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Committee backs bill to formalize 14-day reviews of unlicensed congregate foster placements
Summary
Senate Bill 1035 would require the Department of Health and Welfare director to review placements of foster children in unlicensed congregate care (including short-term rentals) every 14 days and assess safety, treatment, and discharge planning; committee recommended the bill "do pass" to the floor.
The Senate Health and Welfare Committee on Jan. 29 voted to send Senate Bill 1035 to the floor with a "do pass" recommendation. The sponsor, Senator Melissa Wintrow, said the bill builds on reforms passed in 2024 and is designed to ensure licensed facilities can meet foster children's treatment needs while preserving important safeguards against the use of unregulated group care.
Senator Wintrow described the legislative history and context: after the 2024 session and enactment of Senate Bill 1379 (effective July 1, 2024), Idaho moved to restrict placements of foster children in previously unregulated congregate settings such as short-term rentals and hotels. "In 2024, there were 75 foster children who were placed in short term rentals," Wintrow said, and some children were under age 2. She…
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