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New state ombudsman office outlines role overseeing foster-care complaints, seeks higher staff pay
Summary
The newly created Office of the Health and Social Services Ombudsman presented its first budget and described its role investigating complaints about Idaho’s foster-care system and producing systemic recommendations; the office is asking for higher personnel funding to recruit qualified staff.
The Office of the Health and Social Services Ombudsman, created by the Legislature last year, told the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee on Jan. 15 that it will investigate complaints about the state’s foster-care system and produce policy recommendations.
The office, established by Senate Bill 1380, was appropriated three full-time positions (FTP) and $470,000 ongoing for fiscal 2025, all from the general fund. Trevor Sparrow, the governor’s appointee as ombudsman, told the committee he was appointed Nov. 27 and is recruiting to fill the remaining positions.
“Any parents that have had their children taken away, foster parents that are currently in the system, serving and helping with these kiddos, anywhere, any of those individuals that have any vested interest in those children can file a complaint with the office and then we investigate those things, make sure that the agency is handling those cases appropriately and ethically,” Sparrow said.
A central budget question at the hearing was a governor-supported request to increase personnel dollars for the office to allow hiring at pay rates above the typical policy midpoint. Alex Williamson, a Legislative Services Office analyst, said the Department of Human Resources recommended increasing the personnel budget so the office could “hire, recruit and retain qualified individuals” and pay above 80% of policy where needed. The request would be ongoing and paid from the general fund.
Sparrow described the office’s scope as focused primarily on the foster-care system but noted the office may investigate other residential settings that house children in Idaho, including juvenile corrections, if complaints arise. He said the office has adopted standards from the United States Ombudsman Association and expects to build a multi‑disciplinary investigative team that could include legal, nursing and social‑work expertise.
Senators and representatives asked about coordination with existing citizen review panels and other child‑welfare actors. Sparrow said he has already discussed collaboration with Department of Health and Welfare staff and sees citizen review panels as a potential volunteer resource for research and aggregate policy work.
The committee was also told that roughly $395,000 of the office’s ongoing appropriation is allocated for personnel costs in the current year and that a one‑time $20,000 capital outlay appropriation was used to set up office operations.
The office’s interim reporting obligations were noted; a memo from the ombudsman was submitted to meet requirements outlined in Senate Bill 1459 of 2024, according to the Legislative Services Office analyst.
The Committee did not take a formal vote at the Jan. 15 hearing; members asked clarifying questions and requested follow‑up information about staffing and coordination. The ombudsman stood for additional questions and indicated the office will provide more detail on hiring plans as recruitment proceeds.
Looking ahead, staff funding and any requested pay adjustments will return to the committee in the budget process for formal action and appropriation.
