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 approximately 4,500 children and young adults in foster care in Oregon. A small number have highly complex needs and require specialized services to stay safe and healthy. When clinically recommended, there are times when these services are best provided in a residential care setting. This is the case for approximately 2 percent of children and young adults in foster care.
Oregon provides services in residential care settings for children and young adults. Very rarely, when a placement in Oregon would not comply with ICWA or ORICWA, would affect connections to family or pre-adoptive placements, or be inadequate to meet with specialized clinical needs, limited out-of-state services may be necessary. Any time children or young adults are in out-of-state programs, ODHS uses heightened oversight and regulatory standards to ensure safety and well-being.
As required by ORS 419B.335, ODHS provides monthly reports on children and young adults in foster care who are served in residential care settings outside of Oregon. In the six-year period from June 2020 to March 2026, one child was served in an out-of-state program for approximately 90 days.