This May, the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) honors the essential role of resource families and respite providers in creating safe and nurturing environments for children and young adults. In Oregon, adults who care for children experiencing foster care are called resource parents, emphasizing the many important roles they play in supporting children and helping maintain relationships with their biological families and communities.
As Governor Tina Kotek’s proclamation in honor of National Foster Care month states, “Dedicated resource families and relative caregivers work tirelessly to provide children a secure and nurturing environment and give young people in foster care the love, warmth, safety, care and support they need.”
Supportive relationships are particularly important for young people who have experienced trauma and can change the trajectory of a life. According to Harvard’s Center for the Developing Child, supportive and responsive relationships help children develop resilience in the face of adversity.
Resource parents and respite providers play an ongoing supportive role in the life of a child and biological parents both during and after time in foster care. Becoming a resource parent is not the only way to support children and families. ODHS now has a certified respite program, offering a more flexible way to contribute to a child's life while giving resource parents a chance to take a break and recharge. ODHS partners with Every Child to help recruit resource parents, volunteers and respite care providers, and offers a peer mentorship program connecting new resource parents to experienced ones.
According to ODHS, respite providers often find the experience of supporting young people in care enriching and decide to become resource parents. There are 138 active certified respite providers across the state, with 205 providers certified since the launch in 2023. “We hope this program continues to grow to give biological, relative and resource caregivers a break for self-care. But more importantly, this is an opportunity to make a difference in a child’s life, whether as a respite provider or resource parent. Just a few hours a week of quality time with a young person can make a huge difference,” Child Welfare Director Aprille Flint-Gerner said.
There are many ways to support children and young people experiencing foster care and uplift families involved with Child Welfare. Visit our website, Foster.Oregon.gov, to learn more, or call 1-800-331-0503 to get involved.
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About the ODHS Child Welfare Program
The Oregon Department of Human Services Child Welfare Program is committed to transforming itself to better support the individual needs of families and to best serve Oregon’s children and young people.Oregon Department of Human Services
503-509-9604
https://www.oregon.gov/odhs/
