Child Welfare's vision is for every child to have a safe and positive environment where they can grow and develop.
At any given time, there are more than 4,500 children and youth in foster care. A small number (fewer than 6 percent) have complex needs and require specialized services to stay safe and healthy. When medically recommended, there are times when these services are best provided in a residential care setting.
Oregon provides residential services for children and youth. Very rarely, when specialized services are not available in Oregon or when a child lives with a family in another state and needs specialized services, appropriate out-of-state services may be used. Any time children are in out-of-state programs, we use heightened oversight and strong regulatory standards to ensure safety and well-being.
As required by ORS 419B.335, we provide monthly reports on youth in foster care who are served outside of Oregon. In the four year period from June 2020 to June 2024, no children were served in out-of-state programs.