(1) Any order resulting from the involuntary termination of parental rights of any person under the provisions of this chapter, including the caption of the order, shall contain only the name of the child, without any reference to the names of the parents whose rights have been terminated. Such order shall be duly recorded in the order book of the Circuit Court and a certified copy of the order given to the petitioner and to the cabinet upon request if the cabinet is not a petitioner. Such order may contain a statement of authority to place the child for adoption.
(2) The files and records of the Circuit Court, excluding the name or other identifying information of a prospective adoptive parent, during proceedings for involuntary termination of parental rights shall not be open to inspection by persons other than parties to such proceedings, their attorneys, and representatives of the cabinet except under order of the court expressly permitting inspection. Upon the entry of the final order in the case, the clerk shall place all papers and records in the case in a suitable envelope which shall be sealed and shall not be open for inspection by any person other than representatives of the cabinet without a written order of the court or as authorized by the provisions of KRS Chapter 199.
(3) No person having charge of any involuntary termination records shall disclose the names of any parties appearing in such records or furnish any copy of any such records, except upon order of the court which entered the judgment of termination; however, facts necessary in order to secure a court order for a copy of the termination order to be used in an adoption proceeding may be disclosed. The clerk of the Circuit Court shall set up a separate docket and order book for termination cases and these files and records shall be kept locked.
Effective: April 10, 1988
History: Created 1988 Ky. Acts ch. 350, sec. 78, effective April 10, 1988.