Foster kids sleeping on cots in state office buildings some for days, weeks or even months on end because they had nowhere else to go.

It's an ongoing problem that media outlets brought to focus back in 2023, but a preliminary investigation by the state auditor's office found more than news reports had revealed the auditor and state health cabinet officials were among those who testified about the dilemma of housing, some foster children, especially those with troubled, perhaps even violent histories as our June Leffler reports.

Lawmakers say something has to be Don, it there is no easy fix.

More in tonight's Legislative update.

>> It's known that kids have been housed in state offices.

News outlets reported that back in 2023 but state Auditor Allison Ball released new findings on the situation last month.

>> We just need to know our children still sleeping office buildings.

>> Turns out that's the case.

The ombudsman found that from June to October of last year, 49 children wound up in a state office building.

Their average stay was 4 days.

The one child stayed.

35 days.

The average age was 13, though the youngest was one year old.

>> So I was expecting the prelimary up.

>> A report to reveal these are older children.

>> Has often described as high acuity 16, 17 year-old males who perhaps have some violent issues and they've got to put some them them temporarily, perhaps overnight, some place where you can figure out what to do with them.

More long term.

The preliminary assessment came out about 2 weeks ago and it does reveal a different story than the impression that I had.

>> Ball reiterated these findings before lawmakers in Frankfort, the state agency responsible for foster kids was there too.

>> We welcome the auditor's investigation.

We will be happy to work with the audit on this.

And and we even had our inspector general go out and look at all the offices to make sure.

They were reasonable for accommodating children.

>> The chair of the Senate Committee on Families and Children asks his colleagues to move beyond the optics.

>> I'm not as concerned about him being in a office.

I'm concerned about what happens in that office.

>> The Cabinet for Health and Family Services testified that these office buildings are well staffed and secure and the state is always temporary.

But Senator Danny Carroll asks why some kids aren't placed in a home or facility sooner.

>> We've got to understand the history and it is going to have to be detailed on on why these kids were turned down in understand where the shortage is.

It gets into a lot of different populations.

Subset of kids.

>> Service providers who has some of Kentucky's most traumatized girls say even they about it last night on Kentucky tonight.

>> Divers can cost over $1000 a year for one child.

I had 2 kids in diapers for a number of years.

I know families that have had 3 or 4.

That's 3 or $4,000 that you can't cover with snap.

You can't cover with Medicaid or WIC.

There is no financial program that says we will help you pay for diapers.

And on top of that, that's the reason, by the way, that one out of 2 families nationally struggle to afford diapers.

On top of that, the state of Kentucky will collect a couple $100 on that family of 3 or 4 with kids in diapers.

And we know from other states that have done it.

Whenever you cut the sales tax on diapers, you don't lose money from your state budget.

You don't lose revenues because you know what that family does.

They turn around and they buy other things that their family needs and the economy.

>> But how do you feel about it to Senator Obama?

I don't even know how I tap that answer.

She said all the pertinent points as to why I was supportive.

I mean, but then why hasn't it at least passed the Senate yet?

If there's so much cheering?

Well, I I think that's it.

I think the safe argument to people say it has it has a revenue measure attached to it.

So it needs to