What is a CRB?A Citizen Review Board (CRB) is a program of the Oregon Judicial Department established by the legislature to conduct federally-required reviews of cases involving children in foster care.
The CRB has a dual statutory mandate to 1. review individual cases of children in foster care, and 2. to make recommendations concerning systemic issues: substitute care services, policies, procedures and laws. (ORS 419A.124)
Purpose and Role
The CRB is not part of ODHS but is a separate oversight body within the Oregon Judicial Department.
The primary purpose is public transparency and accountability: To assess whether the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) is ensuring the child's safety, health and well-being and making reasonable efforts to effectuate the child's permanency plan.
The CRB is designed to be a place where parents, children, and their representatives can be heard on these issues.
Who Makes Up the Board
Each county (or joint board for small counties) has a CRB made up of volunteer citizens from the community. Members often have backgrounds in law, psychology, education, medicine, child development, or personal experience with foster care. They undergo extensive orientation and ongoing training and are guided by the principle that every child matters.
What Happens at a CRB Reviews
- Typically attended by 5–10 people, including parents, attorneys, children, ODHS caseworkers, CASAs, and sometimes other service providers. ODHS is required to attend.
- The board collects information, asks questions, and makes written findings and recommendations on the case. This report goes directly to the judge and all legal parties.
- The review is not a court hearing and does not change the court’s permanency plan or return a child to the family.
Legal Authority
Under ORS 419A.090, there must be at least one CRB in each county with a population of 5,000 or more. The board’s findings and recommendations are documented and become a permanent part of the child's court record and child welfare case plan. ODHS is to implement all CRB recommendations unless the agency responds in writing within 17 days of receiving the recommendations stating that they do not intend to implement them.
Key Questions the CRB May Address
The board evaluates:
- Whether reasonable efforts were made to prevent removal or reunify the family.
- Whether and how ODHS has ensured the child's safety, health and well-being.
- Whether the case plan is being followed and if progress is being made.
- The appropriateness and need for current placement.
- Opportunities for the child to return home or otherwise achieve permanency.
...among other considerations in making the findings.
In short, a CRB in Oregon is a community–led oversight body that ensures foster care cases are reviewed objectively, transparently, and with the child’s safety and well-being as the top priority.