Dozens of foster children in Kentucky ranging from teens to toddlers spent nights sleeping in social services buildings while awaiting placement by a state agency, according to a preliminary review that has spurred the state auditor to order a broader investigation.
The investigation analyzed 49 cases of foster children spending the night in state office buildings during a four-month period ending in late October. The review found that those 49 kids spent a combined 198 days in state offices, state Auditor Allison Ball, a Republican, said Tuesday.
The average stay among the sampled children was four days, although six children spent 10 or more days in Cabinet for Health and Family Services buildings, Ball said, citing the ombudsman’s report. The average age was 13, but children as young as 1, 2, and 3 spent days in offices, the review found. Almost half the children stayed one day, while the longest stay by a child in a state office building was 35 days, it found.
“The data discovered by the ombudsman revealed deeply concerning issues impacting foster children across Kentucky,” Ball said in a release. “The systemic failures need urgent action.”
The auditor’s office said it has received reports that some kids were being housed in hotels or other nontraditional places, and those additional locations will be included in the deeper investigation.
The report was a snapshot of the four-month period in 2024 but there’s enough evidence to indicate that it continues to be a problem in Kentucky, Ball’s office said Wednesday.
The issue flared in the summer of 2023 amid media reports that some unplaced foster children in Kentucky were sleeping on cots in state office buildings. At that time, at least 64 children had spent at least one night in an office building, the new report released by Ball said.
Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear called the situation unacceptable, but a year and a half later, his administration acknowledged the ongoing difficulty of placing some foster children who have behavioral or mental health issues.
“We’re working to provide more funding to secure additional safe, short-term care options for youth,” the Cabinet for Health and Family Services said in a statement late Tuesday.
It reflects a broader problem that some other states, including Georgia, have faced. Georgia officials have said the situation is improved, thanks in part to increased funding. But some juvenile court judges have said they were pressured to keep certain kids locked in juvenile detention centers instead of releasing them for foster care placement.
Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates, praised Ball for digging into the issue of what some of the state’s most vulnerable children are facing, and letting policymakers and advocates know that the picture is still incomplete.
“What barriers are keeping foster parents and agencies, or family members, from opening their doors to these children — and how can CHFS best support them?” Brooks said in a statement. His organization bills itself as an independent voice for Kentucky children.
The preliminary findings were compiled by the Commonwealth Office of the Ombudsman, which is attached to the auditor’s office.
“I have encouraged the ombudsman to look further into the type of supervision, if any, that is being provided to these children, including but not limited to medications, proper hygiene and other basic needs,” Ball said. “These questions should be addressed by a full investigation.”
The Associated Press
