Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Child Welfare topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
New DHW director lays out child‑welfare overhaul and budget plan to double foster‑family ratio
Summary
Department of Health and Welfare Director Alex Adams described a reorganization, a 'wildly important goal' to increase the foster‑family to foster‑child ratio, temporary rules to speed foster licensing, and a Sept. 1 budget request focused on prevention; the committee asked OPE for a follow‑up on the direct‑care workforce.
Alex Adams, director of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, told the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee that his department will make child welfare its primary focus and reorganize leadership to create a dedicated child, youth and family services deputy.
Adams presented an organizational chart that places foster‑care, adoption and child protection under a single deputy, named Monte Pro, and described two new divisions: family and community partnerships (to work with nonprofits and faith‑based groups) and early learning and development. Adams said the department has adopted a ‘WIG’ (wildly important goal) to improve outcomes by raising the number of foster homes relative to foster children — moving the ratio from about 0.81 toward a target of 1.5 — and emphasized a prevention‑first approach.
He gave data to illustrate the system: about 460,000 children under 18 in Idaho; more than 24,000 hotline referrals annually; roughly 15,000 assessments each year; and about 3,000 children served by the department in any given year. Adams also cited cost differences across placements: general foster care averages about $16 per day, congregate care about $380 per day, and prevention about $1.80 per day. "We want to flip the script," Adams said, describing a shift that would increase prevention cases and family placements to improve outcomes and reduce long‑term costs.
Operational changes include adoption of national model foster‑care licensing standards, temporary rules to speed licensing (for example, starting processing within one business day), paid family leave for foster families announced with the governor, and targeted recruitment and PR campaigns. Adams said the department will submit a budget request on Sept. 1 emphasizing prevention specialists, caseload standards and additional staffing where needed.
Representative Birch moved that OPE prepare a follow‑up to its direct‑care workforce report at a time determined by OPE based on available resources; the committee discussed capacity constraints and approved the motion by voice vote with at least one recorded nay. OPE's interim director said follow‑ups will be scheduled when capacity allows among OPE's open reports.
Adams invited committee members to visit department facilities and review the department's budget details, and he said some administrative changes (new divisions, temporary regulations and an office of program integrity) are already in motion.
