OR: Kitzhaber signs community guardianship bill

Submitted photo by Mary Marshall

In February, I wrote a column about a bill that would allow nonprofits to take guardianship of a foster youth 16 and older following a court-approved petition.

It was part of Catholic Community Services? Jim Seymour?s vision for the few foster kids that end up aging out of the system without a permanent family. On Wednesday, Gov. John Kitzhaber signed the bill into law.

Here?s a dispatch from Mary Marshall, senior director of development and communications:

Today Governor Kitzhaber signed into law HB 4023 which will allow qualified nonprofit organizations to assume guardianship of foster youths 16 and older following a court-approved petition.? Present at the signing were Chief Justice Paul De Muniz who has supported the bill; Aubrey Boyce, representing Catholic Community Services (CCS) Community Homes for Children; Juan-Manuel Gomez who lived in a CCS Community Home for Children from age 13 and testified before the House Judiciary Committee on behalf of the bill; Josh Graves, senior director of operations at Catholic Community Services; and Dave Hafner, Catholic Community Services Foundation board member.

With non-partisan support, the bill was introduced by Representative Wayne Krieger and passed the House with a 58 -2 vote.? It was carried in the Senate by Senator Jackie Winters, where it passed with no opposing votes.

Jim Seymour, Executive Director of CCS which sponsored the bill said, ?We worked closely on the bill with Oregon Supreme Court Chief Justice Paul De Muniz and Senator Jackie Winters as part of a collective impact project we call the Fostering Hope Initiative. Our commitment is to use community guardianship, at the designation of a Juvenile Court Judge, in cases where young people in foster care would benefit from the work of a committed and capable community agency to move them toward emancipation as adults without further dependence on state or local government services. We believe this will mean better outcomes for certain youth and would save significant tax dollars that could be reinvested in efforts to keep families together.?

For many years, CCS has been serving youth in long-term foster care by providing stable nurturing homes, mentoring, independent living programs, and connections to wrap around supports.

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