Senator Rodman opened an informational hearing on House Bill 5014 and invited the Department of Justice to present on the Child Advocacy and Protection Division.

Joanne Southey, chief counsel of the Child Advocacy and Protection Division at the Oregon Department of Justice, told the Public Safety Committee the division’s work is “largely driven by the juvenile dependency court work” and that attorneys and staff appear in every county across the state to represent the Department of Human Services Child Welfare Division.

The division has 97 budgeted positions (attorneys and support staff) and a five‑investigator unit, Southey said. Attorneys are colocated in six regional offices — Portland, Salem, Eugene, Medford, Pendleton and Bend — and staff appear in all 36 counties. In 2024, division attorneys prepared for and appeared in more than 21,000 court hearings, Southey said, ranging from short procedural hearings to complex, multiweek litigation.

The division also logged over 6,000 hours of legal consultation to assess child safety and legal sufficiency, Southey said, and a newly created legal advice unit handled more than 175 requests for legal advice in 2024. The unit was funded through a 2023 legislative investment intended to provide continual, nonlitigation legal guidance to support prevention efforts and consistent statewide practice.

Southey described logistical challenges that arise from the volume and unpredictability of hearings. Shelter hearings must occur within 24 hours of a child’s removal, she said, and attorneys can receive notice of hearings with only a few hours’ lead time in some counties. To manage that workload, regional coverage attorneys step in across counties; Southey said regional attorneys have covered at least 17 counties to provide immediate coverage where needed.

Southey said the division’s front‑end work with DHS aims to reduce entries to foster care by supporting alternatives to removal when safe, and that the division provides statewide legal advice to align DHS program policy and case practice with changes in case law and statutory requirements.

The presentation concluded with a slide showing a proposed budget reduction and an offer to answer committee questions. Senator Broadman asked whether the legal advice unit attorneys are physically located in DOJ offices or are on‑call; Southey replied the attorneys are located in DOJ offices and receive calls. The committee closed the informational hearing with no formal action; staff noted a work session and public testimony on HB 5014 were scheduled for the following day.