(Idaho State) The Department of Health and Welfare (DHW) has ended its practice of using short-term rentals to temporarily house foster children with complex needs while they await more permanent placements.
“The number of children coming into foster care rose in 2020 and 2021, and the department established the temporary housing program to keep kids safe,” said DHW Youth Safety and Permanency Administrator Jean Fisher. “The department’s goal was always to phase this program out as soon as possible.”
The program primarily housed children with health conditions, developmental disabilities, and teens, who are more challenging to place in foster care than their younger counterparts.
“Temporary housing kept kids safe, but the immediate placement wasn’t ideal because community-based options are always better,” Fisher said.
The department is able to end the temporary housing program for two key reasons. First, the ratio of foster families to foster children in Idaho is increasing. Second, a new assessment center has absorbed demand.
In May DHW opened a new 16-bed assessment center in the Treasure Valley city of Payette, and that immediately reduced the department’s reliance on temporary housing.
Called the Payette Assessment and Care Center (PACC), it is designed to serve as a homelike setting for foster youth until an ideal placement in a foster home or residential treatment facility is located. The center allows DHW to keep siblings together while providing a stable living situation.
In June DHW established the goal of doubling the ratio of foster homes to foster children in Idaho from 0.75 to 1.5. That means reducing the number of children entering the system and increasing the number of foster homes.
As of Monday, Nov. 11, the ratio is 0.9, meaning there were 90 homes for every 100 children in need. Combined with the new beds in Payette, this has helped the state reach its goal of getting out of the temporary housing business.
“We’re continuing to pursue creative and innovative ways to strengthen our child welfare system,” Fisher said. “We look forward to partnering with Idahoans as we make sure that this trend is sustainable, and that every child has a safe and loving home.”