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Oregon needs more youth ‘respite’ homes, but funding problems stand in the way
Families say limited Medicaid benefits and provider closures leave few overnight respite options, while advocates push Oregon to make the service standard.
- With the closure of Kairos NW's Interval House, Oregon now has only one youth behavioral health respite provider within a 140-mile drive of Eugene, eliminating overnight care access for families across southwestern Oregon.
- Oregon remains one of only two U.S. states that does not mandate Medicaid coverage for respite care, leaving local networks discretion over funding; consequently, many do not list overnight respite in member benefits.
- Parent Megan Miller described feeling isolated while struggling to find services for her 8-year-old, while Oregon Health Authority reports show a 74% increase in mental health emergency room visits for children under age 6 since 2020.
- Chief Legal and Public Affairs Officer Jeremiah Rigsby of CareOregon cited underutilization for rightsizing Kairos funding, while lawmakers have declined to provide state dollars for respite services three times since 2023.
- Advocates propose adding youth respite care as a standard Medicaid service, a model used by 48 other states, with Oregon's current Medicaid waiver expiring in 2027 creating an opening for the request.
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17 Articles
17 Articles
Coverage Details
Total News Sources17
Leaning Left12Leaning Right1Center4Last UpdatedBias Distribution71% Left
Bias Distribution
- 71% of the sources lean Left
71% Left
L 71%
C 23%
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