Alaska bill would ban using psychiatric hospitals as foster placements for children

Summary

A bill awaiting Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy's signature would require the state to prove within seven days that children belong in acute psychiatric hospitals, aiming to stop the practice of using these facilities as makeshift foster placements. The article highlights the story of Mateo Jaime, who as a teen was improperly held in a youth psychiatric hospital for two months after running away from an abusive foster home, illustrating the systemic problem the legislation seeks to address.