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Senators press DCFS on hiring, foster care support and proposed summer EBT expansion
Summary
The Department of Children & Family Services briefed the committee on FY26 needs including requests for child welfare staff, paralegals, and funding for summer EBT; senators pressed for detail on overtime, caseloads and carryforward items tied to child welfare services.
The Senate Budget Committee reviewed the Department of Children and Family Services's FY26 recommended budget on March 18, focusing on staffing, foster care payments and a summer food benefit expansion.
What the presentation covered: Senate Fiscal Services summarized the department's budget categories and highlighted large other‑charge expenditures — primarily child welfare services, restricted‑care placements and federal benefit initiatives. The department reported that federal funds constitute about two‑thirds of the agency's recommended financing while state general fund makes up roughly 30%.
Staffing, hiring pipeline and vacancies: Senators heard that DCFS is authorized for multiple TO and FTE positions and had reported more than 50 funded but unfilled positions earlier in the fiscal year; department witnesses said hiring has reduced vacancies to roughly 30 in process. Secretary Matt Locke described a multi‑pronged recruitment and foster‑parent support strategy that includes regional collaboratives, mentor programs and a new recruiter/supporter role to improve foster‑parent recruitment and retention.
Frontline overtime and child welfare capacity: The department noted an $8.5 million line item in the budget to pay overtime for frontline child‑welfare workers; lawmakers questioned whether that is recurring and what it represents. Presenters said state fiscal adjustments included both an overtime allocation and executive‑order savings that the department is implementing.
Summer EBT and federal TANF initiatives: The presentation included an FY26 annualization item for a summer EBT program — an expansion that combines a relatively small state general fund share with a large federal draw. The presentation listed roughly $80 million in total for summer nutrition funding in FY26, with only a small state general fund component required to draw down federal benefits.
Courtwork and paralegals: Secretary Locke and legal staff emphasized a request for paralegal positions to reduce the amount of legal paperwork performed by social workers and to free attorneys for training and litigation tasks; testimony explained that paralegals would increase efficiency and reduce costs relative to hiring additional attorneys.
Foster care payments and kinship caregiver support: DCFS staff described monthly payments for certified relative and fictive‑kin caregivers and a small increase in short‑term residential and therapeutic foster care annualizations; the department also noted growth in kinship care caseloads since earlier years.
Ending: Senators asked DCFS to provide follow‑up on hiring status, overtime justification, and program metrics; the department agreed to return requested details and to coordinate with legislators on urgent placement and hiring needs.
