A judge on Monday dismissed a lawsuit against Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear's administration in a funding dispute that has delayed a kinship caregiver law, which aims to support adults willing to care for young relatives who endured suspected abuse or neglect at home.
The Democratic governor signed the legislation in 2024, and his administration has praised the measure for seeking to help children in bad situations be placed with relatives or close family friends. The dispute revolves around whether funding is accessible to carry out the state law's intent — enabling relatives who take temporary custody of children to become eligible for foster care payments. Kinship caregivers are raising an estimated 55,000 children in Kentucky.
