Care for Mentally Ill Foster Children Lacking in Washington State, Report Finds

Mentally ill children living in Washington state foster homes "must fail repeatedly in housing placements" before the state will provide treatment, according to a new report commissioned by the state Legislature and conducted by the Washington State Institute for Public Policy. The Spokane Spokesman-Review reports that researchers examined the cases of 280 "long term foster children" who had spent at least three months in the foster care system. The state Department of Social and Health Services cares for more than 7,100 long term foster children in a tri-level system: roughly two out of three children are placed in "regular foster homes" at a median cost of $344 per month; about 25% are placed in Level 2 "enhanced" homes at a median cost of $639 per month; and about 10% are given Level 3 therapeutic care in "treatment" homes or group homes, at a cost of $3,417 per month. The report found that "most children in all three types" of care "had behavioral and emotional problems," and almost 33% of children in regular foster homes had "severe behavior problems." The report found that 60% of those children had not received mental health care for at least a month. Forty-four percent of children in Level 2 homes had "severe problems," and half of them "had not received any treatment in the previous month."

More Resources Needed
The report recommends that the Department of Social and Health Services "evaluate" children's mental health needs "sooner," provide "more therapeutic foster homes and residential care" and give foster families greater support. Phil Bayne of the department's Children's Administration said the findings were "no surprise," but added that a "shortage of foster homes makes it difficult to place children." He said the department is examining a method to evaluate children and is "phas[ing]" in a new rate structure for foster care reimbursement. State Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson (D) called for lawmakers to boost foster care funding, saying, "The kids in foster care are more and more needy. The Legislature really does have an obligation in this" (AP/Spokane Spokesman-Review, 7/3). The full report from the Washington State Institute for Public Policy is available at online. Note: You will need Adode Acrobat Reader to view the report.