(a) Placement within the closest geographic proximity.  The therapeutic foster care (TFC) contractor places the child in custody:

• (1) in a therapeutic foster home within the closest geographic proximity as possible of the county of residence of the child's parent(s); or
• (2) if the child is in Oklahoma Department of Human Services (OKDHS) permanent custody, within the closest geographic proximity as possible of the child's county of jurisdiction.

(b) Proximity of siblings.  The TFC contractor considers the placement and accessibility of the placed child's sibling(s), if the sibling(s) is in OKDHS custody.

(c) Approval.  If a placement is not available within the closest geographic proximity as possible, and the child must be placed outside a 40-mile radius a signed agreement is required between the TFC contractor accepting the child for placement and Child Welfare (CW) staff.  The TFC contractor initiates the signed agreement with approval granted by the CW county of jurisdiction worker and supervisor and the sending and receiving area resource coordinators (ARCs).

(d) Disruption. If disruption occurs in the TFC placement and the custody child's disrupted placement is not in the closest geographic proximity as possible, the TFC contractor serving the child seeks placement, in accordance with (a) and (b) of this Section, in one of the TFC contractor's homes.

• (1) If the TFC contractor cannot place the child, whose TFC placement disrupted, in accordance with (a) and (b) of this Section, the TFC contractor contacts other TFC contractors serving the identified close proximity area of the child for availability of an appropriate TFC placement.
• (2) If another TFC contractor can appropriately place the child within the 40–mile radius, OKDHS transfers the child to that TFC contractor for placement.
• (3) The CW county of jurisdiction worker is responsible for transporting the child immediately following the identification of the need for TFC placement.

(e) Exception to placement within the closest geographic proximity.  If all reasonable efforts to place a child within the closest geographic proximity to the county of residence of the child's parent(s), or, in the case of a child in the permanent custody of OKDHS, the child's county of jurisdiction and the TFC contractor has an appropriate TFC home outside a 40-mile radius, an exception is made to place the child.  The exception is approved with a signed agreement initiated by the TFC contractor and signed by the CW county of jurisdiction worker and supervisor, the CW county of placement worker and supervisor, and the sending and receiving ARCs.