DCFS seeks 125 frontline hires, paralegals and vehicle funding as foster homes and services expand

BATON ROUGE, La. — Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) leadership told the House Appropriations Committee on April 8 that the agency had made measurable progress on foster placement availability but faces continued shortages in frontline staff and funding for key services.

Judge Brandon Matlock, DCFS secretary, told the committee that foster‑home capacity rose from 749 to 913 over the most recent reporting year and that, at the time of the hearing, there were no children living in office space or hotels for lack of placement.

“That's a big deal,” Matlock said, noting agency efforts to expand foster and congregate placements and to stand up support programs for foster families.

Nut graf: DCFS officials asked the committee to fund targeted increases to stabilize child‑welfare operations: 125 new full‑time frontline TO positions to handle caseloads, 18 paralegals to relieve legal paperwork burdens on caseworkers and attorneys, replacement vehicles to support home‑visits and funds to update foster‑care rate setting. Committee members also pressed officials on SNAP/TANF fraud recovery and vacancy and turnover trends affecting child…