8-K

                                  UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549
                          _____________________________

                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT

                     Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
                         Securities Exchange Act of 1934


                Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported):
                                December 27, 2004



                                 RES-CARE, INC.
               (Exact Name of Registrant as specified in Charter)


           Kentucky               0-20372                     61-0875371
(State or other jurisdiction     (Commission                 (IRS Employer
       of incorporation)         File Number)             Identification No.)


10140 Linn Station Road, Louisville, Kentucky                     40223
(Address of principal executive offices)                       (Zip code)

                                 (502) 394-2100
              (Registrant's telephone number, including area code)

                                       N/A
         (Former name or former address, if changed since last report.)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to
simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the
following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

[  ]     Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act
         (17 CFR 230.425)

[  ]     Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act
         (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

[  ]     Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the
         Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

[  ]     Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the
         Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

                                       1

                    INFORMATION TO BE INCLUDED IN THE REPORT

Item 7.01       Regulation FD Disclosure.

     On December 27, 2004, Res-Care, Inc. issued a press release to announce
that its subsidiary, Arbor E&T, LLC, had been awarded a three-year, $90 million
contract by the New York City Human Resources Administration to provide a range
of services to people with disabilities who receive or have applied for Welfare
benefits in the boroughs of Queens and Brooklyn. The contract also includes an
option to renew for an additional three years. A copy of the press release is
included as Exhibit 99.1 to this report.

Item 9.01         Financial Statements & Exhibits.

         Exhibit Number    Description of Exhibit
         --------------    ----------------------
         99.1              Press release dated December 27, 2004

                                       2

                                    SIGNATURE

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

                                            RES-CARE, INC.



Date:  December 27, 2004                    By       /s/ Ronald G. Geary
                                               ---------------------------------
                                                     Ronald G. Geary
                                                     Chairman, CEO and President

                                       3

                                  EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit
Number   Description of Exhibits
- ------   -----------------------

 99.1    Copy of press release issued by the Company on December 27, 2004.


                                       4

EX-99.1

                                                                    Exhibit 99.1

ResCare's Arbor Unit Awarded 3-Year, $90 Million NYC Contract

    LOUISVILLE, Ky.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 27, 2004--ResCare, Inc.
(NASDAQ/NM:RSCR), the nation's leading provider of residential,
training, educational and support services for at-risk youth and
people with special needs, today announced that its subsidiary Arbor
Education and Training, LLC, (Arbor E&T) has been awarded a
three-year, $90 million contract by the New York City Human Resources
Administration to provide a range of services for people with
disabilities who receive or have applied for Welfare benefits in the
boroughs of Queens and Brooklyn. Under the contract Arbor will provide
assessments, case management, rehabilitation assistance and job
placement services. The contract also includes an option to renew for
an additional three years.
    Arbor E & T provides comprehensive education, training and
placement services through local, state and national employment
assistance and Welfare to Work programs for adults and young people
who have barriers to employment.
    "Arbor E & T offers exceptional services to the people who are
entering the workforce for the first time or who have suffered a
setback and need assistance in finding new job skills," said Ronald G.
Geary, ResCare chairman, president and chief executive officer. "This
particular program is an excellent match for ResCare and Arbor in that
we will be offering services to those with disabilities, which is
where our core competencies are. Arbor has proven its expertise in the
field over a number of years. We're excited we can continue that
tradition for the people of Queens and Brooklyn."
    ResCare, founded in 1974, offers services to some 32,000 people in
33 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and Canada. ResCare is a
human service company that provides residential, therapeutic, job
training and educational supports to people with developmental or
other disabilities, to youth with special needs and to adults who are
experiencing barriers to employment. The Company is based in
Louisville, Ky. More information about ResCare is available on the
Company's web site at http://www.rescare.com.
    The Company from time to time makes forward-looking statements in
its public disclosures, including statements relating to revenues that
might be expected from new or acquired programs and facilities, other
statements regarding development and acquisition activities,
statements regarding reimbursement under federal and state programs
and statements regarding various trends favoring downsizing,
deinstitutionalization and privatization of government programs. In
the Company's filings under the federal securities laws, including its
annual, periodic and current reports, the Company identifies important
factors that could cause the Company's results to differ materially
from those contained in such forward-looking statements. Reference is
hereby made to such disclosures.

    CONTACT: ResCare, Inc., Louisville
             Nel Taylor, 502-394-2100