There are families in Oregon who take in some of the state’s neediest children.

The state pays a foster parent $795 per month to care for a teenager.

If the child has more needs, the foster parent can get an additional $240 to $486 per month.

We should be grateful there are people willing to step up and care for children.

But OPB revealed something possibly worrying just a few days ago. The state signed a contract with a group to care for children and teenagers for $2,916 per day. And the organization providing the services is not required to be licensed as a child care organization, nor is it licensed.

The relatively large payments and the absence of licensing are not necessarily a bad thing. The state has struggled to find good places for some foster children to stay. Hotel rooms and out-of-state facilities were not good options. State child care officials needed something better.

Dynamic Life Inc., a religious nonprofit, is providing the care under the contract. It could be an answer. But legislators must ask questions about the contract, the care provided and the level of licensing and training that should be required.

OPB’s article is available at tinyurl.com/OPBfoster.