S-8

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on ___________, 2004.

Registration No. _____________

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM S-8

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Under

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

RES-CARE, INC.

(Exact name of company as specified in its charter)

Kentucky	61-0875371
(State or other jurisdiction of	(I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization)	Identification No.)

10140 Linn Station Road
Louisville, Kentucky 40223
(Address of Principal Executive Offices, including Zip Code)

Res-Care, Inc. 2000 Non-Employee Directors Stock Ownership Incentive Plan
(Full title of the plan)

Ronald G. Geary	Copy to:
President and Chief Executive Officer
Res-Care, Inc.	Alan K. MacDonald
10140 Linn Station Road	Frost Brown Todd LLC
Louisville, Kentucky 40223	400 W. Market Street
(502) 394-2100	32nd Floor
(Name, address and telephone number,	Louisville, Kentucky 40202-3363
including area code, of agent for service)

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

		Proposed	Proposed
		maximum	maximum
Title of securities	Amount to be	offering price	aggregate		Amount of
to be registered	registered	per share	offering price		registration fee
Common Stock, no par value	100,000 shares 1	$12.34 2	$	1,234,000	$	156.35

(1)	Plus such additional shares as may become issuable by reason of any anti-dilution provisions of the Plan.
(2)	Estimated solely for the purpose of determining the registration fee. Pursuant to Rule 457, a proposed offering price of $12.34, the average high and low prices on June 28, 2004 as reported by the Nasdaq National Market System, was used.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART II
	Item 3. Incorporation of Certain Documents by Reference.
	Item 8. Exhibits.
SIGNATURES
EXHIBIT INDEX
EX-4.1
EX-5
EX-23.1

STATEMENT UNDER GENERAL INSTRUCTION E TO FORM S-8

     By a registration statement on Form S-8 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 27, 2000 (File No. 333-50726), Res-Care, Inc., a Kentucky corporation, previously registered 100,000 shares of common stock issued pursuant to the Res-Care, Inc. 2000 Nonemployee Directors Stock Ownership Incentive Plan. The Nonemployee Directors Stock Ownership Incentive Plan has been amended to increase the number of shares of common stock issuable under that plan by 100,000 shares.

     The contents of our registration statement on Form S-8 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 27, 2000 (File No. 333-50726) are hereby incorporated by reference.

PART II

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3. Incorporation of Certain Documents by Reference.

     The following documents have been incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement:

(a)	ResCare’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2003, as amended by Form 10-K/A filed on April 30, 2004;
(b)	ResCare’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2004;
(c)	ResCare’s Current Reports on Form 8-K filed on January 14, May 27 and June 28, 2004; and
(d)	The description of ResCare’s Common Stock, no par value, contained in the Registration Statement on Form S-3 (Reg. No. 333-23599) as such description may be amended or updated.

     All documents subsequently filed by ResCare pursuant to Sections 13, 14 and 15(d) of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement which indicates that all the securities offered have been sold or which deregisters all of such shares then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement and to be a part of it from the date of filing of such documents. Any statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this Registration Statement to the extent that a statement contained herein or in any other subsequently filed document which also is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference herein modifies or supersedes such statement. Any such statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this Registration Statement.

Item 8. Exhibits.

Exhibit No.	Description of Exhibit
4.1	Amended and Restated ResCare, Inc. 2000 Non-Employee Directors Stock Ownership Incentive Plan *
5	Opinion of Frost Brown Todd, LLC *
23.1	Consent of KPMG LLP *
23.2	Consent of Frost Brown Todd LLC (contained in their opinion filed as Exhibit 5)
24	Powers of Attorney (included on the signature page of this Registration Statement) *

* Filed herewith.

SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in Louisville, Kentucky on this 29th day of June, 2004.

By:	/s/ Ronald G. Geary
	Ronald G. Geary Chairman, President & CEO

POWER OF ATTORNEY

     Know All Men By These Presents, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Ronald G. Geary and L. Bryan Shaul, and each of them, his true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him and in his name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this Registration Statement, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done, as fully to all intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents or any of them, or their or his substitute or substitutions, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

Signature	Title	Date
/s/ Ronald G. Geary	Chairman of the Board President Chief Executive Officer Director	June 29, 2004
/s/ L. Bryan Shaul	Chief Financial Officer Principal Accounting Officer	June 29, 2004
/s/ E. Halsey Sandford	Director	June 29, 2004
/s/ Michael J. Foster	Director	June 29, 2004
/s/ Olivia F. Kirtley	Director	June 29, 2004
/s/ Steven S. Reed	Director	June 29, 2004
/s/ Robert M. LeBlanc	Director	June 29, 2004
/s/ Nigel S. Wright	Director	June 29, 2004
/s/ Robert E. Hallagan	Director	June 29, 2004
/s/ David Braddock	Director	June 29, 2004

EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit Number	Description of Exhibit
4.1	Amended and Restated ResCare, Inc. 2000 Non-Employee Directors Stock Ownership Incentive Plan *
5	Opinion of Frost Brown Todd, LLC *
23.1	Consent of KPMG LLP *
23.2	Consent of Frost Brown Todd LLC (contained in their opinion filed as Exhibit 5)
24	Powers of Attorney (included on the signature page of this Registration Statement) *

* Filed herewith.

EX-4.1

                                   EXHIBIT 4.1

                       AMENDED AND RESTATED RES-CARE, INC.
           2000 NON-EMPLOYEE DIRECTORS STOCK OWNERSHIP INCENTIVE PLAN
                          (amended as of June 23, 2004)

ARTICLE 1. PURPOSE.

      The purpose of this 2000 Non-Employee Directors Stock Ownership Incentive
Plan ("Plan") is to advance the interests of Res-Care, Inc., a Kentucky
corporation ("Company"), and its subsidiaries, by providing non-employee
directors of the Company with an ownership interest in the Company. The Plan is
also intended to enhance the Company's ability to attract and retain persons of
outstanding ability to serve as directors of the Company.

ARTICLE 2. DEFINITIONS AND CONSTRUCTION.

      2.1 Definitions. As used in the Plan, the terms defined parenthetically,
immediately after their use shall have the respective meanings provided by such
definitions, and the terms set forth below shall have the following meanings (in
either case, such meanings shall apply equally to both the singular and plural
forms of the terms defined):

            (a) "Award" shall mean a grant of Options under Section 5 of the
Plan.

            (b) "Award Date" shall mean the first business day of July of each
calendar year that the Plan is in effect.

            (c) "Board" shall mean the Board of Directors of the Company.

            (d) "Change of Control" means (i) an event or series of events which
have the effect of any "person" as such term is used in Section 13(d) and 14(d)
of the Exchange Act, other than any trustee or other fiduciary holding
securities of the Company under any employee benefit plan of the Company,
becoming the "beneficial owner" as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act,
directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company representing 30% or more of
the combined voting power of the Company's then outstanding capital stock; (ii)
any merger, consolidation, share exchange, recapitalization or other transaction
in which any person becomes the beneficial owner of securities of the Company
representing 30% or more of the combined voting power of the Company's then
outstanding capital stock; (iii) the persons who were members of the Board
immediately before a transaction shall cease to constitute a majority of the
Board of the Company or any successor to the Company; (iv) the business of the
Company is disposed of pursuant to a partial or complete liquidation, sale of
assets, or otherwise. The acquisition of securities of the Company representing
30% or more, but not more than 50%, of the combined voting power of the
Company's then outstanding capital stock by Onex Partners LP and its affiliates
shall not be a Change of Control with respect to any Options having an Award
Date after June 30, 2004.

            (e) "Code" shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended
from time to time, or any successor thereto, together with any regulations
promulgated thereunder.



            (f) "Committee" shall mean the committee described in Section 3.1.

            (g) "Director" shall mean a member of the Board who is not an
employee of the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company.

            (h) "Disability" shall mean a physical or mental infirmity that the
Committee determines impairs the Director's ability to perform substantially his
or her duties for a period of 180 consecutive days.

            (i) "Effective Date" shall mean the date described in Section 6.1.

            (j) "Exchange Act" shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
as amended from time to time.

            (k) "Fair Market Value" of the Shares shall mean, as of any Award
Date, the closing sale price of the Shares as reported on the NASDAQ National
Market, or if no such reported sale of the Shares shall have occurred on such
date, on the next preceding date on which there was a reported sale. If there
shall be any material alteration in the present system of reporting sale prices
of the Shares, or if the Shares shall no longer be listed on the NASDAQ National
Market, the Fair Market Value of the Shares as of an Award Date shall be
determined by such method as shall be determined in good faith by the Committee.

            (l) "Option" shall mean an option to purchase Shares granted
pursuant to Article 5.

            (m) "Optionee" shall mean a person to whom an option has been
granted under the Plan.

            (n) "Option Agreement" shall mean an agreement evidencing the grant
of an Option, as described in Section 5.2.

            (o) "Option Exercise Price" shall mean the purchase price per Share
subject to an Option, which shall be the Fair Market Value of the Share on the
Award Date.

            (p) "Person" shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section
3(a) (9) of the Exchange Act and as used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) thereof,
including a "group" as defined in Section 13(d) thereof.

            (q) "Plan" shall mean this Res-Care, Inc. 2000 Non-Employee
Directors Stock Ownership Incentive Plan as the same may be amended from time to
time.

            (r) "Retirement" shall mean retirement by a Director in accordance
with the terms of the Company's retirement policy applicable to directors of the
Company.

            (s) "Shares" shall mean the Company's Common Shares.

            (t) "Subsidiary" shall mean, with respect to any company, any
corporation or other Person of which a majority of its voting power, equity
securities, or equity interest is owned directly or indirectly by such company.



            (u) "Withholding Taxes" shall mean all federal, state and local
income taxes and other amounts as may be required by law to be withheld with
respect to any option exercise, if any.

      2.2 Gender and Number. Except where otherwise indicated by the context,
reference to the masculine gender shall include the feminine gender, the plural
shall include the singular and the singular shall include the plural.

      2.3 Severability. In the event any provision of the Plan shall be held
illegal or invalid for any reason, the illegality or invalidity shall not affect
the remaining parts of the Plan, and the Plan shall be construed and enforced as
if the illegal or invalid provision had not been included.

ARTICLE 3. ADMINISTRATION.

      3.1 The Committee. The Plan is designed to operate automatically and not
require administration. However, to the extent administration is required, it
shall be provided by a committee (the "Committee"). The members of the Committee
shall include two or more members of the Board, and shall be appointed from time
to time by, and shall serve at the discretion of, the Board. If the Board fails
to appoint the Committee, the Board shall administer the Plan.

      3.2 Authority of the Committee. Subject to the provisions of the Plan, the
Committee shall have full authority to:

            (a) construe and interpret the Plan and any agreement or instrument
entered into under the Plan; and

            (b) establish, amend and rescind rules and regulations for the
Plan's administration.

To the extent permitted by law and Rule 16b-3 promulgated under the Exchange
Act, the Committee may delegate its authority as identified herein.

      3.3 Decisions Binding. All determinations and decisions made by the
Committee pursuant to the provisions of the Plan, and all related orders or
resolutions of the Board, shall be final, conclusive and binding on all Persons,
including the Company, the Directors and their estates and beneficiaries.

      3.4 Section 16 Compliance. It is the intention of the Company that the
Plan and the administration of the Plan comply in all respects with Section 16
of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. If any
Plan provision, or any aspect of the administration of the Plan, is found not to
be in compliance with Section 16 of the Exchange Act, the provision or aspect of
administration shall be null and void to the extent permitted by



law and deemed advisable by the Committee. In all events the Plan shall be
construed in favor of its meeting the requirements of Rule 16b-3 promulgated
under the Exchange Act.

ARTICLE 4. SHARES AVAILABLE UNDER THE PLAN.

      4.1 Number of Shares. Subject to adjustment as provided in Section 4.2,
the number of Shares reserved for issuance upon the exercise of options is
200,000 Shares. Any Shares issued under the Plan may consist, in whole or in
part, of authorized and unissued Shares or treasury shares. If and to the extent
options shall expire or terminate for any reason without having been exercised
in full, the Shares associated with such Awards to the extent not fully
exercised shall again become available for Awards under the Plan.

      4.2 Adjustments in Authorized Shares and Outstanding Awards. In the event
of a merger, reorganization, consolidation, recapitalization, reclassification,
split-up, spin-off, separation, liquidation, share dividend, stock split,
reverse stock split, cash dividend, property dividend, share repurchase, share
combination, share exchange, issuance of warrants, rights or debentures, or
other change in the corporate structure of the Company affecting the Shares, the
Committee may substitute or adjust the total number and class of Shares or other
stock or securities that may be issued under the Plan, and the number, class
and/or price of Shares. or other stock or securities subject to outstanding
Awards, as it determines to be appropriate and equitable to prevent dilution or
enlargement of the rights of Directors and to preserve, without exceeding, the
value of any outstanding Awards; and further provided, that the number of Shares
or other stock or securities subject to any Award shall always be a whole
number.

ARTICLE 5. AWARDS.

      5.1 Automatic Grant of Options. Subject to the terms and provisions of the
Plan, each Director on an Award Date shall automatically receive an option for
4,500 Shares that is not intended to qualify as an incentive stock option
within" the meaning of Section 422 of the Code.

      5.2 Vesting. Subject to Sections 5.4 and 5.7, each Option shall vest and
become exercisable with respect to 25% of the Shares subject thereto effective
immediately as of the Award Date and shall vest and become exercisable with
respect to an additional 25% of the Shares subject thereto effective as of each
of the first, second and third anniversaries of the Award Date; provided,
however, that the Director continues to serve as a member of the Board as of
such dates. If a Director ceases to serve as a member of the Board for any
reason, the Director shall have no rights with respect to that portion of an
option which is not then vested pursuant to the preceding sentence and the
Director shall automatically forfeit that portion of the Option that remains
unvested.

      5.3 Option Agreement. Each Award shall be evidenced by an Option Agreement
that shall specify the Option Exercise Price, the duration of the Option, the
number of Shares to which the option relates and such other terms and conditions
not inconsistent with the provisions of this Plan as determined by the
Committee; provided, however, that such terms shall not vary the timing of
Awards, including provisions dealing with exercisability, forfeiture or
termination of such Awards or Options granted thereunder.



      5.4 Duration of Options. Subject to Section 5.6, each Option shall expire
on the fifth (5th) anniversary of the Award Date on which it was granted.

      5.5 Method of Exercise. The exercise of an Option shall be made only by a
written notice delivered in person or by mail to the Secretary of the Company at
the Company's principal executive office, specifying the number of Shares to be
purchased and accompanied by payment therefor and otherwise in accordance with
the Option Agreement pursuant to which the Option was granted. Shares purchased
pursuant to the exercise of an option shall be paid in full upon such exercise
by any one or a combination of the following: (i) in cash; (ii) in owned by the
Optionee (or jointly by the Optionee and his or her spouse) for at least six
months evidenced by negotiable certificates or by a written attestation of
ownership and consent to issuance, in satisfaction of the Option or portion
thereof being exercised, of only the net Shares (those equal in value to the
difference between the Option Exercise Price and the then Fair Market Value);
(iii) by a written election to have the Company retain that number of Shares
subject to the Option having an aggregate Fair Market Value equal to the
aggregate Option Exercise Price; or (iv) by any combination thereof. The written
notice pursuant to this Section 5.5 may also provide instructions from the
Optionee to the Company that upon receipt of the purchase price in cash from the
Optionee's broker or dealer, designated as such on the written notice, in
payment for any Shares purchased pursuant to the exercise of an Option, the
Company shall issue such Shares directly to the designated broker or dealer. Any
Shares transferred to the Company or withheld as payment of the Option Exercise
Price shall be valued at their Fair Market Value on the date preceding the date
of exercise. If requested by the Committee, the Optionee shall deliver the
Option Agreement evidencing the option to the Secretary of the Company who shall
endorse thereon a notation of such exercise and return such Option Agreement to
the Optionee. No fractional shares (or cash in lieu thereof) shall be issued
upon exercise of an Option and the number of Shares that may be purchased upon
exercise shall be rounded down to the nearest number of whole Shares.

      5.6 Termination of Director Relationship. If a Director for any reason
other than Retirement, death or Disability shall cease to be a member of the
Board, the outstanding Options of such Director (or portions thereof) that are
vested and exercisable as of the date the Director so ceased to be a member of
the Board may be exercised by such Director at any time prior to the earlier of
the expiration date of the options or the date that is ninety (90) days after
the date on which such Director ceases to be a member of the Board. If a
Director shall cease to be a member of the Board by reason of Retirement, death
or Disability, the outstanding options of such Director (or portions thereof)
that are vested and exercisable as of the date the Director so ceased to be a
member of the Board may be exercised by such Director at any time prior to the
earlier of the expiration date of the Options or the date that is the first
anniversary of the Director's Retirement, death or Disability. Options may be
exercised as provided in this Section 5.6 (x) in the event of the death of a
Director, by the person or persons to whom rights pass by will or by the laws of
descent and distribution, or if appropriate, the legal representative of his
estate and (y) in the event of the Disability of a Director, by the Director, or
if such Director is incapacitated, by his legal representative.

      5.7 Effect of Change of Control. Notwithstanding anything contained in the
Plan or an Option Agreement to the contrary, in the event of a Change of
Control, (i) all options outstanding on the date of such Change of Control shall
become immediately and fully exercisable and (ii) an Optionee will be entitled
to receive, in lieu of the exercise of any Option or portion of an Option to the
extent not yet exercised, a cash payment in an amount



equal to the difference between the aggregate Option Exercise Price and (A) in
the case of a tender offer or exchange offer, the final offer price paid per
Share, multiplied by the number of Shares covered by the Option, or (B) in the
case of any other Change of Control, the aggregate Fair Market Value of the
Shares covered by the Option. The Company shall pay any amount it must make
under this Section 5.7 within 30 days following the occurrence of the Change of
Control.

ARTICLE 6. EFFECTIVE DATE, AMENDMENT, MODIFICATION, AND TERMINATION.

      6.1 Effective Date. The Plan shall be effective upon the approval by the
affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the securities of the Company
represented in person or by proxy, and entitled to vote, at a meeting of
shareholders of the Company at which the Plan is submitted for approval.

      6.2 Termination Date. The Plan shall terminate on the earliest to occur of
(a) the date when all Shares available under the Plan shall have been acquired
pursuant to the exercise of Awards or (b) such other date as the Board may
determine in accordance with Section 6.3.

      6.3 Amendment, Modification and Termination.

            (a) Except as provided in Section 6.3(b), the Board may, at any
time, amend, modify or terminate the Plan.

            (b) Without the approval of shareholders of the Company, no
amendment, modification or termination may:

                  (i)   materially increase the benefits accruing to Directors
                        under the Plan;

                  (ii)  increase the total number of Shares that may be issued
                        under the Plan, except as provided in Section 4.2; or

                  (iii) modify the eligibility or other requirements to receive
                        an Award under the Plan.

      6. 4 Awards Previously Granted. No amendment, modification or termination
of the Plan shall in any manner adversely affect any outstanding Award without
the written consent of the Optionee.

ARTICLE 7. NON-TRANSFERABILITY.

      Except as otherwise provided in this Article 7, no Option shall be
transferable by a Director otherwise than by will or the laws of descent and
distribution, and an Option shall be exercisable, during the Director's
lifetime, only by the Director (or, in the event of the Director's legal
incapacity or incompetency, the Director's guardian or legal representative). A
Director may transfer all or part of a Nonqualified Stock Option to (i) the
Director's spouse or lineal descendants ("Immediate Family Members"), (ii)
trusts for the exclusive benefit of the Director and/or his Immediate Family
Members, or (iii) a partnership or limited liability



company in which the Director and/or his Immediate Family Members are the only
partners or members, as applicable. Such transfer may be made by a Director only
if there is no consideration for the transfer, and subsequent transfers of any
Option shall be prohibited other than in accordance with this Article 7 and by
will or the laws of descent and distribution. Following a transfer of an Option,
the Option shall continue to be subject to the same terms and conditions as were
applicable immediately before the transfer, and the conditions to exercise of an
Option upon Termination of Director Relationship or otherwise provided in this
Plan shall be applied with respect to the original Director. However, for
purposes of exercising the Option, the term Director shall refer to the
transferee. In addition, for purposes of the death benefit provisions of Section
5.6, references to a Director shall be deemed to refer to the transferee, the
personal representative of the transferee's estate, or after final settlement of
the transferee's estate, the successor or successors entitled thereto by law.

ARTICLE 8. NO RIGHT OF REELECTION.

      Neither the Plan nor any action taken under the Plan shall be construed as
conferring upon a Director any right to continue as a director of the Company,
to be renominated by the Board or to be reelected by the shareholders of the
Company.

ARTICLE 9. WITHHOLDING.

      Upon the exercise of an Option (a "Taxable Event"), the Optionee shall pay
the Withholding Taxes to the Company prior to the issuance, or release from
escrow, of such Shares. In satisfaction of the obligation to pay Withholding
Taxes to the Company, the Optionee may make a written election (the "Tax
Election") to have withheld a portion of the Shares then issuable to him or her
having an aggregate Fair Market Value, on the date preceding the date of such
issuance, equal to the Withholding Taxes.

ARTICLE 10. INDEMNIFICATION.

      No member of the Board or the Committee, nor any officer or employee
acting on behalf of the Board or the Committee, shall be personally liable for
any action, determination or interpretation taken or made with respect to the
Plan, except for liability arising from his or her own willful misfeasance,
gross negligence or reckless disregard of his or her duties. All members of the
Board, the Committee and each and any officer or employee of the company acting
on their behalf shall, to the extent permitted by law, be fully indemnified and
protected by the Company with respect to any such action, determination or
interpretation.

ARTICLE 11. SUCCESSORS.

      All obligations of the Company with respect to Awards granted under the
Plan shall be binding on any successor to the Company, whether the existence of
such successor is a result of a direct or indirect purchase, merger,
consolidation or otherwise, of all or substantially all of the business and/or
assets of the Company.



ARTICLE 12. GOVERNING LAW.

      To the extent not preempted by Federal law, the Plan, and all agreements
under the Plan, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws
of the Commonwealth of Kentucky without regard to its conflict of law rules.

EX-5

                                    EXHIBIT 5

                            [FROST BROWN TODD LOGO]

                      kentucky - Ohio - Indiana - Tennessee

                                Alan K. MacDonald
                                 (502) 568-0277
                              amacdonald@fbtlaw.com

June 29, 2004


Res-Care, Inc.
10140 Linn Station Road
Louisville, KY  40223-3813

      Re:   Amended and Restated 2000 Non-employee Directors Stock Ownership
            Incentive Plan

Ladies and Gentlemen:

      We have acted as counsel to Res-Care, Inc., a Kentucky corporation (the
"Company"), in connection with the registration of 100,000 shares (the "Shares")
of the Company's common stock pursuant to the Form S-8 Registration Statement
filed by the Company under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, to which this
opinion is an exhibit. The Shares are being registered following the approval by
the Company's shareholders of an amendment to the Company's 2000 Non-employee
Directors Stock Ownership Incentive Plan (the "2000 Plan") to increase the
number of shares authorized for issuance under the 2000 Plan from 100,000 to
200,000 shares. The 100,000 shares originally authorized for issuance under the
2000 Plan were registered on the Company's Form S-8 Registration Statement (Reg.
No. 333-50726) dated November 27, 2000.

      As counsel, we have examined originals, or copies certified to our
satisfaction, of the 2000 Plan, the Company's Articles of Incorporation and
Bylaws, such agreements, certificates and other statements of government
officials and corporate officers and representatives, and other documents as we
have deemed relevant and necessary as a basis for our opinion. In such
examination we have assumed the genuineness of all documents submitted to us as
originals and the conformity with the original document of documents submitted
to us as copies. In addition, as to matters of fact only, we have relied, to the
extent we deemed such reliance proper, upon certificates and other written
statements of public officials and corporate officers of the Company.



      Based upon and subject to the foregoing, we are of the opinion that the
Shares have been duly and validly authorized for issuance in accordance with the
terms of the 2000 Plan, and when the Shares are issued, delivered and paid for,
in accordance with the terms of the 2000 Plan, they will be duly authorized,
validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

      We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the
above-mentioned Registration Statement, including amendments thereto.


                                              Very truly yours,

                                              /s/ Alan K. MacDonald

                                              FROST BROWN TODD LLC
                                              Alan K. MacDonald, Member


AKM:sw

EX-23.1

                                  EXHIBIT 23.1


                         CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT AUDITORS

The Board of Directors
Res-Care, Inc.

We consent to incorporation by reference in the registration statement on Form
S-8 of Res-Care, Inc. of our report dated February 24, 2004, except as to Note
16, which is as of March 10, 2004, with respect to the consolidated balance
sheets of Res-Care, Inc. and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2003 and 2002, and
the related consolidated statements of income, shareholders' equity, and cash
flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2003,
and the related financial statement schedule, which report appears in the
December 31, 2003 annual report on Form 10-K of Res-Care, Inc. Our report refers
to changes in the method of accounting in 2002 for goodwill and other intangible
assets.

                                            /s/ KPMG LLP




Louisville, Kentucky
June 29, 2004