Price County is grappling with surging placement costs for children in out-of-home care, with secure detention fees reaching $500 to $600 per day and a single 37-day assessment costing $20,580, according to reports presented to the Health and Human Services Board.
The numbers, disclosed at the board’s July 8 quarterly meeting, paint a picture of a rural county system under intensifying financial strain. Twenty-four children were in out-of-home placement during the second quarter of 2026, with 15 placed outside Price County and nine placed within the county. Two of those children were held in secure detention at a combined cost of $6,500. Residential care and group home costs have skyrocketed, according to Kayla, the Children and Youth Unit manager who presented the quarterly report.
The financial picture is likely worse than the current numbers suggest. Carrie, who handles fiscal accounting for placement reports, told the board that the second-quarter figures reflect only April and May data. June bills had not yet entered the accounting system because of a billing lag she compared to a credit card charge that has been swiped but not yet posted.
Carrie said, according to the meeting transcript.
The placement crisis comes amid a shift in the types of cases entering the youth justice system. Kayla told the board that youth justice referrals increasingly involve children with special needs and autism diagnoses rather than the vandalism and property damage cases that traditionally populated the system. One youth had approximately 20 referrals in roughly two months. Schools are struggling to handle the behaviors associated with these cases, Kayla reported.
The Children and Youth unit recorded 48 Child Protective Services referrals and 10 new youth justice referrals during the second quarter. Five records requests were completed, and 11 on-call situations were handled. Five to six children were served with TSSF funds across three families.
Three placement transitions were discussed at the July meeting. One child in residential care is doing well and expected to transition home within approximately one month, with structured home visits already underway. A second youth in residential care will transition to a group home rather than returning home, because the child poses a danger to other children in the household. Move is expected to come with a higher out-of-home cost. A third child, a female, is scheduled to enter residential care in the near future.
Residential care centers mentioned during the report include Tomorrow’s Children, which serves a younger age group, and Homie Home, which serves older youth.
The board also heard positive developments on the foster care front. Two new foster homes have applied and are nearly licensed, accepting all age groups. However, one foster home is retiring after 38 years of service. The Conners family was recognized for their decades of commitment, and the board planned to honor them at a future meeting with a cake and formal recognition.
A $5,000 foster care grant was received for foster parent retention, training, and improving normalcy opportunities for children in out-of-home care.
At the board’s September 9 meeting, additional context emerged about the scope of children’s services. The Children’s Community Option Program, known as CCOP, referred 26 children and served 60 children over the past year. CCOP funding supplements the children’s waiver program, known as CLTS, covering items that CLTS regulations do not address. Some children are in the program long-term, meaning new referrals add to an existing caseload rather than replacing it.
The September meeting also brought personnel changes that directly affect the children and youth system. Kristie Kasterman was introduced as the new special education and crisis worker. Kasterman, a former special education teacher who previously operated her own day program for special needs children, started in August and told the board she was glad to be back in the area.
Jasmine Marlinga, the foster care coordinator, resigned effective the beginning of October. Kim Polster, the fiscal legal assistant who handles extensive knowledge of children and youth programs, is retiring in December. HHS Director Sarah noted that Polster’s departure will require overlap and transition planning because of the depth of program knowledge she holds.
Interviews for a behavioral health social worker position were scheduled for September 14. The board also interviewed candidates for Ogema and Park Falls nutrition site managers on the same day.
The confluence of rising placement costs, shifting youth justice demographics, and key staff departures creates a challenging fiscal environment for the county. The billing lag means the full financial impact of second-quarter placements will not be visible until the next quarterly report. With a third child entering residential care and a second youth transitioning to a higher-cost group home placement, the trajectory of placement expenses points upward.
The Health and Human Services Board meets next on October 14, 2026, when updated placement figures including June costs are expected to be available.
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