PAYETTE, Idaho (CBS2) — Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (IDHW) announced a new placement opening in Payette in the coming months, offering a lifeline to kids previously placed in short-term rental accommodations.

During the past couple of years, child welfare staff with Family and Community Services (FACS) faced difficulties finding suitable placements for children entering foster care. IDHW says it initially tried hotel rooms, but such spaces were inadequate for children, which led to the innovative idea of using short-term rentals.

As the number of children in need grows, program staff have managed six separate short-term rentals. The program explored creating a centralized placement, providing a more organized and licensed space.

The placement will provide housing for children the program cannot place quickly with foster parents.

FACS is securing a vacant assisted living facility that will house up to 12 children in a more structured and cost-effective manner than sheltering them in short-term rentals. This new placement is committed to assuring children have comprehensive services, including mental health, physical health and education.

IDHW says the best place for children to live is a home with their nuclear or extended family. The child welfare program seeks to place children in homes with foster families when their original families are unable to care for them.

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