Oregon agencies outline roll‑out of 'agency with choice' option, cite licensing, staffing and budget hurdles

The Joint Interim Subcommittee on Human Services heard an update Wednesday on implementation of an "agency with choice" service option created by recent legislation and funded in the state budget.

Janellen Weidance, deputy director of policy for the Office of Aging and People with Disabilities, and Dana Hittle, interim director of the Office of Developmental Disability Services at the Oregon Department of Human Services, told lawmakers the agencies plan to jointly contract with up to two statewide providers, finalize administrative rules and licensing, and have the program ready to start on Jan. 1, 2026.

The agencies said the new option is intended to sit between the existing consumer‑employer model and standard in‑home agency models. "It is an in between service option for people, with IDD who live in their own family home. It is more of a self‑directed model than our traditional agency model," Hittle said. The agency with choice model will employ "direct support workers" while giving consumers more assistance from an agency with administrative tasks such as payroll, background checks and recruiting.

Why it matters: The change affects thousands of Oregonians who receive in‑home care and the direct care workforce that serves them. Agencies emphasized three priorities: protect consumer…