State Agrees to $85M Foster Care Lawsuit Settlement

HONOLULU – Attorney General Doug Chin and Human Services Director Rachael Wong announced today the resolution of multiple class action lawsuits regarding state foster care payments.

In December 2013, a group of licensed foster parents – also known as resource families – filed a federal lawsuit asserting that the amount the State pays to resource families to cover the costs of caring for foster children was inadequate. A related lawsuit was later filed in state court. Prior to 2014 the basic board rate paid to resource families had not been raised since 1990, but was raised in 2014 following a 2013 DHS review process. Subject to federal and state court approval and approval of funding by the state legislature, the parties agreed on new board rates starting in the 2017-2018 fiscal year and also agreed on a methodology DHS would use to review those rates in the future.

Attorney General Chin said, “The settlement between DHS and the Plaintiffs ends years of litigation in both state and federal court and demonstrates that parties can work together on investing in the health and well-being of children and families.”

Director Wong said, "Our children and families are core to the state's ‘Ohana Nui (extended family) strategy. This agreement confirms our shared priority to invest in keiki and their families—biological, foster, hanai, or other—and provide them with resources and support to grow in healthy environments and homes. As Governor Ige often says, 'This is all about changing the trajectory of future generations' lives.'"

Read more: http://hawaiifreepress.com/ArticlesMain/tabid/56/ID/18163/State-Agrees-to-85M-Foster-Care-Lawsuit-Settlement.aspx