Kerr County officials warn rising juvenile placement rates and bed shortages could push probation costs higher

Kerr County juvenile probation staff told the commissioners court on Monday that rising daily placement rates at out‑of‑county juvenile facilities and a limited statewide supply of detention beds are driving a notable increase in next year’s budget request.

The juvenile probation representative, Jason (juvenile probation staff), told the court that “alternative housing is a…general phrase for anytime we remove a juvenile from their house and we place them in an alternative location,” and that daily rates now range widely, from about $1.75 on the low end to roughly $385 per day at the high end. He added that the Texas Juvenile Justice Department’s (TJJD) internal estimate of cost is about $500 per day.

That shift is reflected in a line‑item increase for “alternative housing” in the juvenile budget. Jason said Kerr County currently holds contracts with about 25 facilities across Texas for detention and placement and that the county expects contract rates to rise as TJJD has signaled higher rates to providers. “We are seeing…rates increasing,” he said.

Jason told the court the problem is driven by supply and demand rather than a surge in new juvenile offenses. He said state system backlogs have shortened from a three‑month wait list to roughly a month, which can leave counties responsible for housing youth for longer while they await placement. The county contracts with roughly 24 of the state’s 34 juvenile detention facilities, he said, and some receiving counties will not accept out‑of‑county placements, limiting options.

Commissioners pressed for context on volume as well as price. The juvenile probation representative said female placements are particularly hard to find—“Females are very, very difficult. We have 2 facilities that will routinely take female. That’s it.”—and that the county frequently must call multiple facilities from as far away as Lubbock or Corpus Christi to find available beds.

The probation office also flagged an interpreter line item that was inadvertently left at zero in the submitted worksheet; staff said they would request $6,000 to cover interpreters and expect vehicle insurance costs to rise. The department reported it recently filled a vacant probation officer position with no budget increase because the position had been vacant for months.

The court did not take a formal vote on any changes Monday; commissioners asked staff to refine the projections and to return with clarified estimates and supporting contract data for the budget process.

Looking ahead, county officials said they expect more clarity after contracts and provider rate notices arrive in the coming weeks. Commissioners asked staff to track both price increases and any changes in placement volume before finalizing the fiscal year request.