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Office of Family Representation says caseloads surged; LFC funds limited build‑out of regional offices
Summary
OFRA told legislators CYFD filings jumped ~36% in a recent six‑month window, increasing demand for attorneys and prompting the LFC to recommend funding for more full‑time positions while contract attorney costs remain a major budget driver.
The Office of Family Representation and Advocacy (OFRA) briefed the House Appropriations & Finance subcommittee on a sharp rise in child‑welfare courtroom filings and the agency’s phased build‑out of regional interdisciplinary teams.
Carlyn Malone and DFA staff summarized specials and operating differences: the executive supported multiple special requests to open new regional offices and supply furniture and IT, while the LFC combined and reduced some special requests and increased base personnel funding to support additional full‑time employees. OFRA Executive Director Beth Gilead said the agency currently has 33 FTEs and that CYFD filings increased nearly 36% in the first half of the most recent year — 298 new cases from July–December 2024 versus 404 in the same period in 2025 — driving demand for attorneys and prompting the LFC to recommend funding for ~43 FTE in FY27 (executive recommended ~39).
Gilead described the interdisciplinary model: lawyers, master's‑level social workers and family peer support navigators work together to represent parents and to support families through case plans; youth ages 14–18 receive youth attorneys and children 14 and older receive guardian ad litem representation per statute. The agency said expanded in‑house staff should reduce reliance on contract attorneys over time, but immediate case volume required contract capacity. OFRA reported quality‑improvement steps and fiscal contract monitoring to identify overbilling.
Committee members asked about team roles and whether the model supplies direct clinical services; OFRA clarified social workers perform assessments and assist legal teams but do not duplicate community clinical services; peer navigators provide warm handoffs to community supports. The committee approved the executive recommendation for OFRA in a motion recorded near the end of the session.
