What changed

Georgia Department of Audits & Accounts Special Examination Report No. 26-08 ↗, released September 15, 2026 at the request of the House Appropriations Committee, reports that direct-service Out-of-Home Care expenditures increased approximately $155 million from FY2022 to FY2025, from $366.1 million to $521.5 million. It attributes almost all of that increase to per diems (+$47.4 million), transportation (+$41.0 million), behavioral aides (+$37.8 million) and written waivers (+$34.4 million).

The report records FY2026 OHC expenditures of $497.0 million—lower than FY2025 and $63.7 million below available funding—while cautioning that some FY2026 vendor invoices may be recorded later. Separately, it shows total OHC funding rising from $369.9 million in FY2022 to $556.6 million in FY2027; FY2027 comprises $426.6 million in state funds and about $130.0 million in federal funds. Expenditures and funding authority are different measures. The official DOAA summary ↗ and official report listing ↗ provide additional primary-source paths.

The audit predates the September 17 study-committee meeting and is not evidence of testimony, attendance, completed presentations, a final agenda, outcomes, public-comment activity, recording contents or next-meeting timing.

An official Georgia House Facebook post dated September 17, 2026 ↗ said the Joint Study Committee on Evaluating Escalating Costs in Georgia's Foster Care System was meeting. The Georgia House Media Services FAQ ↗ identifies that account as the official House Facebook account. This confirms only that the meeting occurred on September 17.

The unresolved pre-meeting source conflict remains unchanged: the September 14 Senate advisory said 9:00 a.m. ET, while the live General Assembly schedule listed 1:00 p.m. ET for the same meeting in CLOB Room 307. The official post does not establish the actual start time, attendance, testimony, completed presentations, final agenda, outcomes, public-comment activity, recording contents or next-meeting timing. Those details remain unconfirmed in this record.

Three independent outlets published post-meeting reporting on September 17–18, 2026. These reports are secondary sources provided for context and do not replace an official committee record. This site does not adopt or restate their claims about testimony, attendance, outcomes, a final agenda, completed presentations, public-comment activity or next-meeting timing as established facts.

The unresolved pre-meeting source conflict remains unchanged: the September 14 Georgia Senate Press Office advisory said 9:00 a.m. ET, while the live Georgia General Assembly schedule listed 1:00 p.m. ET for the same meeting in CLOB Room 307. Official post-meeting minutes, a transcript, an attendance record, a final agenda, outcomes and verified recording contents remain unconfirmed in this record.

• Atlanta News First, Georgia spent more on foster care than ever. Why are providers reporting shortfalls, shutting down? ↗ — published Sept. 17, 2026
• The Imprint, State Audit Probes Georgia Foster Care Budget Crisis, But Transparency Questions Linger ↗ — published Sept. 17, 2026
• WRDW/WAGT, Despite some providers closing, Ga. foster care spending up 159% ↗ — published Sept. 17 and updated Sept. 18, 2026

A prior update described the 9:00 a.m. Georgia Senate Press Office advisory as superseding the 1:00 p.m. Georgia General Assembly listing. That was too strong. As of September 18, 2026, the Senate advisory still says 9:00 a.m. ET and the General Assembly listing still shows 1:00 p.m. ET, both for CLOB Room 307. This site preserves both as an unresolved pre-meeting source conflict and does not select one as authoritative over the other.

This correction does not establish the meeting's actual start time, final agenda, testimony, attendance, outcomes, completed presentations or public-comment activity. No appropriation figure, fiscal-year label or budget status category changed.

Sept. 14 Georgia Senate Press Office advisory ↗ · Georgia General Assembly listing ↗

A new Georgia Senate Press Office advisory dated September 14, 2026 lists the Joint Study Committee on Evaluating Escalating Costs in Georgia's Foster Care System meeting for Thursday, September 17, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. ET in CLOB Room 307. The advisory states the event is open to the public and will be livestreamed on the Georgia General Assembly website, and schedules presentations from the Office of the Child Advocate, Together Georgia and Justice for Children, followed by DFCS responses to committee questions. The Georgia General Assembly listing shows 1:00 p.m. ET for the same meeting and room. The official sources therefore conflict, and this site preserves both times without selecting a winner. The August 27 House advisory is retained as historical context.

No appropriation figure, fiscal-year label or status category changed. The advisory does not establish that the livestream has started, that anyone attended or testified, that any outcome occurred, or that a public-comment route exists; check the live General Assembly calendar before traveling.

Sept. 14 Georgia Senate Press Office advisory ↗ · Georgia General Assembly listing ↗

On September 11, 2026, the Georgia General Assembly calendar was observed listing the Joint Study Committee on Evaluating Escalating Costs in Georgia's Foster Care System for Thursday, September 17, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. ET in 307 CLOB. The September 14, 2026 Georgia Senate Press Office advisory lists the same meeting in CLOB Room 307 at 9:00 a.m. ET. The two official sources conflict, and this site preserves both times without selecting a winner. The August 27 House advisory, which had listed 9:00 a.m. ET, is retained as historical context.

No appropriation figure, fiscal-year label or status category changed. Agenda, public-comment access, testimony, livestream availability and attendance outcomes remain unasserted; check the live General Assembly calendar before traveling.

Sept. 14 Georgia Senate Press Office advisory ↗ · Georgia General Assembly listing ↗ · Aug. 27 House advisory (historical) ↗

The September 1, 2026 AFY2027/FY2028 agency budget-request deadline is now recorded as a passed checkpoint rather than an upcoming date. Georgia agencies were required to submit their requests to OPB by September 1, 2026. As of September 7, OPB's public request index still lists only the prior AFY2026/FY2027 cycle, so the current-cycle files are not yet publicly posted. That is a publication status, not evidence that agencies failed to submit.

No appropriation amount changed in this update. All figures, AFY/FY distinctions and state-versus-total labels are unchanged; this entry records a freshness and classification review, not a correction. The next full evidence review remains October 1, 2026.

OPB agency budget requests index ↗ · AFY2027/FY2028 budget instructions ↗

The public record now separates the projected FY2026 mismatch, gross and net AFY2026 response, signed FY2027 gross authority, the $50M comparison-schedule adjustment and the unlike-year difference. This release also adds a committee tracker for the confirmed September 17 hearing and makes the normalized evidence ledger available in CSV and JSON.

Review the evidence ledger or open the official hearing advisory ↗.