State Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver, a longtime advocate for children and families, says reports of service cuts tied to budget shortfalls are alarming.
Officials with the Georgia Department of Human Services told FOX 5 that projected state fund costs tied to the Out-of-Home Care program have risen more than 48% over three years.
They say rising costs have accelerated due to inflation, workforce shortages, reduced federal funding, court-ordered services, and the rising number of children entering foster care with increasingly complex needs.
Those pressures have created a projected $85 million program deficit for the next fiscal year.
State officials said the loss of federal funds during the shutdown worsened the problem and forced DFCS to adjust service delivery to help reduce the shortfall.
Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver (D-Decatur) expressed deep concern about the reported cuts.
“It’s very expensive for the state to take over the role of parent, and our legal obligation in every case is to make efforts to reunite that child with a functioning parent in a safe home,” Oliver said. “These monies are spent for that purpose… So I’ve got some questions.”
Oliver said reports that the shutdown added another financial strain to the system are especially troubling.
“I’m worried about these issues,” she said. “My colleagues in the House… are worried about these issues, and it’s our job to understand the reasons. If we have a big deficit — which I believe we do — and we’re cutting tens of millions of dollars of services for children we are legally obligated to provide, we need answers.”
State officials said specific services remain available, but now require an additional review and approval from DFCS staff at the state level.
