‘Adoption czar’ not needed

Gov. Matt Bevin’s appointment of an “adoption czar” is a serious mistake. Daniel S. Dumas has no legal background, has never worked for the Cabinet for Health and Family Services and has never had an adoption case on his desk. The position is not needed, as the Kentucky statutes and the cabinet make adoptions work already.

Everyone should understand that adoption is a slow process that finally ends in security, legal founding and special warmth. The adoptive parents get a new birth certificate and a judgment that states this is their child, as if born of their bodies. To get to this point, the natural parents must exhibit a lack of parenting ability, and the laws do not rush in taking or accepting the child from the natural parents.

There is nothing wrong with the foster parent program or the adoption laws in Kentucky. We must realize that many children, often because of mental or behaviorial problems, are not suitable for adoption. All children will not have cozy homes. However, our cabinet does its best, and foster parents do as well. Any money spent on the czar should go to salaries for cabinet workers.

This story was originally published June 2, 2017 at 6:38 PM with the headline "‘Adoption czar’ not needed."