Commentary
Every year in Oregon, thousands of children spend time in the state’s foster care system. In fiscal year 2023, children who eventually left the system spent a median time of 23.4 months in the state’s custody. For those eventually adopted, the latest available data show that the median time was even longer: 34.6 months. And every month, the state houses some children in “temporary lodgings.” This could mean an overnight stay in a hotel or a night on the floor of a social worker’s office.