Report on Mandated Reforms to Oregon’s Child Welfare System and Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

Recent legal and expert-driven developments have established a new framework for the reform of Oregon’s foster care system. Following a significant lawsuit settled in 2023, a court ruling and a report from a neutral expert have outlined specific, measurable benchmarks for improvement. These reforms are critically aligned with several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those focused on institutional strength, health, and equality.

Legal Mandates and Institutional Accountability (SDG 16)

The reform process is grounded in a legal settlement and subsequent court actions, reflecting a commitment to SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions. The objective is to build effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at all levels, specifically by ending abuse and violence against children (Target 16.2).

Judicial Oversight and Expert Guidance

• A settlement in the 2019 class-action lawsuit, brought by Disability Rights Oregon and A Better Childhood, has mandated external oversight of the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS).
• Child welfare expert Kevin Ryan has been appointed as the “neutral expert” to oversee reforms, establishing tangible metrics and a timeline for compliance.
• A recent ruling by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals expanded the scope of the settlement, ensuring that the mandated standards apply to all children in the legal custody of ODHS, not only those in its physical custody. This decision adds an estimated 600-700 children to the cohort covered by the reforms.

Core Reform Benchmarks and SDG Integration

The expert report outlines several key performance indicators that the state must achieve. These benchmarks directly support the advancement of multiple SDGs by focusing on the fundamental rights and needs of children in state care.

Promoting Good Health and Well-being (SDG 3)

A primary focus of the reforms is to ensure the physical and mental health of children in foster care, in direct alignment with SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being. The state is now required to:

1. Complete comprehensive medical assessments for children within two months of their entry into foster care.
2. Complete comprehensive mental health assessments for children within the same two-month timeframe.
3. Ensure prompt referrals to necessary medical and mental health services following assessments.

Ensuring Child Safety and Reducing Inequalities (SDG 16 & SDG 10)

The reforms address systemic failures that left vulnerable children unprotected, a direct effort to achieve SDG 16.2 (End abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children) and SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities (Empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all…irrespective of…other status).

• The state must significantly reduce the rates of abuse and mistreatment of children while they are in foster care.
• Oregon must lower the number of children who re-enter the foster care system after being reunified with their families, promoting long-term stability.
• The system must ensure that abuse allegations concerning children in foster care are properly reported to their parents and legal representatives.

Implementation and Long-Term Outlook

The reform plan establishes a clear timeline for achieving these goals, underscoring a long-term commitment to sustainable change within the child welfare system.

Timeline for Compliance

• Initial progress on many metrics must be reported by 2026.
• The majority of the performance goals are mandated to be met by the end of calendar years 2028 or 2029.
• Following the achievement of these goals, the state must maintain its performance for several subsequent years to be in full compliance with the settlement.

The Oregon Department of Human Services has expressed its commitment to working collaboratively with plaintiffs and the neutral expert to meet the settlement’s requirements. This process represents a critical opportunity for Oregon to strengthen its institutional capacity to protect its most vulnerable children, thereby making significant progress toward key Sustainable Development Goals.

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article on Oregon’s foster care system reform addresses issues that are directly connected to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The primary goals identified are:

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being: This goal is relevant because the article emphasizes the necessity of providing timely and adequate healthcare to children in the foster system. It specifically mentions the need for “quick referrals to medical and mental health care” and the completion of “medical assessments and mental health assessments.”
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities: This goal is connected as children in foster care represent a vulnerable group that often faces significant disadvantages and inequalities. The lawsuit and subsequent reforms aim to ensure these children receive the protection and services they are entitled to, thereby reducing the inequality of outcomes they experience compared to other children.
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions: This is a central SDG in the article. The focus on protecting children from harm, the legal action taken against a state agency, and the mandated improvements all fall under this goal. The article discusses the need to “cut down on the number of kids who are abused in foster care,” which aligns with ending violence against children. Furthermore, the court case, the settlement, and the appointment of a “neutral expert” are all efforts to build more “effective, accountable and transparent institutions.”

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the issues discussed, the following specific SDG targets can be identified:

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

• Target 3.4: “By 2030, reduce by one third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being.” The article’s focus on ensuring children receive “mental health assessments” and “mental health care” directly supports the promotion of mental health and well-being for this vulnerable population.
• Target 3.8: “Achieve universal health coverage, including… access to quality essential health-care services…” The mandate for the state to provide “quick referrals to medical and mental health care” and complete “medical assessments” for all children entering foster care is a direct effort to provide access to essential health-care services for this group.

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

• Target 10.2: “By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age… or other status.” The legal actions and reforms are designed to protect and support children in foster care, a group defined by their vulnerable status, ensuring they are not excluded from fundamental rights to safety and care.
• Target 10.3: “Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome…” The lawsuit was filed because foster youth were experiencing profoundly negative outcomes, including abuse and neglect. The settlement aims to correct these systemic failures and reduce the inequality of outcome for children in state custody.

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

• Target 16.2: “End abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children.” This is the most directly relevant target. The article explicitly states that Oregon must “cut down on the number of kids who are abused in foster care” and reduce “rates of mistreatment of children in foster care.”
• Target 16.6: “Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels.” The entire article describes a process of holding a state institution (the Department of Human Services) accountable. The appointment of a “neutral expert,” the establishment of “tangible benchmarks,” and the requirement for annual progress reports are all measures to make the child welfare system more effective and transparent.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Yes, the article mentions several specific metrics and benchmarks that serve as indicators for measuring progress towards the identified targets.

Indicators for SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being)

• Timeliness of Health Assessments: The report from the neutral expert explicitly states that the state “must complete medical assessments and mental health assessments of children within two months of when they enter foster care.” This provides a clear, measurable indicator of access to healthcare services.

Indicators for SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions)

• Rate of Maltreatment in Care: The article states that Oregon must “cut down on rates of mistreatment of children in foster care.” The measurement of this rate is a direct indicator for Target 16.2.
• Recurrence of Maltreatment (Re-entry into foster care): The requirement to “reduce the number of kids who come back to foster care after being reunited with relatives” serves as an indicator of the system’s effectiveness in ensuring long-term safety and stability for children, which is related to preventing future abuse.
• Institutional Transparency and Reporting: An indicator for Target 16.6 is the mandate that the state “must measure whether it reports abuse of children in foster care to their parents and attorneys.” Another is the requirement to “report progress on many of the metrics by 2026, then update Ryan annually,” which measures accountability.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: oregonlive.com