Due to a shortage of foster homes in Los Angeles County, un-fostered children have been kept in unlicensed hotel rooms since last month.
County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, an official who oversees the Department of Children and Family Services, feels that even she isn’t comfortable with the county placing youths in hotels, but she understands that the department was out of options. Other counties even have placed children in former detention facilities and office buildings.
Following many sexual abuse and violent incidents in California, then-Governor Jerry Brown approved a law in 2015 making the state prioritize putting children with relatives or foster families over creating group homes, which backfired.
Consequently, the law left counties with few places to place youths with behavioral problems who aren’t accepted by group homes or foster families. This is a significant problem in Los Angeles County because every youth facility there can refuse anyone who they feel needs more care than they can provide.
This led to the conclusion that if hotel rooms were no longer an option, they would have to work with the state to create a facility in which it would be required to receive all youths referred to them.
According to Scott Murray, a spokesman for the California Department of Social Services, the organization is working with counties to make sure that every foster child has access to a place that will support them. He mentioned that the governor recently approved a bill to create additional places for foster children who require psychiatric treatment in order to quickly transfer them to “less restrictive settings.”
However, in Los Angeles County, politicians say hotel rooms are the best answer to these problems. Supervisor Janice Hahn admitted that, “We don’t have any other option at this point.” Supervisor Holly Mitchell added, “Having to choose between our foster youth staying in hotel rooms instead of the streets is a last resort.”
However, the hotel rooms were proven dangerous to both the staff members and the children. Two social workers who were caring for children staying in the rooms were attacked, according to a report last month by the Investigative Reporting Program at UC Berkeley and The Times.
Even if officials can find a place for the young people in these rooms— who are typically trying to deal with substance addiction issues, mental health diseases, and generational trauma—the youth may reject it.
After every effort put in by the state, Los Angeles County still holds unhoused children in hotel rooms.
County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, an official who oversees the Department of Children and Family Services, feels that even she isn’t comfortable with the county placing youths in hotels, but she understands that the department was out of options. Other counties even have placed children in former detention facilities and office buildings.
Following many sexual abuse and violent incidents in California, then-Governor Jerry Brown approved a law in 2015 making the state prioritize putting children with relatives or foster families over creating group homes, which backfired.
Consequently, the law left counties with few places to place youths with behavioral problems who aren’t accepted by group homes or foster families. This is a significant problem in Los Angeles County because every youth facility there can refuse anyone who they feel needs more care than they can provide.
This led to the conclusion that if hotel rooms were no longer an option, they would have to work with the state to create a facility in which it would be required to receive all youths referred to them.
According to Scott Murray, a spokesman for the California Department of Social Services, the organization is working with counties to make sure that every foster child has access to a place that will support them. He mentioned that the governor recently approved a bill to create additional places for foster children who require psychiatric treatment in order to quickly transfer them to “less restrictive settings.”
However, in Los Angeles County, politicians say hotel rooms are the best answer to these problems. Supervisor Janice Hahn admitted that, “We don’t have any other option at this point.” Supervisor Holly Mitchell added, “Having to choose between our foster youth staying in hotel rooms instead of the streets is a last resort.”
However, the hotel rooms were proven dangerous to both the staff members and the children. Two social workers who were caring for children staying in the rooms were attacked, according to a report last month by the Investigative Reporting Program at UC Berkeley and The Times.
Even if officials can find a place for the young people in these rooms— who are typically trying to deal with substance addiction issues, mental health diseases, and generational trauma—the youth may reject it.
After every effort put in by the state, Los Angeles County still holds unhoused children in hotel rooms.