Oregon Mobile Fingerprinting Modernization for Child Welfare Background Checks - The Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) seeks funding to modernize Oregon’s fingerprinting infrastructure to improve the timeliness, accessibility, and equity of background checks required for caregivers in the child welfare system. Timely fingerprint-based background checks are essential for safely placing children safely with relatives, non-relative resource parents, adoptive applicants, and respite providers. However, Oregon’s current system relies heavily on fixed fingerprinting locations that are difficult to access, especially for caregivers living in rural and geographically isolated regions frequently affected by inclement weather and transportation challenges. This makes it difficult for caregivers to reach fixed fingerprinting locations with limited hours and high travel demands. These barriers frequently delay caregiver approval, prolong temporary placements, and reduce placement stability for children involved with child welfare. ODHS has taken significant steps to expand and streamline relative caregiver approval through statewide implementation of the Relative Pathway, aligned with national kinship standards and recent federal rule changes. Internal data show that background check processing can take multiple weeks, even when relatives are ready and willing to care for children immediately. Mobile fingerprinting technology offers a practical solution by allowing ODHS staff to collect fingerprints during home visits, emergent placements, and other field-based activities. This modernization supports faster, safer placement decisions and reduces burdens for caregivers who are already managing urgent needs for children entering foster care. With this grant funding, ODHS will conduct a statewide gap analysis, procure and deploy mobile fingerprinting systems through Oregon’s competitive procurement process, train Child Welfare staff, establish performance measures, and implement a sustainability plan to maintain improvements over time. The project will be implemented and overseen by ODHS Child Welfare in partnership with the ODHS Background Check Unit and the Office of Information Services. Expected outcomes include faster caregiver approvals, improved placement stability, greater equity in access to safety checks across Oregon’s diverse geography, reduced administrative burden on families, improved timelines for federal Title IV E eligibility determinations, and an expanded pool of qualified caregivers. By modernizing fingerprinting infrastructure and reducing longstanding barriers faced by caregivers, this project advances ODHS’s commitment to a more responsive, timely, and family-centered child welfare system aligned with the federal A Home for Every Child initiative.
