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Youngkin says some foster kids have slept in offices, ERs

emergency hospital sign
Posted at 3:18 PM, Apr 02, 2022
and last updated 2022-04-02 15:18:48-04

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Gov. Glenn Youngkin says over 150 children in foster care in Virginia spent at least one night in “unsuitable sleeping arrangements” over a six-month period last year.

In a news release, the governor announced he was launching a task force that will study safe housing placements for children in foster care, aiming to end the practice of children sleeping in local social services departments, hotels and emergency rooms.

According to a news release, the children who were displaced ranged in age from 7-17 years old and were accompanied by social workers or law enforcement personnel.

That number represents about 3% of approximately 5,300 children a Youngkin spokeswoman says were in foster care during that time frame.