Gordon Friedman

Statesman Journal

The state Department of Justice is not investigating the Oregon Department of Human Services, according to Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum.

Rosenblum heads the DOJ and its criminal and civil divisions, which can investigate and bring legal action against state agencies and their employees for malfeasance.

In an interview at the Capitol on Monday, Rosenblum said the consideration of an investigation of DHS is not off the table, but she isn't aware of any active probing.

A DHS report to federal officials made public last week revealed that the agency's child welfare division has not improved to meet federal childcare standards.

Standards include keeping the number of child abuse incidents low and managing cases in a timely way.

What's more, the report showed that DHS officials have known for eight years that they were below standard.

DHS officials knew of the shortcomings yet did not improve and did not track their progress, said DHS Director Clyde Saiki in an email to legislators.

DHS is the state agency responsible for providing services to some of most vulnerable Oregonians, including children in foster care and adults with disabilities.

More than 1 million Oregonians use DHS services each year. The agency runs on an annual budget of nearly $5 billion.

gfriedman2@statesmanjournal.com, 503-399-6653. Follow on Twitter@GordonRFriedman.