Judge dismisses auditor’s lawsuit against Beshear administration over foster care law

FRANKFORT, Ky. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW) – A Franklin Circuit Court judge has dismissed State Auditor Allison Ball’s lawsuit against Gov. Andy Beshear’s administration over the implementation of Senate Bill 151, which expands support for kinship and foster caregivers.

According to Gov. Beshear’s office, Judge Thomas Wingate ruled that the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) has complied with the auditor’s requests and that Ball lacked standing to bring the case.

“My administration has always prioritized the safety and wellbeing of Kentucky’s children, and we’re committed to working with any office to see that goal through,” Beshear said in a statement. “The dismissal of this unfounded lawsuit proves that Team Kentucky isn’t letting politics get in the way of doing what’s right.”

The governor argued that while his administration supports Senate Bill 151, which gives relative and fictive kin caregivers more time to become foster parents, lawmakers have not provided the funding necessary to put the policy fully into effect. He said he plans to include that funding in his next budget proposal.

The lawsuit, filed in May 2025, claimed the administration failed to properly carry out the law. But the court found CHFS had responded to the auditor’s document requests, except for two deemed overly broad. Wingate wrote that the auditor had not presented a “justiciable controversy” and dismissed the case.

Ball’s case against Beshear was previously dismissed on Aug. 4. Monday’s ruling dismisses the cabinet as well, ending the lawsuit.