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Committee endorses bill to strengthen review of foster placements in unlicensed congregate care
Summary
Senators voted to send Senate Bill 1035 to the floor with a 'do pass' recommendation. Sponsor Sen. Nicole Wintrow said the bill builds on last year's reforms to limit placement of foster children in unregulated settings and requires director-level reviews of unlicensed congregate placements every 14 days with specific assessment criteria.
The Senate Health and Welfare Committee voted to send Senate Bill 1035 to the floor with a due-pass recommendation after testimony from the bill sponsor and residential-care providers.
Senator Nicole Wintrow, sponsor of SB 1035, told the committee the bill expands and clarifies restrictions enacted by the 2024 legislature to curb placement of foster children in unregulated congregate-care settings, such as short-term rentals. "The bill keeps in place the important restrictions on unregulated group care while clarifying the director's role in reviewing and approving placements for foster kids in congregate care settings," Wintrow said, summarizing changes she described as intended to protect children while preserving needed treatment capacity.
Key provisions in the sponsor's description include a requirement that the director review any child placed in an unlicensed group-care setting at least every 14 days. The director's review must assess the child's safety, treatment needs, facility services, the treatment plan, overall progress, the discharge plan and progress toward discharge. If the director finds the placement appropriate the director may approve it; if not, the director must find an alternative placement, the sponsor said.
Residential providers and a provider representative who said he helped draft the revised language testified in support. Craig Anderson, owner-operator of Hinge Point Youth Homes, told the committee providers and Department of Health and Welfare staff collaborated on the language and said the revised drafting was "unanimously agreed to by the providers that were involved by the department, as well as other organizations." Anderson said the previous year's restrictions had created considerable administrative burden that the revised language seeks to address while maintaining safeguards.
Public testimony included remarks from Bridal Shipley of Hailey, who spoke in support of SB 1035 and urged that timely assessments and community-based services be prioritized for youth in care.
Committee members raised questions about whether the 14-day review requirement would create staffing burdens for the department or residential providers and whether reviews could distract from treatment in longer-term residential settings. The sponsor and witnesses said the intent was to balance oversight with treatment needs and that the department had been part of the drafting process.
After additional discussion and public testimony, the committee voted by voice to send SB 1035 to the floor with a due-pass recommendation.
Votes and next steps: SB 1035 will be reported to the full Senate. The sponsor and department staff said they will continue to coordinate on implementation details and oversight procedures.
