(a) The Oklahoma Commission on Children and Youth (OCCY) is an agency established per Section 601 of Title 10 of the Oklahoma Statutes to advocate for the interests of children. OCCY:
- (1) conducts reviews of children's services;
- (2) advocates for individual and systemic service improvement; and
- (3) facilitates the review and revision of the comprehensive State plan for the prevention of child abuse and neglect.
(b) A court-appointed special advocate (CASA) or guardian ad litem is a volunteer who is appointed by the court to represent the best interests of any child, alleged or adjudicated deprived, over whom the court has jurisdiction, per Section 7001-1.1 et seq. of Title 10 of the Oklahoma Statutes.
(c) Local post adjudication review boards (PARBs) are established within each judicial district, per Section 1116.3 of Title 10 of the Oklahoma Statutes. At least once every six months until the court case is dismissed, PARBs review the:
- (1) goals and objectives of the treatment and service plan;
- (2) services provided to the child, parent(s), and stepparent;
- (3) goals and objectives of the child's permanency plan; and
- (4) appropriateness of the child's placement, when the child is placed in out-of-home care.
(d) The State Post Adjudication Review Advisory Board (State PARB), per Section 1116.6 of Title 10 of the Oklahoma Statutes, oversees the statewide implementation of PARBs. The State PARB makes recommendations to the courts, OCCY, Governor, Legislature, Oklahoma Department of Human Services (OKDHS), Office of Juvenile Affairs (OJA), and other state agencies providing services to children regarding:
- (1) statutory revisions;
- (2) amendments to court rules;
- (3) permanency planning;
- (4) foster care; and
- (5) Child Welfare (CW) services delivery policies, guidelines, and procedures.
(e) The Office of Client Advocacy (OCA) is an administratively independent division of OKDHS that conducts investigations of maltreatment involving children in placements more restrictive than foster care, and processes grievances filed by or on behalf of children and foster parents, per OAC 340:2-3.