This message is admittedly long, but it’s one of my most important messages of the year. So, please forgive me.

On Tuesday, ODHS released our Agency Request Budget for 2027–29 (scroll down a bit to the first blue box). This proposal reflects months of work by staff across the agency, as well as input from partners and providers. Thank you to everyone who helped us make difficult choices while keeping the people and communities we serve at the center.

The agency request budget is our opening proposal—not the state’s final budget. The Governor will use requests from all state agencies to develop a balanced statewide budget. The Legislature will then consider and adopt a final budget during the 2027 session.

As part of ongoing efforts to improve accuracy of benefits, the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) is asking some people who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits to provide updated income information by the end of the month.

ODHS began mailing notices Sept. 16. About 11,000 people will receive the notices by the end of the week. As of August 30, 2026, there are 639,261 individuals in Oregon who receive SNAP.

If you received a notice, please read it and respond by the deadline listed in the notice. Providing the requested information gives an ODHS eligibility worker a chance to review your case and make sure your benefits are correct.

September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month—a time to raise awareness about suicide, strengthen our ability to recognize when someone may be struggling, and remind each other that support can make a difference.

At the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS), suicide prevention is more than a month-long awareness effort. ODHS has built a comprehensive suicide prevention program that provides employees with evidence-based training and resources for suicide prevention, intervention and postvention.

The Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) published its second quarter 2026 report on work under way to improve Child Welfare programs.

The report shows continued success in placing children entering care with relatives and retaining relative caregivers.

In three of the past seven months, ODHS exceeded the national average for initial relative placement. Relative placements reached 40.6% in February, 44.5% in May and 41.3% in July. The national average is 39%.