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Committee approves Youth Villages Lifeset and related case‑management amendments after questioning on outcomes and a large rate increase
Summary
The committee approved amendments that separate Lifeset services from foster‑care case management, raise the Lifeset daily rate from $15 to $50 and adjust slot counts and maximum liabilities; lawmakers pressed the Department of Children’s Services for outcome data and said they expect reports and metrics from Youth Villages.
The committee approved a package of contract amendments with Youth Villages that revise the Lifeset program’s scope, increase the Lifeset daily rate from $15 to $50, and restructure previously combined services into separate contracts for Lifeset and extension of foster‑care case management. Hayes O’Donnell and other DCS presenters said the change responds to underestimated costs and slot needs and reflected depleted philanthropic matching funds.
DCS officials told the committee the $15 rate dated to 2013 and did not reflect current delivery costs. ‘‘When that was evaluated, the cost of services and delivery for that has been $50,’’ a DCS presenter said, adding that Youth Villages had used philanthropic dollars to subsidize costs in the past but those funds are no longer available. DCS said it adjusted slot counts to serve 1,060 combined slots across the two contracts, reallocating slots between Lifeset and extension of foster care case management to meet demand.
Senator Watson and other members repeatedly asked for outcome metrics and independent evidence that the services reduce recidivism and improve stability. Tony Neece, executive director for federal programs, cited a Youth Villages report he said shows improvements across mental‑health and employment indicators and stated, “Recidivism for a child coming into care … 94 percent of the children who receive it do not come into care.” Members asked for that published report and for the department to supply the data to committee members.
Senator Yeager and others pressed DCS for clarity about which services were shifting between contract buckets and why rates rose while the Lifeset contract’s responsibilities were narrowed. DCS explained some responsibilities were moved into a separate case‑management contract and that the Lifeset increase reflects service‑delivery cost estimates that had not been adjusted since 2013.
The committee approved item 17 and, by unanimous voice vote, approved items 18–23 as a block for regional case‑management contracts and associated rate adjustments. Members requested the Youth Villages outcome report and encouraged DCS and fiscal staff to consider stronger outcome measures and contractual incentives where appropriate.
Next steps: DCS agreed to provide committee members with the Youth Villages report and additional metrics that document outcomes and cost‑effectiveness.
