Georgia lawmakers study rising foster care costs amid $85 million shortfall
The Joint Study Committee on Evaluating Escalating Costs in Georgia's Foster Care System is meeting Thursday morning.
Created through Senate Resolution 622, the committee will review Georgia's foster care system, the services available to foster children and parents, and the costs associated with those services.
The committee's goal is to help ensure resources are available to improve outcomes for children in foster care.
"The number of kids in care has not gone up much, but the needs of our kids have gone up a lot," said Wayne Naugle, a foster father and founder of Families 4 Families, Georgia's largest nonprofit foster care agency. "The base-level kids we were used to getting years ago, those kids have much more complex needs now. So, per child, it costs more."
Naugle said Georgia had about 7,500 foster homes in 2019, compared with about 4,500 today.
Georgia's Division of Family and Children Services has reported an $85 million budget shortfall. The funding gap has resulted in less specialized care for foster children and cuts to programs supporting graduation rates, foster parent education and specialized medical care.
When Gov. Brian Kemp cut $300 million from the state budget in May, $600,000 for clothing and supplies for foster children was also eliminated.
The government shutdown and inflation have placed additional financial pressure on DFCS and foster care agencies.
"I think it's a really good time for our communities to step up, whether it's communities or churches or social organizations," Naugle said. "Not everyone can foster, but everybody can buy a backpack or help out with school clothes, and everyone can get a notebook, paper and pencils for kids."
State Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick said the panel is the third study committee formed in three years to examine challenges within Georgia's foster care system. It is the first to bring members of the state Senate and House together to study those issues.
"Many states are struggling with the rising costs of caring for foster children, particularly older children and those with medical or mental health needs, leading to a gap between available funding and the needs of the children in the system," Kirkpatrick said.
She said the committee will bring together agencies and organizations that work with foster children to identify possible solutions and ensure the state's system can support the children in its care.
