Douglas County Parents Turn Pain Into Progress for Oregon’s Child Welfare System

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ore. — A new Parent Advisory Council, led by parents who were previously part of the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) system, is using their lived experiences to bring positive changes to Douglas County child welfare.

Douglas County “The Power Of A Parent’s Voice”  Seeks To Turn Real-Life  Experience Into A Better Child Welfare System

The Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) and the Ford Family Foundation are driving changes in child welfare practice in Douglas County through The Power of Parent Voice, a guide to help parents across the state create their own councils.

The Ford Family Foundation facilitated conversations with ODHS and parents. The guide is part inspiration and part handbook for a successful partnership between ODHS and parents based on humility, listening, and empathy. The guide sets out how to create a safe environment for parents.

Led by parents who have been involved with child welfare during a time of crisis and have reunified with their children, Parent Advisory Councils play a crucial role in transforming the child welfare system. Parents with lived experience advise ODHS about ways to reduce trauma and better support family healing and resilience.

The first statewide Parent Advisory Council, a partnership between Morrison Child and Family Services and ODHS, was established in 2015.

The Douglas County Parent Advisory Council was launched in 2023 with the help of Morrison Child and Family Services and is the first in Oregon, with others in formation in Coos/Curry, Klamath, Marion, and Washington counties. An active Fathers’ Advisory Board is expected to form a new Youth Advisory Council in early 2026.

Parent advisories include, for example:

• Making family time feel less intimidating and stressful by scheduling meetings in a family-friendly environment, rather than behind a series of locked doors at the ODHS offices.
• Helping other parents navigate the child welfare system and advocate for change.
• Input on new Child Welfare programs
• Insights with Self-Sufficiency Programs’ family coaches and Child Welfare caseworkers.
• Parent mentor programs
• Advocating for the new Icebreakers program, which builds relationships between resource parents and parents.

Douglas County District Manager Desta Walsh said, “When I meet with this group, I always learn something new or see something from a different perspective.”