Scioto County Commissioner Bryan Davis is frustrated with the rising cost of foster care, calling it “extortion.” He says agencies are being taken advantage of because they’re desperate to find safe placements for children.
“The state budget doesn’t provide nearly enough funding to cover these costs,” Davis said. “I’m not a huge fan of regulations, but something has to be done. When people take advantage of a crisis for profit, that’s exactly what this is.”
According to Scioto County JFS Director Tammy Moore Morton, the county spent $7.7 million on foster care placements in 2023. The cost dropped to $6.5 million in 2024 as the number of children in care decreased, but the agency is still spending an average of $550,000 per month.
“At one point, we were paying over $750,000 a month,” Morton said. “The facilities saw we were desperate, and they took advantage of it. They told us bigger, wealthier counties—like Franklin County—were willing to pay higher prices, so they pitted us against each other. We simply can’t afford that.”
Southeastern Ohio, home to some of the state’s poorest counties, has been hit especially hard. Even as the number of kids in care declines, placement costs continue to skyrocket. “The foster care system is out of control,” Morton said.
Davis agrees. “We’re talking about children here. I understand that businesses need to make a profit, but there’s a limit. When that limit is crossed, it’s time for the Ohio General Assembly to step in.”
To address the issue, JFS directors in the region are working on a plan to create a placement crisis center or wellness center. The goal is to have a facility within the district that can temporarily house children in emergency situations.
“We had a child sleep in our lobby again last week,” Morton said. “That should never happen.”
The facility would also give caseworkers more time to properly investigate potential family placements, reducing the pressure to rush kids into expensive foster homes. “Right now, we’re sometimes forced to place kids in homes that are either too much or too little for what they actually need—just because we’re desperate,” Morton said. “This center would help us make better, more thoughtful decisions at a fair cost.”
