State youth shelter to stop accepting children

ATLANTA - A troubled children&#39;s emergency shelter will shut its doors to newcomers Nov. 1, just 17 days before a federal judge hears arguments that it&#39;s too dangerous to stay open. <br> <br> The Atlanta Journal Constitution reported in Saturday&#39;s editions that for the past 11 days, the state has been rushing children and teenagers from the Fulton County shelter into a suddenly growing number of private group and foster homes. <br> <br> The surge in homes willing to accept the county&#39;s most troubled kids and teens followed a quiet Oct. 7 decision to dramatically increase what the state pays such care givers. The state almost doubled the reimbursement rates for private providers who take in troubled kids, from $90 per day to $175. <br> <br> The decision to increase the reimbursement rates came one week after children&#39;s advocates who are suing the state asked U.S. District Judge Marvin Shoob to order the Fulton and DeKalb shelters closed or immediately reformed. <br> <br> A spokesman for the state Division of Family and Children Services said the move to stop accepting new kids into the Fulton County shelter was planned months ago. <br> <br> The DeKalb shelter is scheduled to close in July.