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....Child welfare news and trends for March 25, 2025.
Today we’ll try to catch you up on the latest news from the child welfare community.
Got liability coverage? AEI has put out a policy paper highlighting the crisis in liability insurance availability for private foster care providers, to which your humble columnist had the opportunity to contribute. California’s providers are currently seeking funding from the legislature to help obtain coverage. The insurance crisis isn’t impacting just foster care and other residential providers, however. It’s also devastating the childcare sector, with providers closing due to their inability to afford coverage and economic development officials concerned about the impact of childcare availability on the workforce. Significantly rising claims are one likely cause, as are the increasing number of state laws that retroactively remove statutes of limitation for child sex abuse claims.
Overregulation? As Oregon struggles with providing care for children and youth in state custody, especially those with complex behavioral needs, legislators are reconsidering whether to reduce regulatory requirements and make it easier for children to be sent out of state for treatment. Joining advocates who argue that “too many regulations have created a `culture of fear’ among caretakers, State Rep. Rob Nosse (D-Portland) has sponsored a bill to loosen requirements for placing and monitoring children.
“Far from Home”: Speaking of sending children out-of-state, here’s a story on that practice from New Hampshire.
Extended foster care: Idaho’s legislature just extended foster care from age 21 to age 23.
Implementing Just Culture: Speaking of a “culture of fear,” New York City’s Administration for Children and Families is attempting to transform its work environment into a “safety culture,” Commissioner Jess Dannhauser tells The Imprint.
Keeping track of children: An Illinois bill would require that families who want to homeschool their children fill out a form. Although some homeschool advocates oppose the bill, being able to know whether a child is in public or private school, is being homeschooled, or is just living abandoned in an apartment is a good idea.
Clergy as Mandated Reporters: There’s been a trend over the past few years to remove the clergy privilege that has traditionally excluded pastors and priests from the category of “mandated reporters” of child abuse. A bill moving forward in Washington’s legislature would add that state to the list.
Transparency: It appears that despite state and federal law requiring the agency to make public reports regarding children who have suffered a fatality or near fatality after contact with the agency, Illinois’ DCFS has failed to do so in over 4000 cases since 2018.
Transgender: This interesting piece from Emma Camp at Reason explores the divide over whether social and medical “transitioning” of children is child abuse.
Shelters v. Hotels: West Virginia lawmakers want to build shelters to relieve the problems of children in care staying in hotels and offices, but the agency says it won’t help.
Texas: Lawmakers are attempting to address ways to prevent children with complex behaviors from being abandoned to foster care or sinking deeper into the system. Pending legislation would provide Medicaid funding for Multisystemic Therapy and Partial Hospitalization Programs.
Curious: The Oklahoma House just passed unanimously a bill that would allow a qualified residential treatment provider to obtain a protective order against a third party who presents a danger to a child receiving care. I’m wondering what prompted that.
New Mexico: The Governor’s creation of an independent child welfare ombudsman’s office, it seems, was an opportunity to go public with the deeper arguments over the work of the child welfare agency.
Children are staying in Missouri’s foster care system longer than they perhaps should.
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