By State Representatives Viola Davis (D-Stone Mountain), Sandra Scott (D-Rex) and Kim Schofield (D-Atlanta)

(576) words

Today, we issue a joint warning following testimony confirming Georgia's projected $85 million deficit within the Department of Human Services (DHS) and the Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS), citing impacts on foster care placement capacity, provider operations, child welfare services and safety considerations for children, families and frontline workers statewide.

Georgia cannot continue to operate a child welfare system where funding gaps are discovered only after harm is already underway. Children's safety cannot depend on delayed federal reimbursements, understaffed caseworkers or accounting assumptions that do not match reality.

Georgia's foster care system is built on a funding structure that is too fragile. When federal dollars are delayed or restricted, the impact is immediate placements are strained, providers are destabilized and children suffer. Georgia legislators must make this a priority issue in the 2026 legislative session and not provide a band-aid solution to an ongoing systemic problem.

You cannot run a child welfare system on vacancies and burnout. Staffing losses directly affect children, families and the state's ability to draw down federal funds efficiently.

Testimony before the Georgia House Appropriations Subcommittee on Human Resources and the House Judiciary Juvenile Committee indicated the projected shortfall did not stem from a single decision or unexpected expense. The testimony identified contributing factors including reliance on delayed federal reimbursements, staffing reductions within DFCS and the absence of statutory limits tying child welfare obligations to available funding.

Georgia's child welfare system is funded in part through federal sources, which account for approximately 55 percent of the Department of Human Services budget. Title IV-E is the primary federal funding stream for foster care and adoption assistance and is used to support foster care per-diem payments, adoption subsidies, administrative functions, staff training and certain prevention services.

However, committee testimony also outlined that Title IV-E funding operates on a reimbursement basis and is subject to federal eligibility requirements. Not all children in foster care meet federal eligibility criteria and eligible expenses are reimbursed only after services are provided. When reimbursements are delayed or eligibility determinations remain pending, the state advances costs using state funds to continue foster care placements and court-ordered services.

Based on committee testimony, the Department of Human Services and the Division of Family and Children Services have reduced or suspended several services in response to the funding shortfall, including:

• Family preservation and reunification programs;

• Transportation for parent-child visitation;

• Mental health and behavioral health services;

• Contracts with nonprofit providers serving foster families.

Nonprofit providers testified these service reductions have been accompanied by staff departures, program closures and service delays, which providers indicated affect placement stability and the duration of foster care placements.

Discussions during the committee meeting referenced federal resources-such as housing assistance for youth transitioning out of foster care-that are not fully utilized. Testimony attributed this to administrative and workforce capacity limitations, rather than a lack of eligible need, occurring alongside the projected $85 million funding shortfall.

This crisis was foreseeable and without reform, it will happen again. Children should never be the shock absorbers of a broken funding system. We must include an audit to truly assess this crisis and develop a corrective action plan.

This is not a partisan issue. It is a constitutional and moral obligation. Georgia's children deserve a system that works when they need it most, not one that collapses under predictable strain.

We reaffirm commitment to advancing legislative reforms to ensure Georgia's child welfare system is stable, transparent, fully funded and accountable.

*Editor's note: Reps. Davis, Scott and Schofield have provided a photo, included below.

Representative Viola Davis represents the citizens of District 87, which includes a portion of DeKalb County. She was elected to the House of Representatives in 2018 and currently serves on the Defense & Veterans Affairs, Health, Insurance, Natural Resources & Environment and Urban Affairs committees.

Representative Sandra Scott represents the citizens of District 76, which includes a portion of Clayton County. She was elected to the House of Representatives in 2010 and currently serves on the Banks & Banking, Defense & Veterans Affairs, Human Relations & Aging, Insurance and Reapportionment and Redistricting committees.

Representative Kim Schofield represents the citizens of District 63, which includes a portion of Fulton County. She was elected to the House of Representatives in 2017 and currently serves as the Secretary of the Urban Affairs Committee. She also serves on the Creative Arts & Entertainment, Health, Industry and Labor and Small Business Development committees.

The views expressed above and information shared are those of the author.

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