Ohio has made slight improvements in placing foster children with families.
But a new report shows an increase in teens staying in group homes. The report from the non-partisan Annie E. Casey Foundation shows 40-percent of Ohio teens in the system are placed in a group setting, up from 31-percent in 2007. Tracy Najera with the Children's Defense Fund of Ohio wants state leaders to increase support for family placements. She says without a stable family environment, foster youth are more likely to be homeless, unemployed, and become early parents.
Foundation spokesperson Rob Geen says in some cases, group placements are necessary because of a medical or behavioral health need.
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Nearly 15-thousand children are in Ohio's foster-care system.
