At a Senate Select Committee on Women and Children hearing in Baton Rouge, foster parents voiced frustration after the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) halted reimbursements for everyday expenses despite a recent $17 million increase in monthly board rates.
Board rate increase and unexpected cutbacks
Effective July 1, the state raised the per‑child foster‑care payment from roughly $600 to $900 per month. The increase was intended to cover incidental costs such as school uniforms, supplies, car seats and mileage for transporting children to appointments.
Within weeks, DCFS stopped reimbursing those expenses. Parents can no longer claim mileage for trips to schools, doctors or therapy sessions, and they must now absorb costs for uniforms, supplies and other day‑to‑day needs.
Parents share the impact
Shane Purvis of Loranger described driving more than 1,000 miles in June to take his 8‑year‑old foster son to doctors, therapists, dentists, weekly parent meetings and summer school. “Where was she going? To the doctor, to the therapist, to the dentist, to the weekly parents’ meetings, to summer school back and forth. That’s being taken away,” he told the committee.
Franklin Parish foster parent Danielle Eley, who cares for three children, estimated the reimbursement changes will cost her families about $6,500 over the next year.
Agency explains the rationale
DCFS Secretary Rebecca Harris testified that the board‑rate increase was meant to eliminate the need for families to file numerous expense claims. “I may not have been clear with that,” Harris said when pressed about the sudden policy shift.
Neither Harris nor Undersecretary Christopher Bahm mentioned the reimbursement halt in their March budget request. The board‑rate increase was only the second such raise in nearly twenty years, according to Bahm.
Lawmakers question the process
Rep. Kimberly Coates (R‑Ponchatoula) expressed concern that the agency acted without the required legislative approval. State law mandates that any change to foster‑care reimbursements receive clearance from both health and welfare committees.
Sen. Patrick McMath (R‑Covington) asked Harris to restore reimbursements, at least through the end of the fiscal year on June 30, 2027. Harris agreed to reinstate the payments for the remainder of the year.
Broader implications for foster‑care stability
Committee members highlighted that stable funding is essential for recruiting and retaining foster families. “If we expect stability for our children, we must fund stability,” Undersecretary Bahm told the Senate Finance Committee in March.
Eley, who also leads a nonprofit serving 35 foster families, said many caregivers feel “scared, worried, discredited, discounted, overlooked, unimportant and used” by the abrupt policy change.
Next steps
The Senate will monitor DCFS compliance with the agreed‑upon reimbursement schedule. Foster parents hope the temporary fix will become permanent, ensuring that the increased board rates truly translate into reliable support for children in state custody.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
