Oregon
Oregon lawmaker, advocates comment on foster care after FOX 12 investigation
PORTLAND, Ore. (KPTV) – FOX 12 Investigates has obtained data showing that state investigators rule abuse and neglect allegations from foster children as “unfounded” in nearly all cases.
Through a public records request, the FOX 12 Investigates team learned that from 2019-2023, there were 2,415 Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) investigations into alleged abuse and neglect by foster parents towards their foster children. Of all those investigations, over 88% of those allegations were determined to be unfounded, and just about 12% founded.
In emotional stories from former foster youth who FOX 12 spoke with, all say this trend does not surprise them.
Oregon state senator, Sara Gelser Blouin (D-Corvallis), who also chairs the Senate Human Services Committee, has worked on child welfare legislation for years, specifically trying to improve the quality of foster care in Oregon. FOX 12 Investigates presented our findings to the senator showing that even after a thorough audit of ODHS and the foster care system in 2018, abuse and neglect allegations by children in foster care went unfounded nearly all the time.
“There has been tremendous resistance from the agency and providers to look at, whether it’s abuse data or licensing data, through a lens of curiosity, to find out how do we make these services better,” said Gelser Blouin.
The senator has helped pass legislation in the past designed to improve how ODHS to conduct abuse and neglect investigations within the foster care system. Gelser Blouin says despite changes she pushed for, there are still gray areas in these investigations.
“Just because something is unfounded doesn’t mean that the child was not accurate in what they reported,” she said. “It could be that there was conflicting information and therefore they couldn’t come to a substantiated finding.”
Gelser Blouin says abuse and neglect investigations specifically look for evidence needed to prove an allegedly abusive foster parent broke the law.
“The question isn’t was the child mis-treated? Was the child harmed? Is the child uncomfortable? The question is: did this person that’s alleged to have committed the abuse do something that is a violation of what is explicitly written in the statute?”
In response to FOX 12′s reporting on the ODHS data on abuse and neglect investigations in foster care, an ODHS spokesperson sent the following statement:
“The data provided to KPTV is not troubling – instead, it shows that the vast majority of resource (foster) parents in Oregon provide safe and supportive homes to children experiencing foster care. In Oregon, cases of abuse by foster parents are rare…
We feel empathy and compassion for the traumas experienced by children in foster care, and ODHS is committed to listening and responding to the concerns they have…
Oregon has made significant progress since the 2018 Secretary of State audit…. including in child safety, resource (foster) parent recruitment and support, and using data to improve outcomes for children.”
The FOX 12 Investigates team also shared our findings with Hannah Royal, another former foster youth. In the past, Royal has testified on behalf of the organization, Oregon Foster Youth Connection, in front of Oregon state lawmakers in Salem with the hopes of improving the quality of foster care. She says foster children’s complaints leading to unfounded investigations is nothing new.
“I think that there’s a stigma against foster youth for being like just untruthful people in general,” said Royal. “And so the fact that so many of them went unfounded doesn’t really surprise me.”
Royal feels a critical solution is improving the staffing of DHS case workers, who are supposed to be assigned to each foster child and check in with them regularly. Royal also feels more guidance is needed for foster children on recognizing what abuse looks like.
“I think the biggest trend is, a lot of them don’t even feel comfortable reporting that sort of abuse or like, they’re not even sure what is the line between the normal treatment of (a) parent to child, and where’s the line of that actual abuse and neglect.”
Copyright 2024 KPTV-KPDX. All rights reserved.
The Oregon Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at July 15, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from July 15 drawing
02-07-18-29-38, Powerball: 16, Power Play: 2
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from July 15 drawing
1PM: 5-9-5-3
4PM: 8-9-0-3
7PM: 4-9-6-7
10PM: 4-2-1-8
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Win for Life numbers from July 15 drawing
10-37-56-61
Check Win for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Megabucks numbers from July 15 drawing
14-22-26-29-35-46
Check Megabucks payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Oregon Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 7:59 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 7:59 p.m. on Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 4: 1 p.m., 4 p.m., 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. daily.
- Win for Life: 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Megabucks: 7:29 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Oregon editor. You can send feedback using this form.
Entering the 2026 college football season, the Oregon Ducks are looking to not only win their first national championship in program history but also their second Big Ten title in the last three seasons.
When the Ducks joined the Big Ten in 2024, they kicked off their inaugural season in the conference in style, finishing the regular season undefeated at 13-0. This regular season was concluded with a thrilling 45-37 win over the Penn State Nittany Lions in the Big Ten championship game.
Eug 040522 Lanning 02 | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
The Ohio State Buckeyes, however, got revenge for their loss to the Ducks at Autzen Stadium earlier in the regular season, beating Oregon 41-21 in the CFP Quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl. Entering the 2026 season, here’s a look at the Ducks’ chances of winning the Big Ten for the second time.
Oregon Ducks Big Ten Title Odds: Who’s The Biggest Threat?
According to the latest betting odds by FanDuel Sportsbook, the Ducks have +270 odds to win the Big Ten championship this season. The one team ahead of them is the Ohio State Buckeyes at +190, who, believe it or not, are in search of their first Big Ten title since 2020. The Buckeyes were upset by the Indiana Hoosiers 13-10 in the Big Ten championship last season.
Among the top teams in the Big Ten next season, Ohio State poses the biggest threat to the Ducks’ chances of not only winning a conference title but also the national championship. The Buckeyes and Ducks will face off in what could be the game of the year in Columbus on Nov. 7.
As exciting as this matchup will be for college football fans, it likely won’t be the only one between the Buckeyes and Ducks. Regardless of which team wins the Nov. 7 showdown in Columbus, the Buckeyes and Ducks could match up again in the Big Ten title game and in the CFP.
Other Teams That Pose a Threat to Oregon
While the Buckeyes are the main threat to the Ducks’ Big Ten title aspirations, other teams will be worth watching. One of those teams is the defending national champions, the Indiana Hoosiers.
Despite the key losses this offseason, which include Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza, coach Curt Cignetti’s Hoosiers restocked talent with the addition of TCU Horned Frogs transfer quarterback Josh Hoover and Michigan State Spartans wide receiver Nick Marsh.
The only two losses that the Ducks suffered last season came against the Hoosiers. If the two face off in the Big Ten championship, Indiana looks to continue its dominance over the Ducks. The Hoosiers and Ducks don’t play each other during the regular season.
The USC Trojans, whom the Ducks will face at the Los Angeles Coliseum on Sept. 26, also look to knock off Oregon in what should be one of the top games of the first month of the college football season. Oregon coach Dan Lanning is undefeated 2-0 against USC’s Lincoln Riley and looks to extend the Ducks’ winning streak against the Trojans to five games.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
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The Oregon Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at July 14, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from July 14 drawing
02-04-10-48-56, Mega Ball: 22
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from July 14 drawing
1PM: 6-3-6-3
4PM: 7-0-0-9
7PM: 2-0-6-0
10PM: 2-5-1-5
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Oregon Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 7:59 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 7:59 p.m. on Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 4: 1 p.m., 4 p.m., 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. daily.
- Win for Life: 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Megabucks: 7:29 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Oregon editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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