Mary King

Mary Gaunder King graduated through the Honors Program at the University of Kentucky, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work and a BA in Spanish. She completed the Public Child Welfare Certification Program, then became a Social Services Worker for DCBS, investigating cases of child abuse, neglect, and dependency. In this role, she discovered her passion for child welfare and adoption.
She was also certified as a deemed-qualified Spanish Interpreter through the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, where she interpreted for DCBS offices in the Northern and Southern Bluegrass Regions.
She later moved to the Lexington Police Department, and as a Bilingual Victim Advocate, was a member of the Department’s first Domestic Violence Victim Advocacy Team.
She and her husband became foster parents through DCBS in 2016, and adopted their third daughter in 2019. In 2026, Mary began her position with UK CoSW as a Permanency Navigator for post-adoptive families throughout the state.