State Auditor Allison Ball announced her Commonwealth Office of the Ombudsman has launched an investigation into the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) using office buildings to house foster children.
“My office has continued to receive numerous complaints of foster children and teenagers sleeping on cots and air mattresses in office buildings, often not supervised by trained staff,” Ball said. “I have instructed the Ombudsman’s Office to investigate this issue to uncover the problems associated with this ongoing crisis. The vulnerable children of Kentucky deserve to be placed in nurturing environments where they are provided with the resources, stability, and care they need.”
According to Ball’s office, this issue has persisted for years, forcing hundreds of children to spend nights and in some cases weeks in CHFS office buildings. Other states, such as Tennessee, have succeeded in addressing the issue head on. Yet in Kentucky, despite public legislative testimony by the administration that it would solve the issue, that it already had the financial resources to do so, and that it would spend whatever it takes to see it done, Kentucky kids still find their way to state office housing.
They say the Ombudsman is committed to working to ensure that those seeking public services from CHFS receive quality care.
A spokesman for CHFS responded, said: “We have taken action to address the challenges that come with placing youth with severe mental and behavioral problems or a history of violence or sexual aggression with foster families or facilities. We’ve publicly addressed this many times with lawmakers and have offered more funding to secure additional safe, short-term care options for youths.
“When one of these placements is necessary, we work to make sure each youth has a safe place to stay until a placement can be made.
“We urge those interested in becoming a foster parent to help us meet the needs of all our youth, please visit KyFaces.ky.gov.”
The Cabinet also notes: “According to the latest Child Maltreatment report from the Children’s Bureau of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Kentucky now ranks 14th in the nation in child victims of maltreatment, with a 48% reduction in child victims of maltreatment from 2018 to 2022. This is the third year in a row that the state’s rate has improved though we recognize it’s still far too high as no child should suffer abuse or neglect.”
(Photo: State Auditor Allison Ball)
By Tom Latek, Kentucky Today
