Gov. Kate Brown declares 'crisis' at her child welfare agency, says she'll personally step in to

Gov. Kate Brown declares ‘crisis’ at her child welfare agency, says she’ll personally step in to make fixes


SALEM — Gov. Kate Brown issued an executive order Thursday morning laying out a path for her to take a direct role in day-to-day operations at the state’s embattled child welfare program.

Under the executive order, Brown will lead a new oversight board that will meet at least every other week to decide what the child welfare agency should do. And she will install an on-site crisis management team to ensure Department of Human Services Director Fariborz Pakseresht and Child Welfare Director Marilyn Jones implement the panel’s recommendations. Brown will also embed one of her senior advisers at the child welfare agency to oversee the work, her order says.

“I’m hoping with this level of oversight we can continue to make progress and ensure our children are safe,” Brown said.

The governor announced the strategy two days after a national child advocacy group filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of 10 children in Oregon foster care and a week after lawmakers questioned the state’s decision to send one of those children – a 9-year-old girl – to a facility in Montana that used physical restraints and Benadryl injections to control her.

Read more: https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2019/04/gov-kate-brown-declares-crisis-at-her-child-welfare-agency-says-shell-personally-step-in-to-make-fixes.html