Montana officials touted a drop in children entering the foster care system at a recent legislative hearing. But many kids in state care are still waiting years for adoption or a permanent guardian.
Legislative data show Montana held one of the highest growth rates in the nation for kids entering foster care from 2010 to 2019.
That trend now appears to be reversing. Nikki Grossberg leads the state’s Child and Family Services Division. She told lawmakers the number of Montana kids in foster care fell by more than a third since 2021. But, children are still waiting an average of more than three years for adoption — a full year more than the state’s goal.
“I think this is something that we’ll be focusing on to ensure that kids are not lingering in the foster care system,” Grossberg said.
Montana lawmakers have been laser-focused on reforming the state’s child welfare system for years. They succeeded this year in passing measures to speed up court hearings after a child has been removed from their home, and make it a crime to submit false reports of abuse “in bad faith.”
But, lawmakers failed to override Gov. Greg Gianforte’s veto of a broader reform package that would have raised the legal requirements for removing a child from home. The governor said he was concerned it could put children at risk.
Republican Rep. Dennis Lenz of Billings has prioritized fixes to Montana’s foster care system. He praised Grossberg and the state for their work to improve and streamline their practices.
“These are interesting and helpful and positive changes,” Lenz said.
The number of children removed from their homes fell by nearly 60% in the last four years, according to state data.
