The state of Montana is leading the country in something not very positive.
According to the Department of Health and Human Services Montana has 16 kids per 1000 in foster or state care, the second highest in the nation. However, from 2010 to 2019 Montana has seen the highest growth of kids in foster care, outpacing Georgia in second place by 28 percent.
And the North Central region of Montana, including Havre has the second highest percent of kids in foster care. The eastern region has the highest.
According to the Audit Division, overseen by the Legislative Audit Committee, the number of kids in state care began notably increasing a few years after the Department of Public Health and Human Services began implementing the Safety Assessment and Management System, or SAMS, a method for investigating reports of child abuse and neglect by evaluating safety risks within a child’s living environment, rather than a single incident.
In 2014 the state discontinued its contract with Action for Child Protection, the company that created SAMS, leading to inconsistencies with implementation.
The Child and Family Division now recommends that the Department of Health and Human services modernize the child welfare system based on federal government guidance.
