DHS data glitch fixed; says all money accounted for

The Oregon Department of Human Services said Monday it has determined the cause of a computer error was the deployment of new computer code in the OR-Kids system — and that the $500,000 in resulting payments are now accounted for.

The OR-Kids system processes payments to service providers in Oregon’s child welfare system. Earlier media reports have erroneously stated the cause was a change in Windows operating systems.

The change in code caused $500,000 in payments to be generated and delivered to various providers. DHS technical crews identified the problem and began working on a fix immediately. On Saturday, the fix was deployed and the bad data was removed, officials said.

Letters were sent to those who received the erroneous payments. All money is accounted for, and DHS is working to ensure the OR-Kids system reflects the correct financial status. OR-Kids providers have been pro-active and cooperative, officials said.

A more rigorous monitoring process is in now in place for all future OR-Kids deployments.