May is Foster Care Month

OKLAHOMA CAPITOL --- On any given day there are more than 6,800 children in foster care in Oklahoma, a 16-percent increase from just a year ago. And though these large numbers have strained Child Welfare resources in Oklahoma City and Tulsa, the largest impact has been in rural Oklahoma where more than 65 percent of all children in state custody are in care.

“Though our staff and shelters in Tulsa and Oklahoma City are struggling with a large increase in children being brought into care, our offices and foster parents in rural Oklahoma are not only dealing with the same increases in abuse and neglect, but also with a completely different set of challenges,” said Margaret Linnemann, Oklahoma Department of Human Services Foster Care program manager.

The state’s metro areas have a health care safety net of resources, but foster parent, children and staff in rural Oklahoma face a lack of mental and physical health services, especially for children using Medicaid.

Transportation is also an issue. Because some children in care are disabled or have other health challenges, foster parents are required to drive longer distances, usually to Oklahoma City and Tulsa, for needed medical services. Foster parents must also drive long distances to access some required training, causing some to decide not to take that final step to becoming a foster parent.

And finally, income in rural Oklahoma is an issue with which child welfare staff must contend. Many families in rural Oklahoma who want to become foster parents can’t meet the minimum financial requirements, or they may have small homes that prevent them from taking in larger sibling groups, causing brothers and sister to be separated in different homes and sometimes in different towns or even counties.

“Our foster parents in rural Oklahoma are heroes, not only to the children they care for, but to the child welfare staff they work with,” said Linnemann. “Their location makes what they do even more difficult and we need more of them. Though the challenges are greater, they will tell you that watching the damage of abuse and neglect melt away from these children with the warmth of their love is worth it.”

If you or someone you know would like to experience the rewards of becoming a foster parent, or if you would like to become a volunteer or donate items to an OKDHS children’s shelter, please call 1-800-376-9729, or click on www.OKDHS.org. To report suspected child abuse or neglect, call 1-800-522-3511, or contact your local OKDHS Human Services Center. 

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