SALEM, Ore. – The Oregon Secretary of State’s office released the results of an audit of Oregon’s Department of Human Services Child Welfare division.
The audit claims since 2011, each year there have been over 11,000 children in Oregon’s foster system. However, the current system isn’t serving those kids as well as it could.
The audit states, “Chronic management failures and high caseloads jeopardize the safety of some of the state’s most vulnerable children.”
Richardson’s office said child welfare workers are burning out, leaving the organization understaffed. Some workers have unsustainable caseloads, leaving them unable to perform essential functions. Employee turnover is high, resulting in a lack of inexperienced staff needing better training, supervision and guidance.
According to the report, shortcomings in management are chronic and detrimental to the agency’s ability to protect kids. “As a result, the child welfare system, which includes the foster care program, is disorganized, inconsistent, and high risk for the children it serves.”
In addition to these issues, Richardson pointed out that DHS lacks a robust foster parent recruitment program. This contributes to a lack of foster placements for at-risk children.
To address these issues the Office of the Secretary of State made a total of 24 recommendations. The recommendations include reviewing and assessing several key aspects of the child welfare system. The department generally agrees with the recommendations.
In a written response the audit, Director Fariborz Pakseresht wrote in part, “I would like to thank you and your Audit Team for your efforts on the audit. The department values the objective and independent evaluation that audits such as these provide. We look forward to implementing these recommendations to enhance the quality of services provided to Oregonians.”
Read the full report and response here: http://sos.oregon.gov/audits/Documents/2018-05.pdf
© 2024 KOBI-TV NBC5. All rights reserved unless otherwise stated.