Oregon DHS: Conflict of Interest

Oregon’s Department of Human Services [DHS] runs the state’s foster care program. DHS’s duty, in part, is to ensure children are living in a safe environment and safe from:

• Child sexual abuse
• Child physical abuse
• Child mental abuse
• Chronic neglect

Should DHS remove a child from its family, DHS legally becomes the ward of that child and is responsible for the child’s well-being. But what if DHS is the indirect cause of a child’s abuse or neglect?

It is unlikely that DHS would self-report and admit to any wrongdoing or mistakes. Mistakes may include, for example, placing a child with an uncertified foster family, or a foster family  that DHS failed to conduct an exhaustive background check on, or leaving a child with a foster family even after it has received reports of child abuse.

This creates a conflict of interest for the DHS. How can the DHS be responsible for a child’s safety and fail to take responsibility for mistakes that threatened the same child’s safety? Who ensures that DHS does right by the child? Who reports DHS?

Independent Legal Agents

child abuse cases, causing many errors to go unseen. It investigates and reports situations of abuse without investigating its own role in allowing such abuse to take place.

This is when vulnerable children need an attorney who is experienced in dealing with DHS. Familiar with the policies and procedures of the Oregon DHS, attorney Paul Galm has advocated for children who have fallen victim to this damaging oversight. Children suffering from abuse and neglect deserve to have a dedicated champion striving to see that they are placed in a safe, healthy environment. If Oregon DHS won’t do it, Paul Galm will. Not only is he willing to dig into the details of cases such as these, he knows where to dig too.

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Paul Galm is available to help you navigate the muddy waters of legal action, answer your questions, and advocate for you or your loved one. Reach out to us today for a free consultation, and explore our blog regarding legal advice and negligence cases.