This article was originally published in Kentucky Lantern.
After receiving what she called “numerous” complaints about foster children in Kentucky sleeping in office buildings without supervision by trained staff, state Auditor Allison Ball said Tuesday the Office of the Ombudsman will investigate.
Calling it an “ongoing crisis” that is “years” in the making, Ball said the ombudsman will investigate the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to get at the root causes.
Terry Brooks, the executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates, said the problem isn’t new — and solving it won’t be simple or cheap.
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It involves a “niche population” of high-needs youth who likely need specialized care, he told the Lantern.
“It’s not typically 5-year-old kids who look like they fell off a TV commercial,” Brooks said. “You’re talking about older kids, teenagers, high levels of acuity, probably some special needs, probably with a history of aggressive behavior. I’m painting a portrait of a young person who we definitely need to care for, but we know it’s going to take creativity and resources to be able to do that.”