finds by clear and convincing evidence the existence of one (1) or more of the following grounds:
    • That the parent has abandoned the child for a period of not less than 90 calendar days;
    • That the parent has inflicted or allowed to be inflicted upon the child, by other than accidental means, serious physical injury;
    • That the parent has continuously or repeatedly inflicted or allowed to be inflicted upon the child, by other than accidental means, physical injury or emotional harm;
    • That the parent has been convicted of a felony that involved the infliction of serious physical injury to any child;
    • That the parent, for a period of not less than six (6) months, has continuously or repeatedly failed or refused to provide or has been substantially incapable of providing essential parental care and protection for the child, and that there is no reasonable expectation of improvement in parental care and protection, considering the age of the child;
    • That the parent has caused or allowed the child to be sexually abused or exploited;
    • That the parent, for reasons other than poverty alone, has continuously or repeatedly failed to provide or is incapable of providing essential food, clothing, shelter, medical care, or education reasonably necessary and available for the child's well-being and that there is no reasonable expectation of significant improvement in the parent's conduct in the immediately foreseeable future, considering the age of the child;
    • That:
      • The parents' parental rights to another child have been involuntarily terminated;
      • The child named in the present TPR action was born subsequent to or during the pendency of the previous TPR; and
      • The conditions or factors that were the basis for the previous TPR finding have not been corrected;
    • That the parent has been convicted in a criminal proceeding of having caused or contributed to the death of another child as a result of physical or sexual abuse or neglect; or
    • That the child has been in foster care under the responsibility of the Cabinet for 15 of the most recent 48 months preceding the filing of the petition to terminate parental rights.
    • The child has been removed from the birth or legal parents more than two (2) times in a 24-month period by the Cabinet or the court.  
  • State law permits the court to consider the following factors:
    • A mentally ill person as defined by KRS 202A.011(9), or an individual with an intellectual disability as defined by KRS 202B.010(9) as certified by a qualified mental health professional (QMHP), which renders the parent consistently unable to care for the immediate and ongoing physical or psychological needs of the child for extended periods of time;
    • Acts of abuse or neglect as defined in KRS 600.020(1) toward any child in the family;
    • If the child has been placed with the Cabinet, whether the Cabinet has, prior to the filing of the petition made reasonable efforts as defined in KRS 620.020 to reunite the child with the parents unless one or more of the circumstances enumerated in KRS 610.127 for not requiring reasonable efforts have been substantiated in a written finding by the district court;
    • The efforts and adjustments the parent has made in their circumstances, conduct, or conditions to make it in the child's best interest to return to the parent's home within a reasonable period of time, considering the age of the child;
    • The physical, emotional, and mental health of the child and the prospects for the improvement of the child's welfare if TPR is ordered; and
    • The payment or the failure to pay a reasonable portion of substitute physical care and maintenance if financially able to do so.
  • Under state law, if the parent proves by a preponderance of the evidence that the child will not continue to be an abused or neglected child as defined in KRS 600.020(1) if returned to the parent, or if the parent proves by a preponderance of the evidence that appropriate and specifically targeted adaptive or supportive services based upon an individual assessment of the parent have not been offered or provided to the parent, the court in its discretion may determine not to TPR.
  • In cases where the court has declined a goal change, but OLS has certified the case for TPR, the SSW shall update the concurrent planning case plan goal to adoption as outlined in SOP C7.17 Ongoing Case Planning​​. 


Procedure

​The SSW: 

  1. ​Consults with supervisory staff and OLS at any point in the case when a waiver of efforts has been issued by the court for any reason but no later than 30 calendar days following the waiver;
  2. Consults with supervisory staff when a parent with a disability expresses interest in signing a Rejection of Services related to adaptive and supportive services. The SSW:
    1. Advises the parent to speak with their attorney;
    2. Notifies the court at the next court date and requests that an attorney be appointed for the parent if one has not been appointed already;
    3. Notifies the Office of Legal Services (OLS); 
    4. Upon receipt of the Rejection of Offered Services by Parent with Disability form, consults with OLS within three (3) working days and does not sign the form without approval from OLS; 
  3. Consults with supervisory staff and other professionals involved with the child and family, making the decision to pursue involuntary TPR in the absence of a waiver of efforts, no later than nine (9) months after the child has entered OOHC; 
  4. Considers the length of time the child has been in care;
  5. Considers whether or not services provided to the parent have been adequate for reunification, and whether or not additional services are likely to facilitate a safe reunification;
  6. Determines, in consultation with supervisor, staff, and other professionals involved in the case, whether or not to pursue a goal change to TPR or an exemption to ASFA requirements at the next annual permanency review;
  7. Schedules a pre-permanency conference and follows the steps outlined in SO​P C6.31.1 Pre-Permanency Planning Conference, to coincide with the OOHC regional consultation occurring when the child has been in OOHC for nine (9) months and invites OLS, in accordance with any decision to file for TPR; ​1 
  8. Follows SOP C6.27 Permanency Hearings​ and SOP C7.18 Ongoing Case Planning in regards to the annual permanency review and periodic case planning conference.;
  9. Ensures a copy of the dispositional report is provided to the court prior to the hearing (Family Court Civil Rule 29);
  10. Ensures a copy of the case plan, goal(s) and prevention plan are provided to the court; 
  11. Ensures the dispositional report reflects the agency’s intent to move forward with a TPR;
  12. Ensures the contents of the dispositional report are entered into TWIST;
  13. Ensures that the case plan reflects the court-approved goal after a goal change is made in court and follows SOP C6.31.1 Pre-Per​manency Planning Conference and SOP C7.18 Ongoing Case Planning​ when the court does not change the goal;
  14. Submits the DSS-161 Request for Involuntary TPR to OLS within ten (10) working days of the court’s acceptance of the agency’s dispositional report and the goal of adoption; 2
  15. Receives the petition for involuntary TPR from OLS and reviews it for accuracy;
  16. Does not attempt to set any type of hearing date and returns the signed petition to OLS within three (3) working days;
  17. OLS files the TPR petition with the court and notifies the appropriate DCBS staff of the filing date of the petition; 
  18. Within five (5) ​working days of the petition being filed, DCBS provides a courtesy copy of the petition to the foster parent by hand delivery or certified mail. ​3 4
  19. Continues service provision to the family, including reunification efforts unless reasonable efforts have been waived by the court (please see SOP C6.8 for additional information;
  20. Begins working simultaneously with recruitment and certification (R&C) as appropriate to identify, recruit, process, and approve a qualified family for adoption, from the point at which the petition is filed, or when the agency joins a petition to TPR.  (Title IV-E, Section 475 (5)(E) of the Social Security Act and 45 CFR 1356.21 (i)(3)).
  21. Submits all necessary paperwork to facilitate the child's permanency plan to the court no longer than 30 calendar days after a court enters the TPR judgment. ​​This includes the child's presentation narrative as well as the identification of an adoptive home if determined. 


​​Footnotes

  1. The pre-permanency conference may be documented as the regional OOHC consultation when the child has been in OOHC for nine (9) months.  
  2. The SSW will provide the foster parent's name and address in the DSS-161 packet.  
  3. Upon request of the court, DCBS will provide a signed mailing receipt or affidavit verified by the foster parent as documentation of sending the petition.
  4. Each region shall establish a protocol detailing staff roles (i.e., ongoing worker, R&C worker, administrative staff, etc.) regarding who is responsible for providing the foster parent with a​​​ copy of the TPR petition. 



Documents

Revisions

​1/18/2023

  • Addition under Introduction: ; however, a pre-permanency conference  should occur no later than nine (9) months of the child entering OOHC as outlined in SOP 4.14 Timeframes for All OOHC Cases.
  • Deletion under Introduction: Prior to filing for the involuntary TPR, the SSW seeks parental consent for a voluntary TPR as outlined in SOP 11.35 Voluntary Termination of Parental Rights (TPR), which:

    • Is generally less difficult for the child; and
    • Leaves the parent(s) with some sense of self-esteem that they have acted in the best interest of the child.
  • There are international legal obligations that preclude TPR. 
  • Addition under Practice Guidance:  
    • If a waiver of efforts has been issued by the court for any reason, the SSW consults with supervisory staff and the Office of Legal Services (OLS) as necessary within thirty (30) calendar days as outlined in SOP 11.8 Judicial Determination of Reasonable Efforts and Aggravated Circumstances to ensure that the petition for involuntary TPR is filed as quickly as possible. Service provision to the family is no longer required unless the court has specifically made orders regarding additional service provision. The SSW updates any existing case plans and visitation schedules accordingly.
    • The child has been removed from the birth or legal parents more than two (2) times in a twenty-four (24) month period by the Cabinet or the court. 
  • Addition under Procedure #1 :   but no later than thirty (30) calendar days following the waiver. 
  • Addition under Procedure #2 : no later than nine (9) months after the child has entered OOHC;
  • Edits under Procedure #6 : Schedules a pre-permanency conference and follows the steps outlined in SOP 11.36.1 Pre-Permanency Planning Conference​. to coincide with the OOHC regional consultation occurring when the child has been in OOHC for nine (9) months and invites OLS, in accordance with any decision to file for TPR;

  • Delete: Reviews the grounds for involuntary TPR with the regional attorney to assess the evidentiary needs for termination;​

  • Edit to #7 : Follows SOP 11.30 Permanency Hearings and SOP 4.18 Ongoing Case Planning in regards to the annual permanency review and periodic case planning conference. Holds the periodic review and case planning conference prior to the next annual permanency court review;​

  • Delete: Requests the annual permanency hearing be scheduled within thirty (30) days of the development of the case plan;

  • ​Edit # 8 Ensures a copy of the case plan, goal(s), prevention plans, and dispositional report are provided to the court prior to the hearing (Family Court Civil Rule 29);

  • Addition of # 9 Ensures a copy of the case plan, goal(s) and prevention plan are provided to the court; 

  • Edit # 13 Submits the DSS-161 Request for Involuntary TPR to OLS within ten (10) working days two (2) calendar weeks of the court’s acceptance of the agency’s dispositional report and the goal of adoption; 

  • Delete:  Signs, swears to, and attaches to the petition for TPR the DSS-160 Statement of Representative of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, which states that the Cabinet has facilities to receive the care, custody, and control of the child.  OLS files the petition for TPR with the court;​

  • ​Edit #15 Does not attempt to set any type of hearing date and returns the signed petetion to OLS when filing the petition, but coordinates with OLS to file the petition for TPR with the appropriate family or circuit court clerk within three (3) working days;

  • Addition: #16 OLS files the TPR petition with the court and notifies the appropriate DCBS staff with the filing date of the petition; ​

  • Edit to #18 Continues service provision to the family, including reunification efforts unless reasonable efforts have been waived by the court (please see SOP 11.8 for additional information;

  • Addition of footnote #1 The pre-permanency conference may be documented as the regional OOHC consultation when the child has been in OOHC for nine (9) months.  ​​

    • ​

8/22/2025

The Cabinet for Health and Family Services may not file a petition for involuntary termination of parental rights based solely on a disability of a parent without providing targeted adaptive or supportive services that could enable the parent to provide essential care and protection for the child.

  • Under state law, if the parent proves by a preponderance of the evidence that the child will not continue to be an abused or neglected child as defined in KRS 600.020(1) if returned to the parent, or if the parent proves by a preponderance of the evidence that appropriate and specifically targeted adaptive or supportive services based upon an individual assessment of the parent have not been offered or provided to the parent, the court in its discretion may determine not to TPR.