New Health and Social Services Ombudsman outlines office role, staffing and recruitment request

Trevor Sparrow, the newly appointed ombudsman for the Office of Health and Social Services Ombudsman, introduced himself to the Joint Finance and Appropriation Committee on Jan. 15 and described the office's role and early staffing plans.

Sparrow said the office — established last session by Senate Bill 1380 and housed in the Department of Self-Governing Agencies — is charged with monitoring and evaluating compliance by public agencies and private entities in the provision of health and social services to children under state care, primarily Idaho's foster care system. "We will primarily focus on the foster care system but as the laws written we can also — any residential agency that where children in the state are being housed including juvenile corrections — we can investigate complaints there as well," Sparrow said.

The nut graf: the office is new, appropriated three FTP in FY2025 and funded largely from the general fund; the governor and Department of Human Resources recommended additional personnel dollars to recruit and retain qualified hires at above 80% of policy.

Budget and policy analyst Alex Williamson explained that the office was appropriated $470,000 for FY2025 — $450,000 ongoing and $20,000 one-time capital outlay — and that roughly $395,000 of the ongoing allocation is intended for personnel. Williamson said the Department of Human Resources recommended increased personnel funding to allow hiring at higher pay steps to recruit and retain qualified staff.

Sparrow said he previously directed the Idaho Youth Challenge Academy for eight years and described the office's complaint intake and investigative role: citizens, parents, foster parents and others with an interest in a child in state care can file complaints; the ombudsman may investigate individual complaints and conduct agency-level reviews that could produce legislative recommendations. He said the office has adopted standards from the United States Ombudsman Association and aims to build a multidisciplinary team, potentially including legal, nursing and social-work expertise.

Sparrow told the committee he has met with deputy director staff at the Department of Health and Welfare about outstanding system changes and reported that the state has moved children out of congregate care and ended short-term rental placements. Committee members thanked Sparrow; there were no formal votes during the presentation.

The office's organizational materials and its interim report under Senate Bill 1459 were made available to the committee; the office is in the early hiring phase following the governor's November appointment of Sparrow.