OREGON RETURNS MORE KIDS HOME.....BUT????

A Family For Every Child would like to thank you for believing that every child deserves a family. Your support has enabled A Family For Every Child to make a difference in the lives of our children in foster care. Because of your support, all of our programs have been busy serving children in foster care and families going through the adoption process. We hope you will find the following information helpful in understanding why we all need to work together. Oregon Returns More Foster Kids Home -- But... Audit Finds Risks in High Workloads, Limited Resources From KTVZ SALEM, Ore. -- A recent state audit found that while the Department of Human Services’ Child Welfare Program returned children home at a higher rate than the national average, high caseloads and limited services to parents may prevent children in foster care from returning home, the secretary of state said Tuesday. Auditors suggested the agency consider some strategies to help case workers with the challenges they face. “The recommendations provided in this audit will help remove barriers that prevent children from reuniting with their families,” said Secretary of State Kate Brown. “As a former juvenile law attorney I find Oregon’s rate of reunification, while above the national average, unacceptable. Oregon can do better. I remain committed to finding ways to give children and families the services they need.”The Child Welfare Program is responsible for removing children from their homes when their safety is threatened. The department also tries to return these children to their homes or primary caregivers whenever possible.According to federal data, about 29% of about 13,000 children in foster care in Oregon went home, compared to 22% nationally. However, they found this success is threatened by high caseworker workloads and tight program funding. Certain caseworker tasks deemed critical for safely returning children home were not occurring at adequate levels and, in some cases, were not occurring at all. Most noteworthy were inadequate parent-child visits, decreased efforts to engage parents, and limited resources to address parents’ mental health, substance abuse, and housing issues. State auditors observed several district practices that, if explored further, could increase return rates. For example, the Department’s Klamath County Office has a visitation center located away from the child welfare office, which can provide a less stressful environment for parent-child visits. Auditors recommended central management consider assigning a central office program manager dedicated to returning children home who could help set priorities and provide better direction and caseworker support. Auditors also recommended consideration of assigning some administrative tasks caseworkers now perform to support staff.“We conducted on-site work in five of Oregon’s 16 districts and saw their challenges. The audit outlines strategies that can help. Our intention is to offer helpful recommendations to caseworkers, and return more children to their families,” said Audits Director Gary Blackmer.The audit report, including the agency response, can be found at www.sos.state.or.us/audits. From all of us at A Family For Every Child, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. It is only through the generosity and support of community members like you that we are able to make a real difference in the lives of our children in foster care. Together we can find a family for every child.