Six years ago, Oregon quietly started sending children in foster care to locked residential treatment facilities in other states.
When they got to those facilities, many kids were abused.
At one facility where Oregon children were sent, a child from another state was restrained for so long that he died. Staff restrained him after he threw a sandwich in the cafeteria. At another, a SWAT team arrived to break up a riot at the converted hotel in Utah where the majority of Oregon’s out-of-state foster kids were sent. The Oregon foster kids had semi-automatic rifles pointed at them. The stories of mistreatment were widespread. After intense scrutiny, Oregon eventually stopped the practice.
The Oregon Department of Human Services building is pictured in Salem on Sept. 26, 2019.
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Bradley W. Parks / OPB
Now, the state’s Department of Human Services would like the ability to send children across state borders once again.
This time, they say, will be different.
Oregon lawmakers are considering a wide-ranging measure, House Bill 3835, that would simplify what is investigated as child abuse in both schools and foster homes. The measure would also give the state’s child welfare officials the ability to send kids across state lines. It has prompted intense debate between lawmakers, nonprofit advocates for children and health providers.
Some advocates have warned that the bill limits what is considered abuse at a time when the state is under intense scrutiny for its high rates of maltreatment of children in state custody. Others have noted that too many kids are lingering in emergency rooms and hotel rooms because there is a lack of appropriate health and foster care in Oregon. They blame the systemic failures on government overreach. They argue too many regulations have created a “culture of fear” among caretakers.
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State Rep. Rob Nosse, a Portland Democrat, is sponsoring the bill. He testified Thursday to the House Committee on Early Childhood and Human Services that the current regulatory environment in Oregon is making it hard for providers to serve children. The state continually ranks poorly for its ability to provide behavioral health treatment to kids. Oregon has about 4,450 kids placed in child welfare custody.
“We must vehemently advocate for children to get the care they need wherever it is available, including having to go out of state if the care that is needed by the child is better provided in the facility that is located out of state,” Nosse said.
He called the measure “one of the most important bills” state legislators will deal with this legislative session.
Emily Cooper, Legal Director, Disability Rights Oregon, in an undated, provided photo.
Courtesy of Disability Rights Oregon
Emily Cooper, an attorney with Disability Rights Oregon who was part of the class-action lawsuit against the Oregon Department of Human Services that was recently settled, also said the measure is worrisome.
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“There aren’t sufficient guardrails in this bill to prevent us from going back in time,” Cooper said.
Less transparency than before
At the urging of Gov. Kate Brown in 2019, in the wake of the out-of-state and hoteling crisis, the state Legislature created what is called the “system of care advisory council.” The idea was to get a group of people together from child welfare, juvenile justice and education to plan for more children’s services outside of institutional settings.
That council is now suggesting Oregon needs the ability to send kids out of state with more ease. State law currently does allow officials to send kids out of state, but the facility where they are being sent must first go through a licensing process and meet certain standards.
“I want to be clear, we don’t want to go back to the bad old days where caseworkers were pushing kids out of state because cases were too high and it was an easy way to, ‘oh get this kid off my caseload,’” Anna Williams, the executive director of the council and a former Democratic lawmaker, said in a legislative hearing.
Anna Williams, pictured in 2019 when she was a Democratic state Rep. from Hood River.
Bradley W. Parks / OPB
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But a side-by-side comparison of what happened six years ago and what is being proposed today doesn’t offer much clarity over how the current legislation would ensure the same mistakes are not repeated.
Williams told lawmakers during a legislative hearing there would be “significant oversight and accountability” this time.
Six years ago, before a kid was sent to an out-of-state facility, a team at the state child welfare’s central office had to sign off. A judge had to also give the go-ahead. The state hired a third-party consultant to visit the kids in the facilities. Sometimes, the state would send its own staff to inspect a facility.
Once, Oregon child welfare officials visited a facility over a period of three days and wrote a glowing review of the yoga and meditation possibilities at the Red Rock Canyon School. A day later, the state of Utah published its own report citing a list of violations, including staff degrading residents and one youth being put in a chokehold until they were unconscious. It was the same facility where A SWAT team showed up to break up a riot.
Oregon’s new proposal says the child welfare director must personally approve child movements out of state, along with approval from the Oregon Health Plan Medicaid director. The bill was recently amended to also require court approval before sending a kid out of state.
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“We aren’t just basing it on other state’s much lower standards,” Williams said. “We want to go see it ourselves and make sure the kid is safe.”
Under the past guidelines, when kids were sent out of state, the child welfare agency initially tried to cite child privacy laws for keeping the information secret. Eventually, more information emerged, and so did the terrible stories. Ultimately, the agency started sharing a public dashboard that showed in real-time where kids were.
This map from 2019 shows the number of times children in foster care were placed in residential treatment facilities out-of-state at the height of the program. Some children went to more than one out-of-state facility. In 2020, Oregon removed all the foster youth it sent to for-profit facilities in other states.
Source: Oregon Department of Human Services / OPB
The current bill would require the agency to alert the governor’s office, the foster care ombudsman (who works inside the agency), and the systems of advisory care panel as soon as possible when a child is moved. It would require quarterly and annual reports sent to the Legislature, but does not require a dashboard. Essentially, a child could be moved to a facility for weeks or months without the public’s knowledge.
There are some instances where kids benefit from care that Oregon can’t provide. Recently, a youth with an eating disorder who also needed care in a gender-affirming placement received care in Arizona.
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But Cooper, the disability rights attorney, said it should be evident that the facility where the kids are being sent meets Oregon standards and offers therapeutic care.
“We will (once again) end up sending kids to out-of-state facilities regardless of how good they are,” Cooper said.
Cooper, who also sits on the state’s system of care advisory council with Williams, said the state’s focus should be on finding solutions where children can stay in their communities.
But, she noted, state child welfare officials have struggled to have adequate oversight over providers in their own backyard. For example, they recently placed kids in foster care in unlicensed short-term rentals with people who failed to background check. After an OPB investigation, Oregon canceled the contract with the provider.
Two years ago, a U.S. District Court appointed a special master to help the agency steer toward creating more placements in Oregon. This was in response to the state’s continued reliance on placing children in hotels, which cost upwards of $25 million. At the time, Judge Michael McShane wrote that Oregon’s defense of its practices had “become nothing more than a stale mantra and the Court has lost faith in ODHS’ ability to end this entrenched policy on its own.”
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Riley Thomas, a former kid placed in foster care, submitted testimony to the Legislature on the current bill. Restrictions on out-of-state placements came after someone finally listened to the kids who shared their stories, she said.
“It was stated that only youth that would be sent out of state were kids who were rare exceptions and were children that were hard to control,” Riley wrote. “That didn’t last long before a large amount of kids were being shipped out of state and placed in for-profit facilities, kids as young as nine years old.”
Restraints and seclusions
Another large component of this wide-ranging measure aims to clarify what is considered wrongful use of restraint and seclusion for children, both in public schools and child welfare settings.
The measure would narrow the definitions of both to say that any restraint or seclusion for discipline, punishment, retaliation or convenience purposes is “wrongful.”
Jamie Vandergon, the CEO of Trillium Family Services, which provides care for kids ages 5-24 throughout the state, wrote in testimony that past laws had “unintended consequences” that created a culture of fear and constant reporting.
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Some school district officials applauded the efforts to clarify rules around restraint.
“We have had multiple occurrences where staff members have been accused of child abuse as they work with students,” Charan Cline, the superintendent of the Redmond School District, wrote to lawmakers. Cline said most investigations don’t confirm the abuse allegations. “During the investigation, our people are put on administrative leave, thus causing students to be served by less qualified substitute teachers.”
But a parent, Eriko Ono, who has a disabled child in the public school system, felt very differently.
“I do not support a more relaxed definition of restraints and isolation. I also do not support less oversight when either of these strategies are used,” Ono said. “Oversight is already difficult in many school settings.”
The Oregon Criminal Defense Lawyers Association noted they also strongly opposed the bill, saying it would lower the standards for keeping kids safe in numerous ways.
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“Oregon’s kids need better protections from abuse, not worse,” Mae Lee Browning, the legislative director for the group, wrote.
The bill is scheduled for another public hearing on Tuesday.
The second College Football Playoff semifinal game is a can’t-miss Big Ten showdown. We’ve compiled everything you need to know about where to watch the Peach Bowl, including live streaming options for cord-cutters.
The No. 5 Oregon Ducks will take on the No. 1 Indiana Hoosiers in the Peach Bowl. With the Ohio State Buckeyes, a Big Ten powerhouse and the reigning National Champions, out of the picture after a shock quarterfinal elimination, the Ducks and Hoosiers both have a shot at making it to the championship. Oregon has had a tremendous season, going 13-1 and shutting out Texas Tech in the quarterfinals. Their only fumble this season was Indiana (a 30-20 Hoosiers victory in October), which went undefeated (14-0) and walloped Alabama 38-3 in the quarterfinals. It’s safe to say that it’s anyone’s game, and only time will tell which of the two teams will earn a spot at the National Championship.
If you’re hoping to tune in, we’ve got you covered. Keep reading to learn some of the best live streaming options below. The services we’ve highlighted will also allow you to live stream the National Championship on January 19.
What channel is the Peach Bowl on?
Like the rest of the CFP, the Peach Bowl will air on ESPN in the US. The Oregon vs. Indiana game is scheduled to kick off on Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET, but the network’s college football coverage will begin at 6 p.m.
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Where to watch the Peach Bowl in the US
If you don’t have cable, you don’t need to worry about missing out on any of the action. There are several ways to live stream ESPN, including ESPN Unlimited, the network’s direct streaming counterpart. At $30 a month, ESPN Unlimited unlocks total access to all things ESPN, including live streams from the flagship network and other properties, like ESPN2, the ACC Network, and SEC Network.
ESPN Unlimited
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ESPN Unlimited has everything from ESPN Plus, in addition to all that the ESPN linear networks have to offer.
If you’d prefer a service with a free trial and other channels beyond those in the ESPN family, DirecTV and Fubo are two of our top live TV recommendations. DirecTV offers ESPN in all of its Signature packages, but you can save some money if you’re only interested in sports by subscribing to the DirecTV MySports genre pack. Subscriptions cost $70 a month, but there’s a five-day free trial for new customers. MySports also unlocks ESPN Unlimited access.
DirecTV MySports
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DirecTV’s MySports pack carries popular sports channels, from mainstays like ESPN to niche offerings like the ACC Network.
Fubo is another top sports-centric streaming service. You can get ESPN and around 28 other channels through Fubo’s Sports + News pack, in addition to ESPN Unlimited access. Subscriptions start at $56 a month, but new users can get a five-day free trial and a $10 off first-month discount.
Fubo Sports + News
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The new Fubo Sports + News pack is only available in select areas. It combines 20+ major sports channels (including the new ESPN Unlimited) and select local networks (ABC, CBS, and FOX).
Where to watch the Peach Bowl in the UK
In the UK, College Football Playoff games (including the Peach Bowl) are available through DAZN. Subscription prices vary by plan, but most college football games this season were available for free in the UK (as long as you create an account). DAZN will also live stream the National Championship later this month.
How to watch the Peach Bowl from anywhere
If you’re traveling away from home, you can still keep up with your usual streaming options with the aid of a VPN. Short for virtual private networks, VPNs are cybersecurity tools that enable people to change their devices’ virtual location. This way, their go-to websites and apps work from anywhere, just like they would back home. VPNs are also popular methods for enhancing online privacy and security.
NordVPN is our No. 1 recommendation right now. It’s a top-rated option with tons of features, servers, and a hassle-free 30-day money-back guarantee, so it’s no sweat if you find that it’s not what you’re looking for. Our official NordVPN review breaks down everything else you might need to know about the app.
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NordVPN Plan
NordVPN is one of the top VPN services in the business. It offers excellent value with a strong selection of features and a low monthly price. A wide selection of international servers, high-end security, fast connections, and audited privacy protection have made the brand a household name in the world of VPNs.
Note: The use of VPNs is illegal in certain countries, and using VPNs to access region-locked streaming content might constitute a breach of the terms of use for certain services. Business Insider does not endorse or condone the illegal use of VPNs.
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Lillian Brown
Senior Associate Editor of Streaming
Lillian Brown is the Senior Associate Editor of Streaming at Business Insider. A lifelong entertainment and media buff, she specializes in helping you find how to watch your favorite shows, movies, and sporting events.ExperienceLillian has been writing about entertainment, sports, TV, and film for over six years, starting her career in the Living/Arts department of The Boston Globe. She went on to write entertainment features, roundups, and conduct celebrity interviews for publications like Vulture, TV Guide, Esquire, Time, and The Daily Beast before joining Business Insider as a streaming specialist on the Reviews team.In her current role, she writes about everything from finding the right VPN for watching overseas soccer games to choosing between the endless number of streaming services out there. When she’s not writing, she is editing stories from freelancers or fellow Reviews team members. Lillian is also an expert deal hunter. She loves the thrill of sharing an amazing discount with readers, whether it be on her favorite streaming services or on products she knows our team loves and recommends. She plays an active role in writing about sales and deals for the Reviews team.Why you can trust LillianWhether she’s testing streaming platform interfaces or actively comparing channel offerings between services, Lillian always has her finger on the pulse of what’s new in entertainment. She has tested nearly every streaming service and is an expert when it comes to VPNs. She is the first person to know when a streaming service has changed its price, and whether or not it’s still worth paying for. As a sports fan, she also knows exactly where the next big playoff game is streaming, what time it starts, and where they’re playing. Expertise
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Oregon officials are opening an investigation into a shooting by federal agents in Portland that left a married couple wounded and sparked renewed outrage in the city over the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown there and across the US.
The shooting inflamed tensions a day after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent fatally shot a woman in Minneapolis, prompting protests and condemnation from state and city officials there.
Following Wednesday’s killing, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey told agents to “get the fuck out” of the city. Oregon state Sen. Kayse Jama took a similar tone during a news conference after the Portland shooting, telling ICE agents to “get the hell out of our community.”
The Portland shooting unfolded Thursday afternoon as US Border Patrol agents were conducting a “targeted vehicle stop” and one of the agents “fired defensive shots” after the driver tried to run the agents over, Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. “The driver drove off with the passenger, fleeing the scene,” she added.
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No agents were injured in the shooting, a federal law enforcement source told CNN.
McLaughlin said the driver and passenger are believed to be linked to Tren de Aragua, the notorious Venezuelan gang President Donald Trump has long targeted amid accusations of drug trafficking, murder and other violence, though she did not provide evidence.
Portland Police Chief Bob Day said local officers weren’t involved in the incident, but responded to reports of a shooting involving federal agents just after 2:15 p.m. Thursday.
Minutes later, police received a call from a different location from a man who said he’d been shot by federal officers and was requesting help, according to Day and dispatch audio.
When officers arrived, they found a man and a woman with gunshot wounds and emergency responders transported them to a hospital, Day said. The conditions of the patients weren’t known Thursday night, he added.
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The chief said his department didn’t know if the vehicle involved in the shooting had been weaponized against the agents.
The two people who were shot are married, a senior law enforcement told CNN.
Portland Mayor Keith Wilson linked Thursday’s shooting to the killing of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis, the circumstances of which has been disputed by federal and local officials. Wilson said he had spoken to the Minneapolis mayor earlier in the day to offer condolences and called Good’s death “entirely preventable” in a statement Thursday morning.
Hours after the mayors spoke, Wilson was similarly casting doubt on the Trump administration’s characterization of what took place in Portland.
“We know what the federal government says happened here. There was a time when we could take them at their word. That time has long passed,” he said.
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Wilson called for ICE to halt all operations in Portland until an investigation can take place.
“Portland is not a training ground for militarized agents,” Wilson said. “When the administration talks about using full force, we are seeing what it means on our streets.”
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield announced late Thursday the state will open an investigation into the shooting, saying officials “have been clear about our concerns with excessive use of force by federal agents in Portland and nationally.”
“The investigation will look into whether any federal officer acted outside the scope of their lawful authority and will include witness interviews, video evidence, and other relevant materials,” Rayfield said.
On the federal government side, the FBI said it is investigating an “assault” on two CBP agents. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is assisting the FBI, it said.
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Trump has frequently taken aim at Portland, depicting the liberal city as a crime-riddled war zone and falsely claiming on several occasions that it is “burning to the ground.”
The White House was locked in a months-long battle with city and state officials over the administration’s controversial deployment of National Guard troops to the city, which was blocked by a federal judge. City officials have argued Trump’s incendiary remarks and troop deployments have inflamed violence in the city, which has been rocked by frequent protests over immigration enforcement.
Multnomah County, which includes part of Portland, voted Thursday to extend an emergency declaration in response to ICE’s continued presence in the area, County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson said.
The declaration was originally issued in December “in response to ongoing impacts from federal immigration enforcement,” Vega Pederson said at the time.
“Multnomah County will not stand by as federal governments attack our neighbors,” she said Thursday.
It’s a family affair for the Big Ten with a spot in the national championship game on the line as No. 1 seed Indiana squares off against fifth-seed Oregon in the Peach Bowl semifinal.
Indiana has smashed up just about everything in sight, marching out to a 14-0 record with its first outright Big Ten title since 1945 by edging out reigning champ Ohio State and then pounding the bewildered SEC runner-up Alabama in the Rose Bowl quarterfinal.
If they go all the way, the Hoosiers would become the first 16-0 team in college football since Yale did it back in 1894. Not bad for a program that has the most losses all-time.
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Oregon is a 13-1 team with that one loss coming courtesy of these Hoosiers back during the regular season, but is coming off a dominant 23-0 victory over Big 12 champion Texas Tech in the quarterfinal round.
Indiana vs. Oregon: Keys to the game
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Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
1. Indiana’s Defensive Discipline vs. Dante Moore
Indiana’s biggest edge arguably remains a very disciplined defense that already solved Oregon’s scheme once, holding Dante Moore to 186 passing yards with two interceptions and six sacks in the October win at Eugene.
The Hoosiers compress space, tackle cleanly, and rarely bust coverages, forcing Moore to sustain long drives instead of living on explosive downfield gainers.
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Key to this rematch is turning that discipline into disruption again: winning on early downs, disguising pressures, and closing throwing lanes so Oregon’s timing‑based pass game never finds a rhythm.
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If Indiana can keep Moore uncomfortable without giving up cheap shots in the deep field, it tilts the game back toward another grind that favors the unbeaten No. 1 seed.
2. Oregon’s Early‑Down Efficiency and Protection
Oregon’s path back into the national title picture depends on staying ahead of the chains and protecting Moore far better than in the first meeting.
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This is not a max‑protect offense; the Ducks prefer to get the ball out quickly on first and second down to avoid Indiana dictating pressure looks on third and long.
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With top back Noah Whittington healthy and Jordon Davison sidelined, Oregon must manufacture run efficiency with motion, RPOs, and constraint plays rather than stubborn downhill calls into Indiana’s stout front.
If that early‑down formula works, Moore’s accuracy, Oregon’s speed at receiver, and a more confident offensive line could finally stress a Hoosier defense that has thrived when opponents become predictable.
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3. Mendoza, Complementary Run Game, and Game Control
Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza has turned Indiana into a complete, ball‑control machine, pairing 36 touchdown passes with just six interceptions while adding some key rushing scores.
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The Hoosiers average over 220 rushing yards per game, using a deep backfield and a physical line to stay on schedule and keep their defense fresh.
Against an Oregon defense coming off a 23–0 shutout of Texas Tech, Indiana’s key is balance: steady run success, efficient intermediate throws, and red‑zone poise that converts long, methodical drives into sevens instead of threes.
If Mendoza controls tempo again, limits negative plays, and avoids the rare turnover, Indiana’s complementary profile again looks built to survive a tight matchup.
Indiana vs. Oregon prediction: Who wins?
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Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Line: Indiana -3.5, 48.5, courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook
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If a team of destiny exists, it might be Indiana. Give them credit: they created that destiny themselves, playing a punishing brand of defense and riding an efficient offense behind a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback.
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Dante Moore had the worst game of his season against the Hoosiers’ defense, and his late interception, one of two on the day, helped seal the deal in what remains Oregon’s only loss this year.
Jordon Davison was the Ducks’ leading rusher in that first meeting, and his absence in the rematch makes it difficult to see this going another way, in particular after watching the Oregon offense fail to capitalize as much as it could have in the Orange Bowl.
Having their rushing output compromised to that degree will only put more pressure on Moore to win the game, and Indiana’s secondary coverage unit is a little too good to let that happen. The Hoosiers will play for the national championship.
College Football HQ picks…
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Indiana wins 33-20
Covers the spread
And hits the over
How to watch the Peach Bowl Game
When: Fri., Jan. 9 Where: Atlanta
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Time: 7:30 p.m. Eastern TV: ESPN network
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, please call 1-800-GAMBLER.
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