New Health and Social Services Ombudsman office begins work overseeing foster‑care complaints, seeks higher pay to recruit staff

Trevor Sparrow, the recently appointed ombudsman, told the Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee on Jan. 15 that his new office will accept complaints and investigate matters involving Idaho children in state care and that the office can also conduct broader reviews of agencies that provide services to those children.

The Office of the Health and Social Services Ombudsman was created by the Legislature last session (identified in committee materials as Senate Bill 1380). The office is appropriated three full‑time positions and about $470,000 for FY 2025, of which roughly $450,000 is ongoing general‑fund appropriation. Alex Williamson, a budget and policy analyst with the Legislative Services Office, said the Department of Human Resources recommended higher personnel appropriations to allow the office to hire and retain qualified candidates — specifically to pay above 80% of pay policy for some positions.

Sparrow told the committee he was appointed Nov. 27 and described his prior work as director of the Idaho Youth Challenge Academy, a role he held for eight years. He said the ombudsman’s office will take complaints from parents, foster parents and other citizens; investigate whether agencies are handling cases “appropriately and ethically”; and make recommendations to agencies or the Legislature. Sparrow said the office can also initiate investigative reviews without a complaint if the staff identify matters that warrant system‑level review.

On questions from committee members about other oversight bodies, Sparrow said he has discussed cooperation with the Division of Family and Community Services and that citizen review panels could be a resource. He suggested volunteers serving on citizen review panels could assist in research and help produce policy recommendations, particularly in complex areas such as the relationship between incarceration rates among women and foster‑care caseloads.

Representative Handy and Senator Wintrow asked about the status of children in congregate care. Sparrow said, based on discussions with the Department of Health and Welfare deputy director and director, that the state had removed children from congregate care and that short‑term placement sites had ended. Sparrow closed by noting the office has adopted the United States Ombudsman Association standards and is building a multidisciplinary staff, which may include legal, nursing and social‑work expertise.

Committee members pressed the need for sufficient personnel funding to recruit staff; Williamson said DHR recommended increasing personnel dollars so the office could hire at pay levels above 80% of policy. The hearing ended with committee members thanking Sparrow and noting staff will follow up with any remaining budget questions. No formal committee vote occurred at the hearing.