Oregon Foster Youth to Testify Before Senate Committee, Demand Child Welfare Reforms

Oregon Foster Youth to Testify Before Senate Committee, Demand Child Welfare Reforms

In one week, a group of current and former foster youth from across the state will testify before the Senate Health and Human Services Committee to push for reforms in Oregon’s foster care system. They will be asking the State to guarantee their basic rights while in state care—rights to things like clothes that fit, proper nutrition, contact with their siblings, and their safety. While the law already protects these rights in theory, gaps in policies and protocols still keep many foster youth from ever knowing their rights in care and, worse, leave them without safe means to report violations.