Lawmaker calls on Beshear to act as foster children sleep in government buildings
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WTVQ) — A Louisville lawmaker is calling on Gov. Andy Beshear to act after a report from ABC affiliate WHAS revealed foster children are sleeping in the L&N Building due to a lack of homes.
Kentucky Sen. Julie Raque Adams (R-36) responded to WHAS’ report that revealed foster children are sleeping in the L&N Building because there’s nowhere else for them to go.
“It’s not fair to the social worker that has to stay overnight and take care of them, that’s not their job,” Raque Adams said. “Second, it’s not fair to the child, it goes beyond any better practices that we use and we expect our providers to have.”
The Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services confirmed children in state custody are sleeping at the government-owned office space located at Ninth and Broadway. It’s a 10-story building, filled with cubicles and offices.
Raque Adams said she’d known about the sleeping arrangements for months and sent a letter to the cabinet and Beshear in April, demanding answers and action, according to WHAS.
A cabinet spokesperson said the stays usually last between one and three nights and the children are provided supplies needed for sleeping.
WHAS reached out to Beshear’s office about the issue and his plan to remedy it. His office did not respond directly, but they did receive a statement from the Cabinet which reads:
“There are tremendous challenges with placing youth with acute mental and behavioral problems or a history of violence or sexual aggression with foster families. While this is a challenge across the nation, in Kentucky we have taken steps to significantly increase payments to support more foster families. The use of the office space has been very limited and these children have been subsequently placed in an appropriate setting. We continue to work with foster families and service providers across the state to serve our most vulnerable children.”
