A 17-year-old placed in the state’s care died by suicide this week while living in a hotel room, according to Oregon child welfare officials.
The Oregon Department of Human Services announced the teenager’s death in a news release on Monday. The agency is required by law to tell state leaders when a child dies in their care by abuse or neglect, but it is unusual for the agency to send out a press release about a child’s death.
The news release said the state’s child welfare program and health agency had been working together to try to connect the child with behavioral health support for an extended period of time. Both agencies said they plan to review the circumstances around the teenager’s death and intensify their “efforts to ensure all children have access to appropriate behavioral health services.”
“We need better systems in place to get children help in a crisis when they don’t want to go,” Annette Smith, the child’s attorney said.
Oregon promised to stop placing kids in hotel rooms as part of a legal settlement in 2018. But since then the state has spent millions of dollars housing hundreds of kids in foster care in hotels.
In 2023, a federal judge took the rare step of appointing an outside expert to oversee the state’s Department of Human Services, noting the state agency could not figure out how to wind down the practice of “temporary lodging” on its own. The 2023 report from the outside expert noted, “Everyone agrees that temporary lodging must end because it is not good for children.”
It’s not clear what came of the outside expert’s report, which included several recommendations to improve the system. The state also recently settled a lawsuit and has agreed to have an expert oversee the foster care system and offer recommendations to improve the system as a whole.
The state declined to provide more information and said they will be following up with an investigation.
“Our hearts go out (to) the child’s family, loved ones and community during this incredibly difficult time,” Fariborz Pakseresht, ODHS director, said in a press release. “Words cannot express the sorrow we feel for this devastating loss.”
If you or someone you know may be considering suicide, contact the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, or the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741.