New foster care ombudsman makes first budget request

BOISE — A new independent office, tasked with investigating complaints into the foster care system, is asking for more personnel funding to fill its two open positions.

The Office of Health and Social Services Ombudsman was created during the 2024 legislative session to address persistent complaints about oversight and the complaint process for people involved in Idaho’s child welfare system. Trevor Sparrow, appointed as the ombudsman by Gov. Brad Little in November, stood before the state’s budget-writing committee for the first time Wednesday.

The office was created with money out of the Department of Health and Welfare budget and was given the authority to fund three full-time employees. The office is asking the state for an additional $50,000 from the state general fund to help recruit and retain its two open positions — deputy ombudsman and executive assistant.

“As I’ve started in this position, we have adopted and utilized the United States Ombudsman Association standards for our office,” Sparrow told members of the Joint Finance and Appropriation Committee, “and one of those standards is having a multidisciplinary team, which could include those with legal expertise, possibly nursing expertise, social work expertise, and that’s one of the reasons for the recommendation today.”

The office’s budget request totals $518,200. The $50,000 additional for personnel was recommended by the governor’s office in his proposed budget as well.

Through SB 1380, which created the office, concerned citizens, parents that have had their children removed from custody, and foster families can file a complaint with the office. Previously, complaints were handled through the Department of Health and Welfare. Last session, a number of current and former foster families spoke about their experiences dealing with the department and the difficulty they had in resolving grievances.

Rep. Britt Raybould, R-Rexburg, presented the bill to create an independent ombudsman to monitor child protective services and investigate complaints. The bill also created a misdemeanor penalty of up to six months in jail or a $1,000 fine for retaliating against someone who made a complaint or impeding the duties of the office.

Little announced on Nov. 27 that Sparrow would serve as head of the office.

Sparrow previously served as the director of the Idaho Youth Challenge Academy. He and his wife have also been foster parents, according to a news release from the governor’s office.

He will also be tasked with investigating complaints into residential treatment facilities serving children and state protective supervision.

The office will be required to report annually to the governor, Legislature, judiciary and the health department on its work. The first report was due Dec. 1, 2024, although Sparrow didn’t officially start until Dec. 8.

Updates in the report included that the office space for the ombudsman will be located on the first floor of the Borah Building on Bannock Street in Boise; renovations are required; and the goal is to have the office operating by June.

The office’s website, hsso.idaho.gov, went live Dec. 17, and the office received four requests for assistance between then and Jan. 7, when the report was submitted. In the report, Sparrow noted that those complaints came in before any education about the office or notice that it would begin to take requests for assistance. The office has not yet created an official reporting mechanism to take complaints related to youth in child welfare.

“These are individuals who have been observing the formation of this office and who need HSSO assistance,” he wrote in the report. “If this same pattern holds true, there could be well over 100 (requests for assistance) per year.”

Guido covers Idaho politics for the Lewiston Tribune, Moscow-Pullman Daily News and Idaho Press of Nampa. She may be contacted at lguido@idahopress.com and can be found on Twitter @EyeOnBoiseGuido.