FCRPP 21.Continuances
Last amended February 1, 2020 · Current through July 1, 2026 · Last verified September 8, 2026
Full Text of FCRPP 21
Amendment History
Kentucky publishes each rule’s amendment record as a “HISTORY” note beneath the rule, citing the Supreme Court order that adopted or amended it and that order’s effective date. It is reproduced verbatim below.
HISTORY: Adopted by Order 2020-1, eff. 2-1-20
Plain-English Summary
Delay in a child welfare case is not neutral — it is time a child spends waiting. So a continuance is not simply granted: for any hearing other than the annual permanency hearing, the court must make written or oral findings on the record that the continuance is necessary in the child's best interest, for discovery or the presentation of evidence or witnesses, to protect a party's rights, or for other good cause shown.
The annual permanency review is treated differently, and the language is as absolute as this ruleset gets. It must be conducted at least annually and shall not be continued beyond 12 months from the child's placement in foster care for any reason, including good cause.
That is a deliberate exception to the ordinary machinery of continuances. Good cause moves most deadlines in these rules; it does not move this one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a permanency hearing be continued in Kentucky?
Not beyond 12 months from the placement of the child in foster care, for any reason, including good cause. It must be conducted at least annually.
What does the court have to find to grant a continuance?
Written or oral findings on the record that the continuance is necessary in the best interest of the child, for discovery or presentation of evidence or witnesses, to protect the rights of a party, or for other good cause shown.