State agency wants to increase ‘long past due’ pay rates for SC group homes, foster families

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WCSC) – Practically 4,000 kids and youngsters are presently in South Carolina’s out-of-home foster care system, with a whole lot of them dwelling in group houses.

However these group houses have been receiving the identical pay price from the state for offering that look after practically a decade, and so they worry not elevating these charges quickly may have long-lasting repercussions.

“We’ve already seen, sadly, a few of our suppliers exit of enterprise,” Kim Beaudoin stated. “An increasing number of of them will shut in the event that they don’t get the speed will increase which might be lengthy late.”

Beaudoin works as CEO of Palmetto Affiliation for Kids and Households, which represents 50 of the state’s group houses, most of that are nonprofits.

In recent times, their workload has solely gone up.

“They’ve at all times been a weak inhabitants, however I’ve been within the subject myself for 35 years, and the wants are as excessive as they’ve ever been and as complicated and difficult,” Beaudoin stated.

Group houses are additionally battling the identical challenges many employers at the moment are dealing with, like rising prices as a result of inflation and bother discovering employees, competing with employers like chain eating places and rideshare companies for brand new hires.

They obtain cash from the state, however the South Carolina Division of Social Companies is asking for group houses to get a further $8.8 million within the subsequent state finances to extend their pay charges.

“We all know that many of those group residence suppliers, they haven’t had their charges adjusted since 2015. We have been capable of do present some one-time type of price enhancements due to COVID and a few federal {dollars} that got to the company,” DSS Director of Communications and Exterior Affairs Connelly-Anne Ragley stated.

DSS can be asking lawmakers for one more $2 million to extend the reimbursements foster households obtain every month by about $30. Greater than 60% of the children and youngsters in foster care underneath DSS’s supervision live in family-like houses, with individuals to whom they don’t seem to be associated or had beforehand shared a detailed relationship.

These charges are decided by the kid’s age. DSS needs to lift the month-to-month reimbursement for kids youthful than six from $619 to $644, for kids 6-12 from $723 to $752, and for youngsters from $764 to $794.

“It’s one thing that we glance, as a division, at yearly, and we attempt to alter these month-to-month charges primarily based on the age of the kid, and we attempt to hold assembly the southeastern common for the US Division of Agriculture’s tips for the price of elevating a toddler,” Ragley stated.

Beaudoin stated these price will increase are essential.

Ideally, she stated group houses ought to use donations, grants, and endowment funds as “enhancements” to their work as an alternative of fueling their vital operations.

However for years, many houses have been utilizing these pots of cash to offset the prices of companies as a result of the funding they’ve been getting from the state and federal authorities hasn’t been sufficient, Beaudoin stated.

“That’s a dangerous enterprise mannequin, each for suppliers but additionally, extra importantly, for kids and youth,” Beaudoin stated. “It creates plenty of haves and have-nots, and that’s not what the system needs. We wish to have the ability to present equal entry to all kids and youths.”

Lawmakers will begin taking on finances requests from DSS and different state companies after their new legislative session begins Jan. 10.

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