$85M DFACS gap — acknowledged$1B mailed in rebates$14B surplus reported$346M added to prisons$41.5M proposed for foster care11,500+ kids in carePlacements halted Jan 2026$85M DFACS gap — acknowledged$1B mailed in rebates$14B surplus reported$346M added to prisons$41.5M proposed for foster care11,500+ kids in carePlacements halted Jan 2026
GeorgiaDoesn'tCare
Day 184 of legislative silence

They had the money.
They chose not to help
foster kids.

$14B surplus. $1B in rebates. An $85M foster care gap left open while placements halted. Every number below is from Georgia's own books.

DFACS gap
$85M
Acknowledged by GA DHS
State surplus
$14B
164× the gap
Tax rebates sent
$1B
Same fiscal year
Call your lawmaker→See the receipts
The gap, ticking since you arrived
$0.00

Pro-rated against the fiscal year. A clock that runs while children wait.

“The best financial shape Georgia has ever been in.”
— Office of the Governor. Said while DFACS halted new foster placements.
01 / The picture

One bar is the gap. The rest is the choice.

Income tax rebates
$1B · 11.8×
Hurricane Helene relief
$862M · 10.1×
Income tax cut (annual)
$744M · 8.8×
Prison system increase
$346M · 4.1×
DFACS shortfall
$85M · 1.0×
Proposed foster care increase
$41.5M · 0.5×
02 / Timeline

A known crisis. A chosen delay.

  1. Dec. 18, 2025

    Lawmakers told about the shortfall.

    DFACS gap surfaces in a public legislative hearing.

    WSB-TV — Dec. 2025 joint committee hearing coverage
  2. Jan. 8, 2026

    Placements halt. Kids have nowhere to go.

    Near-halt on new private-provider foster placements reported.

    AP News — Jan. 8, 2026: $85M deficit & placement freeze
  3. AFY 2026

    Governor proposes half the fix.

    $41.5M for foster care — in a budget that also sends out $1B in rebates.

    Governor's Budget Report AFY 2026 / FY 2027 (PDF)
03 / The ledger

What Georgia funded instead.

Income tax rebates
$1B
vs DFACS gap11.76×

11× the DFACS gap. Mailed out anyway.

Gov. Kemp signing HB 1000 (Mar. 20, 2026)
Hurricane Helene relief
$862M
vs DFACS gap10.14×

Emergency for property. Not for children.

Governor's Budget Report AFY 2026 / FY 2027 (PDF)
Income tax cut (annual)
$744M / yr
vs DFACS gap8.75×

Every year. Forever. Bigger than the gap.

Fiscal Note HB 1015 — Income Tax Rate Reduction (PDF)
Prison system increase
$346M
vs DFACS gap4.07×

More for cages than for kids.

HB 68 — FY 2026 Appropriations Act (PDF)
Proposed foster care increase
$41.5M
vs DFACS gap0.49×

They knew the number. They funded half.

Governor's Budget Report AFY 2026 / FY 2027 (PDF)

The only row under 1× is foster care. Every figure links to the state's own source.

04 / Wall of silence

The people who can put it on the agenda — and haven't.

These four lawmakers control whether the DFACS shortfall gets a hearing in Appropriations.184 days since they were told. Tap a card. Call. Email. Tweet. Make them respond on the record.

House · R · HD-150
Rep. Matt Hatchett
Chair, House Appropriations
Day 184
No public statement on the DFACS shortfall.
CallEmailPost on X
Profile ↗
House · R · HD-13
Rep. Katie Dempsey
Chair, House Approps. Human Resources Subcommittee
Day 184
Vague acknowledgement. No commitment to fully fund.
CallEmailPost on X
Profile ↗
Senate · R · SD-19
Sen. Blake Tillery
Chair, Senate Appropriations
Day 184
No public statement on the DFACS shortfall.
CallEmailPost on X
Profile ↗
Senate · R · SD-32
Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick
Chair, Senate Approps. Health & Human Dev. Subcommittee
Day 184
No public statement on the DFACS shortfall.
CallEmailPost on X
Profile ↗
No public statement on the DFACS gap Vague acknowledgement, no commitment
05 / Act

Force it onto the Appropriations agenda.

Two minutes. One call to the Capitol switchboard 404-656-2000. Ask for your senator and rep — and the Appropriations chairs above. Close the $85M gap before June 30.

Script

I'm a Georgia voter. The state has a $14B surplus and sent out $1B in rebates. DFACS has an acknowledged $85M shortfall and halted new foster placements. The Governor's AFY 2026 proposal only adds $41.5M — half. Please fully fund the DFACS gap before June 30.

Find your senator ↗Find your rep ↗