Foster Youth Sue Louisiana DCFS Over Long-Term Underfunding & Understaffing

A class action lawsuit alleges that the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) lacks sufficient number of case workers and has insufficient foster care placements, and that children in foster care are “routinely subject to mental and physical harm.” Currently, the state has 1,600 available foster homes and 4,100 children in foster care. The complaint cites state data on high caseloads, high placement instability, and lack of access to medical care. The rate of child death in the state is 50% higher than the national average. Children are often denied any education in placements. DCFS lacks . . .