[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6266866,"mediaKeyId","3084639-29602121d8ef162cf81b5cd2bb1a59c3","parentId",3084639,"title","Tribes back SB 815 to make ODHS a party when it files dependency petitions","audioSeconds",667,"startMs",3152000,"endMs",3819000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3084639-29602121d8ef162cf81b5cd2bb1a59c3&start=3152&end=3819","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3084639-29602121d8ef162cf81b5cd2bb1a59c3/thumbnail_3152000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6266866/Oregon/Tribes-back-SB-815-to-make-ODHS-a-party-when-it-files-dependency-petitions","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6266866-c83e9f3dfe21e5cedc6687296e5dc4ca/orig.mp4?Expires=1771133487&Signature=Wx9YJaaaoiZ-phynHQnLrGIruVSRnehZFEBsXWO8VbGz5oT6t2jbDUMyDBVXmyNie6YDhcwCrTPzjDkZnbwzXoanFq9YUD0iNlU9O~1NKlv4eVDYAvhBvlVK5hjwApnHc9xCnAqv7BGjodn3Ex3sqdBDAVhje3SPGZL4uYjFwpDzbRr7Ik8Yw0Brb79xyFtPmGWcnJrgKfhiGIiBenZg40ci9ACwV6O2vwOuLecvWOgD9~96ldsx6nbEa4Hy8P-NbWUU85SDgaC5zSQuXnajA5wqRW8HYkypb8cnLN2V4C0NKjh7C0t2OT-~Qkh-p7BTW7qUTACliJfuocejgGWD~A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Oregon Legislature","date","2025-04-22T00:00:00Z","article","Senate Bill 815 was presented and heard April 22 by the House Committee on Early Childhood and Human Services. The bill would clarify that the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) is a party to juvenile dependency proceedings from the time it files a petition alleging a child is in need of protection, regardless of whether the child is removed from the home.

Molly Miller, deputy director for ODHS child welfare, told the committee the proposal responds to a legal gap that could leave ODHS without party status — and thus potentially outside discovery obligations and court-ordered “active efforts” — when the agency files a petition but does not remove the child. “There was a time period between the time that we took protective custody and the time we were granted temporary custody that because of the way that the law had previously been written, it could have been interpreted that we did actually not have legal standing in the case,” Miller said.

Tribal witnesses urged the committee to adopt the change. Michael Collins, representing the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon, said the Warm Springs tribe supports SB 815 because “the protection of our tribal members, including their children is a core aspect of our inherent sovereignty” and the bill would help ensure ODHS meets obligations under ICWA and ORICWA. Brent Leonard, an attorney for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, said the tribe “strongly supports SB 815,” calling it a “critical fix” and warning that without clarification the law could create incentives to remove children unnecessarily. “Without it, I'm concerned that it actually provides an incentive to the state to remove children when they shouldn't be and actually undermine the whole point of ICWA,” Leonard told the committee.

Miller and Cheryl (interim Tribal Affairs director at ODHS) explained the statutory background: ODHS authority to take protective custody and ask for a shelter hearing occurs prior to some shelter or temporary-custody orders, and in some cases the department’s party status was ambiguous when no removal had yet occurred. The bill would treat ODHS as a party from the time a petition alleging a child needs protection is filed. ODHS staff said they would follow up on a committee question about whether the consultant who completed an implementation assessment interviewed families directly.

Representative Hartman asked a technical question about the bill language that mentions “child-caring agency” and whether those entities would be considered parties when they hold temporary custody; ODHS staff said they would confer and return an answer. Committee members did not take a vote at the hearing.

Ending: SB 815 received tribal and agency support at the public hearing; committee members asked for clarifying language about definitions and ODHS said it would return with technical clarifications before any committee action.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Committee On Early Childhood and Human Services 04/22/2025 8:00 AM","oneSentenceSummary","Senate Bill 815 was presented to the House Committee on Early Childhood and Human Services on April 22 to clarify that the Oregon Department of Human Services is a party to juvenile dependency proceedings from the time it files a petition alleging a child needs protection, even if the child is not removed from the home.","taxTitle","Early Childhood and Human Services, House of Representatives, Committees, Legislative, Oregon","taxId",17511,"location","Oregon","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6266876,"Senate Bill 135A would add CASA representatives to local child-welfare review teams",603,70000,673000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3084639-29602121d8ef162cf81b5cd2bb1a59c3&start=70&end=673","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3084639-29602121d8ef162cf81b5cd2bb1a59c3/thumbnail_70000.jpg","/articles/6266876/Oregon/Senate-Bill-135A-would-add-CASA-representatives-to-local-child-welfare-review-teams","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6266876-4d528779c9294853e979dc369771a2bb/orig.mp4?Expires=1771133487&Signature=HE5I~egBFSz3GiZBE0VMw3J9NDyyUJt0L9ciIMePS4qmu3sCn64-4SAm4YBb8aRf7lg-zv0Pd66SGy9O3QfyUtYJUCG-aNQ2wdDvOruK3wrIxdecXA3BuVx01n41Hb9e3HnLX4m3wFrZ5dCN9ymJzFl0b9z3Idlodgyibfl6mwlTzXPbdtnOaH3QZZojhx0GtbrSC17Sd398XvCP0Rp~iUfYlb1BiploJMeJtFSCiYa0M3~gtkZ69eawv3m~6eYyy2HnYoNr-HTiWsOOAge-NuA4RrebjUKmYmkmXwUsEYc6u0bOzyVV961jQOxon-NEIOfG~Wkr4vJo2GtkexguHw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate Bill 135A was presented April 22 to the House Committee on Early Childhood and Human Services, proposing that local CASA (court-appointed special advocate) programs have a designated representative — typically a CASA staff member chosen by the local program — at certain local child-welfare and safety tables.

Sen. Sarah Gaussler Blue, sponsor of the Senate Human Services bill, said the measure would “ensure that we have the voices of youth” at local response and review tables and that CASA volunteers are highly trained and appointed by the court. “CASA’s role is to advocate for the best interest of the child,” Gaussler Blue told the committee.

The bill would add CASA representation to three kinds of local bodies: local domestic-violence coordinating councils, county child-abuse multidisciplinary teams and critical incident review teams that convene after the death of a child who had an open investigation or hotline call in the prior 12 months. The amended bill clarifies that a program may send a CASA staff member rather than a volunteer, that designees are chosen locally and that a meeting may proceed if no CASA representative is available.

Chris Hinkle, staff attorney for the Oregon CASA Network, testified in support. “The Oregon CASA Network is the statewide coordinating entity for the 19 court-appointed special advocate programs in Oregon,” Hinkle said, adding that Oregon statute mandates a CASA be appointed in every dependency action and that the network seeks increased funding to expand capacity. Hinkle told the committee the network is seeking $10,000,000 in combined funds during the session toward a benchmark estimate of about $20,000,000 to serve all children in care.

Committee members asked how local programs would select designees and whether designees could be volunteers. Gaussler Blue said local programs and multidisciplinary teams would choose representatives and that the bill intentionally allows staff designees so representation is current and engaged rather than relying on historic volunteers. Representative Walters noted a strong CASA program in her county and asked whether there were regional gaps in coverage; Hinkle replied that the network’s 19 programs represent all Oregon counties and that he expected staff members to serve as designees often.

Supporters emphasized CASA training and the difference between a CASA and a child’s attorney: the CASA advocates for the child’s best interest while a child’s attorney advocates for the child’s stated preferences. Committee members also discussed funding challenges; Gaussler Blue and Hinkle said some local programs face federal funding shifts that have reduced capacity in particular counties.

The committee conducted the public hearing and closed it without committee action recorded at the meeting.

Ending: The bill was taken under public hearing on April 22; no committee vote or final action was recorded during this meeting. If the committee advances the bill it will return for subsequent legislative steps and possible hearings in the Senate Human Services committee, where committee staff said an informational hearing is planned later in the session.","Senate Bill 135A was presented April 22 to the House Committee on Early Childhood and Human Services, proposing that local CASA (court-appointed special advocate) programs have a designated representative at local child-welfare review and response tables.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":81,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6266871,"OJD and ODHS outline ICWA implementation, ICWA courts and federal grant support",2492,3165000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3084639-29602121d8ef162cf81b5cd2bb1a59c3&start=673&end=3165","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3084639-29602121d8ef162cf81b5cd2bb1a59c3/thumbnail_673000.jpg","/articles/6266871/Oregon/OJD-and-ODHS-outline-ICWA-implementation-ICWA-courts-and-federal-grant-support","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6266871-a65eb9f79491fb2a04b9fadc719f2746/orig.mp4?Expires=1771133487&Signature=cXbyqLhixeLzQNKFnKYSEiE5l1-CBJBUfrDVihBFehODim9kXBGONC5X7uK~viTlv20tFCbB63NiU3Oq-S9u~O8cJB0j97Gc2wSaewrfyOkh9wqWv1chFzkUbCaxtas672A3R55N5HXvPvEiYKdrZHQixA-5n~GvadnZKi3LJAUOgMKaqlMwXd6IpAdUqAtpAL4AC4DaTCdK7nsvrwvvAgeX77UXQaxHBPphfQOijTsgXIZTyPymkx8sYVAtSHW1HOdTKX0~i4JVSxWmfTmApuTjJlIA0hXJJtfe2ycKSIvgjul4ti70sPZRE0oxSQQfsCrDj4oDu4oSQ3BfAicccQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Officials from the Oregon Judicial Department and the Oregon Department of Human Services briefed the House Committee on Early Childhood and Human Services on April 22 about how state agencies and tribes are implementing the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) and the Oregon Indian Child Welfare Act (ORICWA).

Adria Cortez, ICWA analyst for the Oregon Judicial Department, said ICWA is a federal statute that applies to involuntary child-custody proceedings involving an Indian child and that ORICWA, enacted in 2020, embeds and expands those protections in state law. “ICWA is mostly applied in dependency cases,” Cortez told the committee, and ORICWA grants tribes automatic party status and adds state-level enhancements, she said.

Cortez described a five-year discretionary grant awarded to the Oregon Judicial Department by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families in October 2023. The grant, she said, funds four main areas: improving ICWA data collection and access (including a dashboard for courts), expanding and supporting ICWA courts, producing an on-demand research-driven training for court partners, and making a subaward to the Klamath tribes for a family advocate and housing specialist focused on prevention and reunification. Cortez said the grant runs through Sept. 30, 2028, conditional on annual federal appropriation.

Judge Manuel Perez, who presides over Marion County’s ICWA court, described courtroom and procedural changes the Marion docket has adopted to make proceedings more culturally welcoming and to improve tribal engagement. Perez said the court offers a welcoming ceremony, provides smudging and gift bags, shortens adversarial posture by the judge sitting with families and prioritizes direct conversation with parents and children. “We are running a totally different courtroom now for cases than we were a year ago,” Perez said, and described anecdotal reunifications he attributed in part to the court’s approach.

Cheryl [interim tribal affairs director], interim Tribal Affairs director at ODHS, and Molly Miller, deputy director for ODHS child welfare, described agency changes. ODHS has adopted a tribal consultation policy effective Jan. 1, 2024; created Tribal Affairs staff roles including a Senior ICWA Manager and regional ICWA specialists; and convened implementation and training collaboratives. ODHS said it is developing a roadmap and implementation workgroups based on an outside assessment that included interviews with the nine federally recognized Oregon tribes and other partners.

Officials cited sustained disproportionality in foster-care placements: in 2021 American Indian and Alaska Native children made up approximately 1.5% of Oregon’s child population but about 5% of foster-care placements. Cortez and ODHS staff said that work to improve placement preferences, qualified expert witness (QEW) training and active-efforts documentation is underway statewide. ODHS noted it will work to coordinate QEWs across states where necessary and that placement preference may differ by tribal specification.

Committee members asked whether outcomes tracking is planned; Cortez said the Judicial Department intends to partner with the National Center for State Courts to create a research plan and track outcomes for Oregon’s ICWA dockets. Representative Hoelster asked whether the consultant who led interviews had spoken with families directly; ODHS said it would follow up with that information.

Ending: The agencies presented ongoing implementation work but no committee action was taken; members said they expect follow-up on research planning, outcome measures and staffing updates.","Oregon Judicial Department and Department of Human Services staff described steps to implement the federal Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) and the Oregon Indian Child Welfare Act (ORICWA), including a 5-year HHS discretionary grant, an ICWA dashboard, online training, and specialized ICWA dockets in Marion and Klamath counties.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Tribes back SB 815 to make ODHS a party when it files dependency petitions

Senate Bill 135A would add CASA representatives to local child-welfare review teams

OJD and ODHS outline ICWA implementation, ICWA courts and federal grant support