ATLANTA — As Georgia lawmakers prepare to return to the State Capitol on Monday, foster care advocates say they are closely watching what could be done to address ongoing problems within the state’s child welfare system.
Allison Ashe, president and CEO of Wellroot Family Services, says a growing budget deficit within Georgia’s child welfare agency is a major concern.
“In our state, our legislature, our governor, need to identify the financial resources that it’s going to take to help our DEFAC’s be a first-class department, not a department that’s struggling,” Ashe said.
Ashe also hopes lawmakers will consider changes to Medicaid policy that would allow Medicaid dollars to be used for additional foster care–related services.
The discussion comes as members of the Georgia General Assembly review new revenue figures ahead of the legislative session. The state reports net tax collections in December totaled more than $3.4 billion, a three-percent increase compared to the same month last year.
The largest growth came from individual income tax collections, as lawmakers continue discussions about plans to gradually eliminate Georgia’s income tax.
