Idaho health department seeks $14 million supplemental, aims to shift foster-care mix toward prevention and family placements

Director Adams, head of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, told an interim legislative committee that the department will request a $14,000,000 supplemental and is centering child welfare as a strategic priority aimed at keeping more children safely at home and reducing expensive congregate placements.

Adams said the department responds to about 15,800 hotline reports a year and that 11% of assessed cases — roughly 1,700 annually — are found unsafe. "We have a $14,000,000 supplemental request this year," Adams said, adding that the department is betting on prevention and foster-family recruitment to bend the program's cost curve.

The request follows several years of supplemental requests and sharp budget increases driven by more placements in congregate care and higher acuity among children entering the system. Adams told the committee that congregate-care rates have risen from an average of $385 per day in 2024 to as much as $1,400 per day in some placements, while keeping a child in a prevention case costs about $1.80 per day. "It's one of the rare instances where the budget and the outcomes are perfectly aligned," he said.

Why it matters: prevention cases (where children remain with their parents and receive services) produce better outcomes at much lower cost than congregate care, the department says. Adams described a goal to flip the current mix so 85% of cases are prevention rather than placements, noting roughly 85% of current cases are neglect rather than physical or sexual abuse and therefore may be candidates for in-home services.

What the department proposes: Adams outlined a two-pronged approach. First, invest in prevention services and teams that courts will accept as adequate supervision so more children can remain at home. Second, expand and retain foster and kinship homes so fewer children need congregate or out-of-state placements. Specific proposals previewed for the upcoming JFAC (Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee) hearing include a targeted foster-parent pay increase (a proposed 5% across-the-board increase with larger rates — 8–10% — for older children and sibling groups and 2% for infants), a 24-hour “warm line” with clinician support for foster families, additional licensing staff to shorten approval times, and recruitment investments.

Metrics and recent trends: Adams said Idaho has about 463,000 children; the department receives roughly 24,000 hotline calls annually (some multiple calls on a single child). He reported a foster-family ratio of 0.94 as of Jan. 20 (up from 0.74 when he started), and that congregate-care census fell from about 268 to about 90, with 49 out-of-state placements remaining. Adams said last year the system had used about 70 short-term Airbnb placements but that "I've got 0 Airbnbs and 0 kids," and the last was closed in November.

Recruitment and retention work: Adams and Monte Pro, deputy director overseeing child welfare, described deregulation and outreach moves that produced rapid recruitment gains after temporary rules were adopted in mid-2024 and later made permanent. The department has created an office of faith initiatives, a foster-family newsletter and forum, reciprocity for out-of-state licensed foster parents, waived adoption fees, and partnerships (parks passes, fishing licenses) to raise visibility. "We set up an office of faith initiatives whose sole job is to engage partnerships with the faith community," Adams said.

Caseloads and workforce: Deputy Director Monte Pro told the committee Idaho's social-worker caseloads are north of the national standard and vary by region — citing examples ranging from roughly 1:8 to 1:19 depending on location and case complexity. The department seeks to reach the national recommended range of 12–15 cases per worker and is asking for staff additions to reduce caseloads.

Court, provider and federal constraints: Adams emphasized that the department cannot unilaterally remove children; law enforcement and courts control removals and commitments. He also said higher acuity among children entering care (including youth substance use and behavioral needs) increases the need for specialized placements. The department plans to support in-state providers to repatriate children now placed out of state when possible.

Federal funding and grant risk: Adams told the committee that mandatory Title IV‑E funds appear protected from federal executive actions and that discretionary federal grants are being reviewed carefully. He identified some Inflation Reduction Act and other discretionary funds (for weatherization or related programs) as items the department has flagged for possible risk.

Concerns raised by legislators: Senators asked for more detail and pressed on specific issues: Senator Shippey warned that other states’ rules had discouraged some faith-based foster applicants; Senator Ziderfeld asked how the state had used Airbnbs and what deregulation steps were taken to recruit families; one senator expressed opposition to subsidizing families. The department described clarified rules, reciprocity for out-of-state foster parents, paying for minor home-safety items (smoke/CO detectors), and use of tele-inspection to speed licensing.

What’s next: Adams said the department will present the full budget package to JFAC in coming weeks and reiterated the department's aim to show results within one year and to see the budget flatten in roughly two years if recruitment, retention and prevention efforts reduce placements as projected.

Ending: The department asked legislators to consider regional differences in foster-family availability and invited partnership ideas from members whose districts show low foster-family ratios.