Georgia cuts programs for foster youth and families citing federal shutdown

Several state programs for families and children in foster care have been suspended or permanently eliminated, the Georgia Department of Human Services has confirmed.

The agency blamed the federal government shutdown, which ended Nov. 12, and a rapidly increasing agency deficit.

The programs include assessments used to understand children’s needs prior to foster care, services that aim to prevent children from living outside their home, and parent education and training programs, among others.

They serve many of the more than 11,000 foster children in the state and have been in place for more than a decade.

Those who work with children in foster care said the cuts were devastating.

Melissa Clark, an attorney guardian who represents children in court, said the suspension of services “just brings everything to a grinding halt.”

“There is no plan for transitioning the services that are being provided to children and families, no plan for how to replace the capacity that is being lost,” she said.

An email sent Nov. 7 from DHS staff said the programs were suspended “because of the current federal government shutdown and the resulting interruption of funding.” Although Congress voted to end the federal closure, the loss of federal dollars “exacerbated” existing financial deficits, said Ellen Brown, a spokesperson for DHS, in a statement to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The programs have not been reinstated.

DHS has used federal money from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF, to supplement state funds for family out-of-home care services.

Then, DHS announced more program cuts Nov. 10 that would be permanent, but no reason was given at the time. Those programs were all state funded.

Some of the eliminated programs included contracts that helped children with high levels of medical and physical needs, services for developmentally disabled youth to prevent them from entering foster care and educational support care to increase graduation rates.

In the statement, Brown said state costs for these foster care services have risen by 48.5% in three years. The escalation is because of inflation, workforce challenges, decreased federal funding, court-ordered services and children with increasingly complex needs entering foster care.

In all, the agency expects a $85.7 million deficit for the 2026 fiscal year. Lawmakers appropriated $38.6 million in the previous fiscal year and $19.3 million toward the 2026 fiscal year to address the deficit.

“We are working closely with appropriators regarding the need for more funding, and we have implemented measures to conserve resources,” Brown said.

The loss of TANF funds in addition to an increasing agency deficit “ultimately necessitated changes,” she said.

While the agency has a deficit, overall Georgia’s reserve fund has ballooned to $14.6 billion.

Some service providers declined to comment because they had not yet briefed the families they serve about the cuts and were worried about jeopardizing future contracts with the state.

Sally Buchanan, who runs Creative Community Services Inc., is worried about the welfare of children and families who depend on the state resources that are being cut with just 30 days notice.

“The timing (of this decision) is probably what has been so hurtful and stressful to agencies,” she said.

Through a $1.3 million state contract, social workers with her organization go into homes with kids who have behavioral issues and work with them and parents to address the underlying needs.

Money from the contract also pays for a few days of respite for the parents each month so they can rest and remain caring providers.

After contracting with the state for 10 years, Buchanan received a letter Nov. 10 that said the state is canceling her contract “for convenience,” a technical term that allows the state to cancel any contract for any reason. Services are scheduled to end Dec. 10.