Big moves are happening at the top levels of child welfare in Oregon as Aprille Flint-Gerner steps down from her role as Child Welfare Director at the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS), to embark on a fresh challenge with Casey Family Programs, where she is slated to become the Senior Director of Strategic Consulting, as reported by the State of Oregon's news release. Having led significant growth and reform within the state's child welfare system, her tenure ends on June 20 with a legacy of data-driven improvements, enhanced safety practices, and workforce development.
Fariborz Pakseresht, the ODHS Director, acknowledged Flint-Gerner's impact, stating, "I am grateful for Aprille’s strong leadership over the past two years as Child Welfare Director, in her new role, I know she will continue to lead needed changes in child welfare that will positively affect children and families nationwide." According to the State of Oregon's news release, Rolanda Garcia, an ODHS veteran with nearly three decades in various leadership positions, will take the interim Child Welfare director spot, bringing a wealth of experience from her time in both Child Welfare and the ODHS’s Self-Sufficiency Programs.
Garcia's appointment is seen as a strategic move, owing to her deep roots within the agency and her successful track record in building strong community partnerships and harnessing data for decision-making. Director Pakseresht expressed confidence in Garcia's capabilities, saying, "Rolanda brings a deep knowledge of Child Welfare and Self-Sufficiency Programs, as well as a strong commitment to advancing Child Welfare’s priorities of keeping children safe within their homes and communities, I am confident her strong management and business operations background will benefit Child Welfare," as per the State of Oregon.
Under Flint-Gerner’s leadership, ODHS saw the implementation of an ambitious child safety initiative and the launch of programs aimed at bolstering family support to prevent Child Welfare interventions – efforts that contributed to a significant drop in the number of children in Oregon’s foster care system, down from 7,908 in 2018 to 4,481 at the end of 2024. "We have a strong foundation in Child Welfare thanks to Aprille’s leadership and the team she built around her," Pakseresht noted, affirming his belief that Garcia's broad and deep experience will be pivotal to further advance the initiatives set into motion to uplift Oregon's children and families, as detailed by the State of Oregon.
