January 29, 2021 3:20 a.m.

Despite the challenges of the global COVID-19 pandemic and historic wildfires, in 2020, the Oregon Department of Human Services was able to reduce the use of foster care to a historic low, return all children placed at out-of-state residential treatment facilities to Oregon, and decrease the use of temporary housing.

An DHS release said at the start of this year, there were 6,118 children in foster care, the lowest number of children in care in 15 years.

Child Welfare Director Rebecca Jones Gaston said, “We all know that infants, children, adolescents and young adults do best growing up in a family that can provide love, support, lifelong learning, shared values and important memories”. She said that’s why DHS is committed to doing everything they can to provide the necessary supports to help families safely stay together and “…decrease the use of unnecessary foster care”.

The release cited what the agency said was key data and accomplishments for 2020:

*Decreased the number of children in foster care by 11 percent compared to 2019

*Eliminated the usage of out-of-state residential treatment facilities since July.

*Decreased use of temporary lodging by 66 percent in the last twelve months

*Decreased the average wait times at the Oregon Child Abuse Hotline by 46 percent

*1,934 family reunifications

*811 adoptions finalized

*355 guardianships finalized

The release said DHS is committed to transforming itself to better support the individual needs of families and to best serve Oregon’ children and young people. Read the Child Welfare Division Vision for Transformation to learn more: https://sharedsystems.dhsoha.state.or.us/DHSForms/Served/de2445.pdf