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New state ombudsman outlines role overseeing foster care services, seeks higher personnel funding
Summary
The newly created Office of Health and Social Services Ombudsman described its role investigating complaints involving children in state care, the office's staffing and a governor-supported request to increase personnel funding to recruit qualified hires.
Trevor Sparrow, appointed as the ombudsman in late November, told the Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee on Jan. 15 that the office will receive complaints and investigate whether public agencies and private entities are handling child welfare and foster care cases appropriately. "We investigate those things, make sure that the agency is handling those cases appropriately and ethically," Sparrow said, describing the office’s investigative and reporting authority.
Alex Williamson, a budget and policy analyst with the Legislative Services Office, outlined the office's FY2025 appropriation: $470,000 ongoing from the general fund, including $395,000 allocated for personnel costs, plus $20,000 one-time capital outlay for office setup. The office was appropriated 3 FTE; Sparrow told the committee he has begun selecting hires for the remaining positions.
Williamson said the Department of Human Resources recommended increasing personnel dollars to allow recruitment and retention by paying at above 80% of policy for the new positions. Sparrow told the committee the office has adopted the U.S. Ombudsman Association standards and plans to build a multidisciplinary team that could include legal, nursing and social-work expertise. He also said he has discussed possible collaboration with citizen review panels to leverage volunteer expertise for policy review and research.
Committee members asked Sparrow about scope. Sparrow said the office will primarily focus on the foster-care system but can investigate complaints about any residential agency where children are housed, including juvenile corrections. He also said, citing meetings with Health and Welfare leadership, that children had been moved out of congregate care and short-term out-of-state placements had ended. The committee took no formal action during the presentation; the office's request to increase personnel funding will be considered in the broader maintenance and budget-setting process.
