Oregon adult foster care providers express concerns over House Bill 3838 impacts

Concerns over House Bill 3838 dominated the Oregon House Committee on Rules meeting on April 28, 2025, as adult foster care providers voiced urgent warnings about the potential impact of the legislation on their industry.

Sarah Ray, a seasoned foster provider from Ontario, Oregon, raised alarms about a lack of communication from the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) regarding the bill, which she claimed could jeopardize the livelihoods of caregivers and the well-being of vulnerable residents. "I started getting very panicked calls from the adult foster care unit... they were deeply, deeply concerned," Ray stated, highlighting a disconnect between union leadership and frontline workers.

The Independent Adult Care Home Association (IACHA) echoed these sentiments, emphasizing that the bill could exacerbate the already declining number of adult care homes in Oregon, which has dropped from 3,000 to 1,300 in recent years. "House Bill 3838 adds unnecessary costs, duplicates existing oversight, and puts essential services at risk," warned a representative from IACHA, stressing that the proposed workforce standard board could create confusion and threaten small providers operating on tight margins.

Kim Amley, an adult foster care home operator, shared a personal account of the potential fallout, stating, "You could be potentially losing 6,500 beds for our elderly and Medicaid clients." She expressed deep concern for her clients, many of whom have no family support and rely on her care. "Where are these people gonna go?" she asked, underscoring the emotional toll of potential closures.

The committee's discussions revealed a growing tension between legislative intentions and the realities faced by caregivers. As the meeting concluded, the urgency for lawmakers to consider the voices of those directly impacted by the bill was clear. The future of adult foster care in Oregon hangs in the balance, with advocates calling for a more collaborative approach to ensure the sustainability of care for the state's most vulnerable populations.