The Department of Human Services (DHS) shelters, the Oklahoma County Pauline E. Mayer Emergency Shelter and the Tulsa County Laura Dester Emergency Shelter, and non-DHS operated shelters are open, non-secure settings. • 1 Shelters are not appropriate for children who are a danger to themselves or others. The shelters are not open to the general public and access is restricted to protect the confidentiality and safety of the residents. Children from ages newborn through seventeen are served in the shelters. The shelters serve to support the work of the courts, law enforcement, and Child Welfare in protecting abused and neglected children. All shelters provide services to children in accordance with the Requirements for Children’s Shelters of the Division of Child Care. The DHS operated shelters also comply with the accrediting standards of the Council on Accreditation of Services for Families and Children. These services include:
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(1) individual and group counseling;
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(2) medical services;
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(3) educational services;
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(4) recreation;
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(5) independent living skill building;
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(6) social work services;
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(7) nutrition services; and
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(8) basic child care.