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Clackamas County discusses state takeover of adult foster-care licensing as providers voice concern
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Summary
County staff told the IDD Advisory Council that licensing for adult foster care is shifting from county CDDPs to ODDS; staff said two county licensor positions will move into a new QA unit and staff may be offered state jobs but that ODDS provided few details, leaving providers uncertain.
County staff told the Clackamas County IDD Advisory Council on Sept. 22 that adult foster-care licensing will move from county Community Developmental Disabilities Programs (CDDPs) to the Oregon Department of Developmental Disabilities Services (ODDS), and that the transition is drawing wide concern from local providers.
The council heard that the state has begun outreach meetings but provided limited answers to provider questions. "ODDS's answers to your questions were super vague," a county staff member said, adding that the provider community left the meeting "not feeling super reassured." The county said two employees will transition into a newly formed quality assurance (QA) unit and that all existing county staff will be offered the option to apply for state positions if they wish, though those positions may carry different minimum qualifications.
Why it matters: moving licensing responsibilities to the state could change local access to licensor support and alter staff qualifications and job classifications. County staff warned the council that state job classifications may require, for example, a four-year degree where county hiring allows experience to substitute. "There is no guarantee that they will have the qualifications to transfer even if they've been doing the work," staff said.
County staff said they have pushed for clarity and are scheduling follow-ups with ODDS and state HR, but that many implementation details remain undecided. The county plans to present options to affected staff by Oct. 1 and to continue provider engagement locally. "We are often concerned about losing the connection with our provider community," staff said, noting providers are "grieving this change."
What the council asked for: members requested clear timelines, information on whether county staff would be retained, and commitments about how the county will continue provider engagement post-transfer. The council was also urged to advise the county on ways to keep local provider relationships and support people living in foster-care settings.
Next steps: County staff said they will continue meetings with ODDS, HR and local leadership, provide staff with options (including applying for state positions), and return to the council with updates and invitations for providers to share their experience. The council flagged the issue for continuing oversight.
The meeting did not record any formal action on the ODDS transition; the council asked staff to report back with more details at a future meeting.
