When used strategically, short-term emergency homes for children who are new to foster care can provide the time (hours or days) necessary to find and resource kinship caregivers, while tackling basics like clothing, hygiene, medical exams, and other assessments. As long as these placements are always brief, and explicitly used in support of ultimately placing that child in the best possible placement as soon as posible, emergency homes can be a valuable tool.
5 of 54 states and territories have implemented this recommendation.