A new pilot project in some Kentucky counties will give the public a window into the child welfare system. For the first time in state history, some child protection cases will be open to the public under a four-year pilot project.
The Kentucky Supreme Court issued an order this month allowing the pilot project in Harrison, Hopkins, Jefferson, Nicholas, Pendleton, and Robertson counties.
Chief Justice John Minton, Jr. says he’s in favor of opening courts if it improves accountability and transparency.
"The public has a right to know if judges and state agencies are performing the work as they should. So, for that reason, public scrutiny is a good thing," Minton told WKU Public Radio. "Over time, our efforts to protect children has, at the same time, created a feeling that this is done in secret, and anytime government is done in secret, it raises all kinds of concerns."
Minton says the pilot project will help determine how to balance the public’s need to know with a child’s need for privacy.
Some safeguards will be in place to protect the privacy of minors. Those attending child welfare proceedings, including the media, will be prohibited from taking photos and recording audio or video. All cases involving sexual abuse will be closed, and judges will have discretion to close hearings if they determine it to be in the child's best interest.
The pilot project grew out of legislation approved in the 2016 General Assembly which asked the state Supreme Court to study open courts.
