The Children and Family Services Division provides services to help children achieve safety, permanency and well being.
Programs within CFSD include:
Adoption
The Adoption program promotes secure, stable, permanent adoptive homes for children in the custody of OKDHS who cannot be reunited with their birth parents. Adoption services identify children in the child welfare system who need adoptive placement, prepare these children for placement, recruit and assess adoptive homes as resources for these children and provide services to the child and family to maintain them in the home after placement.
Child Protective Services
The Child Protective Services program emphasizes safety of children. Although the goal is for children to remain in their own home, children also have the right to be protected from abuse and neglect. Reports of alleged child abuse and neglect are received, screened, and undergo determination as to either an investigation or assessment process. Referrals for services, either provided within the community or through OKDHS, are provided to the family. When children cannot safely remain in their home, arrangements for removal are made through coordination with law enforcement, which is authorized to assume protective custody, or a request is made to the district attorney to obtain a court order for emergency custody.
Children's Emergency Services
Emergency foster care provides short-term substitute care for children in the custody of OKDHS birth through age five in Oklahoma, Tulsa and Comanche counties.
Foster Care
Foster family care is a planned, goal-directed service that provides 24-hour a day, substitute, temporary care and supportive services for children in the custody of OKDHS. Recruiting and maintaining foster families plays a crucial component for providing safe homes for children requiring out-of-home care due to child abuse, neglect or other special circumstances. Foster families receive reimbursement for the child’s room and board. Diligent recruitment ensures children have access to kinship and foster families who live close to biological families can meet the child’s unique needs, allow sibling groups to remain together and reflect and understand the racial and ethnic diversity of local communities.
Independent Living
The Oklahoma Independent Living Program provides services to youth ages 16 to 21 who are in OKDHS custody. The program helps ensure their transition from foster care and out-of-home placement to self-sufficiency and successful adult living. These services include life skills assessment, life skills training and supervised practice living.
Permanency Planning
Permanency Planning services are provided to children and their families who have become involved in the juvenile court system due to child abuse and neglect.