Delaware Foster Youth Housed in Office Buildings
A state audit reveals foster youth are sleeping in offices as Delaware works to open new emergency and therapeutic shelters.
Updated on Oct. 22, 2026 in Child Care
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A recent Delaware state audit found that foster youth are frequently forced to sleep in state office buildings due to a shortage of appropriate placements. The report highlights significant security and safety concerns for children and staff as the state works to expand specialized housing capacity.
Why it matters
The practice of housing children in offices underscores a critical gap in care for adolescents with complex behavioral health needs or justice system involvement. This audit highlights the ongoing difficulty in securing sufficient, safe, and stable residential environments for vulnerable youth in the state.
A state audit report revealed that Delaware spent $4.5 million on overnight staff supervision in office buildings, while simultaneously directing $8.3 million toward out-of-state placements from fiscal years 2023 to 2025. It remains unclear exactly when these temporary housing practices will conclude.
The players
Department of Services for Children, Youth and their Families
The Delaware state agency responsible for managing foster care, child protective services, and behavioral health support for minors.
The details
Foster youth are currently housed on cots within state office buildings, facilities that were not designed for residential use and notably lack necessary shower facilities and security measures. The state is now attempting to address these placement shortages by repurposing a Wilmington building into an emergency shelter. Additionally, construction is underway on a 12-bed therapeutic group home in Sussex County to better serve adolescents with high-level behavioral health requirements.
Timeline
January 2022 through June 2023 marked the period of a federal audit covering 9,045 children in temporary placements.
Fiscal years 2023 to 2025 saw $8.3 million in state spending on out-of-state foster placements.
The Delaware auditor's office began an investigation into youth placement practices in 2024.
The official audit report was released on October 22, 2026.
An emergency shelter in Wilmington is scheduled to open early next year.
Health Landscape
Delaware’s recent findings mirror a broader national trend identified in a federal audit of 9,045 children across 30 states housed in emergency settings. These developments highlight the systemic strain in providing consistent, therapeutic residential care for youth with complex health needs.
Families and guardians involved with the state foster system should speak with their caseworkers about the current availability of residential placement options. It is important to stay informed about local facility openings that may improve the stability of care for adolescents in the community.
The takeaway
This report highlights a critical deficiency in housing capacity for high-needs youth that necessitates ongoing legislative and clinical oversight. Families can advocate for better resources by tracking the progress of new therapeutic group homes and emergency shelter capacity in their local area.
What happens next
The repurposed emergency shelter in Wilmington is expected to open early next year, followed by the completion of a 12-bed therapeutic group home in Sussex County.
Further reading
Learn more about the state's efforts to improve Child Care and support foster youth.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WHYY.
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Do you believe the state is failing in its primary responsibility to house foster children safely?
