Helt bill to boost ranks of foster parents fails in committee

In response to a recent report about Oregon foster kids being held at gunpoint at an out-of-state facility, state Rep. Cheri Helt, R-Bend, made a motion to move her legislation to increase the number of foster parents from the Human Services and Housing Committee to the House floor for a vote.

Helt was the chief sponsor of House Bill 2951 and originally introduced it to address the dire need for more foster families in Oregon. The bill would require the Department of Human Services to complete investigations for foster home applicants within 120 days, shortening the time it takes for potential foster parents to be approved and increasing the number of those willing to participate.

“In the many conversations I’ve had with DHS caseworkers and others who want to become foster parents, it was apparent that one of the greatest barriers to people getting involved is the time length of the application process.” Helt said Wednesday.

“I spoke with DHS Director Pakseresht about the concept of this bill at the start of session and he assured me that DHS could accomplish an investigation in 120 days or less,” she said. “This bill would be monumental to increasing the number of available foster parents in Oregon and improving the lives of our foster children.”

While the bill, which had 25 sponsors, never received a public hearing in committee, Helt was hopeful to bring this issue to the minds of her House colleagues. Despite broad bipartisan sponsorship, the motion failed on a party-line vote.

Currently, the number of foster parents in Oregon is far too small to accommodate the thousands of children who are living in the foster care system, she said. This shortage has led to many of those children being housed in hotels or sent out of the state for housing, the lawmaker said in a news release.

“This issue is important to all legislators in Oregon, regardless of party,” Helt said. “I think it’s time to show that helping Oregon’s foster children is a priority for everyone in this legislative body.”