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JFAC approves $14.13 million supplemental for foster care shortfall and funds FY2026 child-welfare staffing increase
Summary
Committee approved a $14.13 million FY2025 supplemental to cover foster care trustee and benefit shortages and approved a FY2026 package adding 63 FTEs intended to reduce reliance on congregate care.
The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee voted March 14 to approve a $14,126,900 supplemental for the Department of Health and Welfare's Division of Youth Safety and Permanency to cover a foster-care trustee and benefit payment shortfall in FY2025, and approved a FY2026 enhancement package that the department said is designed to increase prevention and in-state placements.
Alex Williamson, budget and policy analyst for Legislative Services, told the committee the supplemental totals $14,126,900 for FY2025, split into $8,868,200 General Fund and $5,258,700 federal funds, to cover higher-than-forecast congregate care costs and trustee/benefit payments. Senator Wintrow moved the supplemental; the motion carried on a roll call of 18 ayes, 1 nay and 1 absent/excused.
Committee members and the department underscored the cost differences for placement types cited during the hearing: analyst and members stated prevention in-home services cost roughly $1.80 per day, foster care roughly $16 per day and congregate care about $380 per day. Committee members said investments in prevention and recruiting foster families aim to reduce higher-cost congregate placements.
For FY2026 the committee approved an enhancement package moved by Representative Tanner that adds 63 FTEs, funds prevention specialist teams, foster-care clinical staff, foster licensing staff and operating costs associated with the Payette Assessment and Care Center (PAC) lease and operations. The motion described a total FY2026 increase of $21,245,700 (split between General Fund and federal funds per motion) and 63 FTEs; the motion passed with a committee tally reported as 18 ayes, 1 nay, 1 absent/excused.
The committee also adopted language to exempt the Division of Youth Safety and Permanency from certain Department of Health and Welfare transfer limitations for FY2025 and FY2026 and included conditions tying eight of the new foster-program licensing positions to a performance measure: achieving a one-to-one ratio of foster families to foster children by Jan. 1, 2026, with a preliminary report due Sept. 15. Committee members said they will monitor outcomes and may revisit authority if the department does not deliver results.
Ending: The supplemental and FY2026 enhancements carry due-pass recommendations to the legislative floors; committee leaders emphasized the changes are intended to increase in-state placements and reduce reliance on out-of-state congregate care.
