EVERY CHILD DESERVES A SAFE,

LOVING HOME EVERY DAY!

#OKFosters OKFosters.org @OklahomaFosters
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1 Our Mission
2 Welcome
4 What is Foster Care?
5 Forever In My Heart
6 Taking Your First Step
7 The Road to Fostering
8 Through the Process
10 Focusing on the Child
11 Fostering Children with Special Needs
12 Tribal Partnerships
13 The Forever Impact
14 Frequently Asked Questions
15 Contact Information
16 Notes
 OUR MISSION

DHS Child Welfare Services

The purpose of Child Welfare Services is to
improve the safety, permanence and well-being
of children and families involved in the Child
Welfare system through collaboration with the
families and their community.

Oklahoma Fosters
The Oklahoma Fosters initiative is a joint
partnership with Oklahoma Governor Mary
Fallin and the Oklahoma Department of Human
Services (DHS). Oklahoma Fosters launched
in November 2015 with the goal of recruiting
new foster and adoptive families to better serve
children in state custody.
The Oklahoma Fosters initiative unites
government, business, nonprofits and the faith
community in order to change the narrative
around fostering, to recruit safe, loving foster
and adoptive families statewide and to provide
ongoing support to the foster care community.

#OKFosters OKFosters.org
Page 1
A WELCOME MESSAGE FROM
GOVERNOR MARY FALLIN
Welcome and thank you for taking the first step in
learning more about Oklahoma’s need for foster families
and considering taking this crucial and compassionate
step forward.
Growing up, I can still remember the late-night telephone
calls that my mom received when she worked as a social
worker for the Department of Human Services and
frequently needed to deal with the emergency placement
of a child. As my mom prepared to leave, I had a simple wish: That there
would be a safe, loving home for these children to go to temporarily.
I still have that wish today. That’s why DHS and I launched a new initiative
called Oklahoma Fosters to make my wish a reality. Oklahoma Fosters
is a statewide campaign uniting state, tribal and local governments,
businesses, nonprofits and the faith-based community to educate and
recruit loving families to end the foster care crisis in Oklahoma.
There are thousands of children in the Oklahoma foster care system and
we desperately need the help of all Oklahomans to care for these children.
These children are placed in state custody through no fault of their own.
These children need foster families to love and support them during their
time of need.
DHS is employing many strategies to reduce the numbers of kids in foster care
and try to prevent children from coming into care, when safely possible. But
there are still many children who are in dangerous circumstances that must be
moved into a loving home. For this reason, we need new foster families.
Our goal is to reduce abuse and neglect, minimize moves for children and
reduce the use of shelters for abandoned or abused children. Also, we hope
to see more successful adoptions, especially for older youth aging out of the
system without a permanent family to take care of them.
It’s my wish – and hopefully yours, too – that with your help, we can usher
in a new day in our state where no child in need is ever waiting on a family.
Instead, a long line of families is waiting to take care of a child in need.

Sincerely,
MNIA VI
RO NC
BO I
LA

Governor Mary Fallin

Page 2
 A WELCOME MESSAGE FROM
DHS DIRECTOR LAKE
Thank you for your interest in becoming a foster or adoptive
parent. We are very pleased that you are interested in
partnering with us on your journey. The children for whom
the Oklahoma Department of Human Services is
responsible have been removed from their own families due
to abuse or neglect. Foster families provide these children a
home in a family environment while they are not with their
biological families. Foster families work closely with DHS
and the child’s biological family to correct the circumstances
that led to the child’s removal. The goal of DHS is to return the child to his or
her own home, if possible.
Foster families help reunify children with their families to maintain important
connections, assist with transitions for children who cannot return to their
own home, and may provide a permanent, adoptive home for the child. The
children in need of homes are typically school-aged; part of a sibling group
needing to be placed together; and may have some physical, emotional,
and/or developmental needs. Because we are entrusted with the care
of these special children, it is with gratitude and humility that we seek to
partner with you, our strongest partner for our agency. We believe many
Oklahoma families are already strong and up to this task and your role is
helping many more Oklahoma families become even stronger.
There is no doubt that fostering and adopting children who are in our child
welfare system is hard work and very challenging. There is a lot you will have
to do to prepare for this challenge and the many rewards that will come as
a result. You may think of this as a life-changing journey. This guide was
developed to help you answer questions you might have prior to becoming a
foster parent and then walking you through the process once your decision
has been made. You may wonder why there is so much information to gather
and questions to be asked in this process. It is because DHS is required by
law to assure that foster and adoptive children will be safe and well-cared-for
in their new homes. And, we can serve you better once we get to know you
and understand your thoughts, preferences and unique characteristics.
After reviewing this information we invite you to visit our website at www.
okfosters.org. You will be contacted within seven working days for follow-up
on any questions you may have and to begin moving forward on your journey
to foster.
Again, we sincerely appreciate your interest in helping Oklahoma children and
their families.

Sincerely,

Ed Lake, Director of the Department of Human Services

Page 3
WHAT IS FOSTER CARE?
Foster care is a temporary placement for children needing out-of-home
care due to abuse or neglect. Foster families provide a safe and nurturing
home and are committed to working with birth families to reunite children
with their parents when it is safe.
Who are the children in state custody?
• Children 0-18 years
• Sibling Groups
• Children of all ethnic backgrounds
• Children with special emotional, medical or physical needs
What are the requirements to become a foster parent?
• Must be at least 21 years of age
• Can be married, single, separated or divorced
• Must have the ability to manage personal and household
financial needs without relying on the foster care reimbursements
• All members of the household that are 18 years of age or older,
must submit to background checks including child welfare
records and fingerprints
• Have a working vehicle and phone
• Provide appropriate sleeping arrangements for each child placed
• Be in good physical and mental health
• Provide references
• Complete all required training
• Comply with DHS rules on discipline
• Be able to work as part of a team with your foster care and
adoption specialist and the child’s biological parents
• Provide a safe, loving home for foster children
• Have the ability to love, understand, care for and accept a child
to whom you did not give birth

Understand that your life will change greatly.

Foster parenting is difficult, but it’s also one of
the most rewarding things you’ll ever do.

Page 4
FOREVER IN MY HEART
Although I’m not their mother
I care for them each day,
I cuddle, sing and read to them
And watch them as they play.
I see each new accomplishment,
I help them grow and learn.
I understand their language,
I listen with concern.
They come to me for comfort,
And I kiss away their tears.
They proudly show their work to me,
I give the loudest cheers!
No, I’m not their mother,
But my role is just as strong.
I nurture them and keep them safe,
Though maybe not for long.
I know someday the time will come,
When we will have to part.
But I know each child I cared for
is FOREVER IN MY HEART!
Author Unknown
TAKING YOUR FIRST STEP
On behalf of the state of Oklahoma and DHS, thank you for your
consideration to become a foster parent. Your desire to share your
love and home with a child will create stability for that child that will
last a lifetime.
One of the first decisions to make is what agency you would like to
work with while serving as a foster parent. Foster care services are
provided by DHS and private agencies. DHS partners with private
foster care agencies for additional assistance in the recruitment,
support and retention of foster families.
DHS and their agency partners do an excellent job serving the foster
families and children in care, but each have unique differences that
suit an array of individual needs. You have the ability to study these
agencies and see which agency fits your needs, personality and
lifestyle the best. This is an important decision, and we encourage
you to research each agency that interests you, including DHS. Each
agency can provide answers to any questions you have about the
services they provide to foster families.
For an interactive list of current Oklahoma Foster Care Agencies, visit
http://bit.ly/FosterCareAgencies
 OT DAOR EHT
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All statistics are brought to you by the kids count database.

All statistics are brought to you by the Kids Count data center.

#OKFosters OKFosters.org
Page 7
THROUGH THE PROCESS
Initial Inquiry and Information Gathering
Following your initial inquiry about becoming a foster parent, staff will answer
your questions, send you an official application and provide information about
the agencies with whom you can partner, including DHS. We encourage you to
research the agencies to determine which one fits your family best.
Orientation
Once you have decided to become a foster parent, you will begin with an
initial orientation. This includes a discussion and videos giving you a basic
understanding of:
• The children in foster care and the types of traumatic journeys
they’ve had.
• The role and responsibility of a foster parent.
• The approval process and journey to become a foster parent.
We encourage you during this step to have an open heart and mind to all that
is shared with you and ask any questions you may have.
Application Process
At this stage, you will complete your initial application and review with your
assigned foster care and adoption specialist. This staff member will assist
you with all of your foster care needs, including paperwork and, if approved,
placement of a child or children in your home. Your foster care and adoption
specialist is dedicated to you as a foster parent and will continue to provide
ongoing support throughout your entire journey. We encourage you to lean on
your specialist through your application process and ask for help if you have a
question or need assistance with your application.
During your application process, you will be asked to complete a variety of
paperwork. You will also be asked to complete a background check and
fingerprinting. We encourage you to proceed with your fingerprinting promptly
as it often takes some time to obtain results.
Foster Parent Training
This training program will prepare you to address the challenges of caring for
children in the child welfare system.
Sessions are designed to:
• Prepare you to foster children with various needs.
• Create relationships of teamwork between you, the foster child’s
family and your agency.
• Inform you of services and support available to your family while
fostering.
• Help you to consider:
o Whether you are prepared to parent a child who has been
neglected and/or abused.
o The type of skills you need to support children who have
experienced trauma.
o What age range best fits your family? Can you support a
teenager? Can you provide for siblings? Can you support
a child with special needs?
You are not in this by yourself!
During the training stage, you will likely have the opportunity to make new
friends and contacts with other foster parents and staff. It will be important
to lean on others for support as you begin this journey.
Family Assessment
A specialist will arrange to meet with you at your home. The purpose
of the assessment is to determine whether placement of a child in your
home will work and to determine the types of children you are most suited
to care for. You will discuss your personal history, family relationships,
reasons for wanting to foster and the support services available to you.
Remember some of the support services offered will differ depending on
what agency you choose to work with.
Plan for at least three visits for this step of the process in order to
complete interviews, collect any missing information and review the
completed family assessment. To help you prepare for the family
assessment and expedite the process, it is important to have your
documents and records available for review including immunizations, auto
insurance, copies of driver’s licenses and copies of current pay stubs.
Your foster care and adoption specialist will provide you with a detailed list
of all documents that are needed. During this step of your journey, please
be patient. It takes some time internally to complete background checks,
review all of the pertinent information you have provided and to complete
everything from your family assessment. Please use this time to continue
to ask questions and prepare for the next step.
Approval and Placement
If you are approved, you will work closely with your foster care and adoption
specialist to ensure the right match between you and a particular child or
children. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. It’s important that you have the
necessary information to make an informed decision about placement.

Thank you for your hard work and incredible

commitment. You will not regret taking this
important step to protect and nurture
those who need it most.

#OKFosters OKFosters.org
Page 9
FOCUSING ON THE CHILD
Once a child is placed in your home:
• Keep in mind these children have experienced trauma, and
they may exhibit difficult behaviors as a result.
• Lean on your foster care and adoption specialist for support
and attend any local support groups you may have in your area.
• Provide a safe, nurturing and stable environment for the child
and care for him or her as you would for your own biological child.
• Ensure the child’s emotional, medical, dental, and educational
needs are being met.
• Promote the child’s physical, emotional, social and intellectual
growth and development.
• Maintain confidentiality.
• Work with DHS on meeting the needs of the child, including any
treatment planning.
• Respect the feelings the child has for his or her family.
• Participate in and help develop the child’s visitation plan with his
or her parents, siblings or others, when applicable.
The benefits of maintaining connections to kin, culture and
community for the foster child are:
• The impact of the loss, grief and uncertainty will be lessened.
• The child’s history, culture and identity will be preserved.
• Loyalty issues are diminished by seeing both sets of parents
working together.
• The child’s needs are better met through an exchange of valuable
information, such as shot records, likes, dislikes and fears.
• Foster families helping children to have frequent visits with
siblings, grandparents, past teachers and others they were
close to will help the children with any current trauma they
might be experiencing. When it is possible, mentoring,
encouraging and supporting the biological family can be vital
to the outcome for everyone involved.
Adoption
Although our hope is that every child can be reunited with his or her
biological family, sometimes that is not possible and we will need to help
the child find a permanent home with another family. Your family may be
asked to consider adopting the child, if you are willing and able.

Page 10
 FOSTERING CHILDREN
WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
Some children in foster care have developmental delays or mental health
needs that affect their abilities to learn, communicate, care for themselves
or control their behavior. Some children have extensive medical needs
that require a higher level of daily care which could include the use of
assistive medical equipment or around-the-clock care.
DHS will train foster parents on the special needs of children so families
are well-equipped to provide specialized care. DHS also has nurses
on staff to provide referrals for medical consultations, resources and
specialized therapies to meet each child’s needs. Your child welfare
specialist may make referrals for mental health supports. The children’s
medical care and other services are covered by Medicaid.
Please consider opening your home and providing a loving, nurturing
environment to a child with special needs. You can truly make a difference
in a child’s quality of life and help him or her to reach their full potential.
• Therapeutic Foster Care (TFC) is a residential behavioral
management service provided in foster home settings. TFC is
designed to serve children ages 4 to 18 with special psychological
social, behavioral and emotional needs who can accept and
respond to the close relationships within a family setting,
but whose special needs require more intensive or therapeutic
services than are found in traditional foster care.
• Specialized Foster Care (SFC) serves
children with a clinical diagnosis of
intellectual disability. These children
often have other developmental delays
and/or physical disabilities, and may
have some degree of behavioral health
challenges. Homes
providing this type of
care will likely have
a greater capacity
to serve children
with more profound
physical disabilities.
TRIBAL PARTNERSHIPS
DHS and the Indian Child Welfare programs actively seek Native
American families to become foster families, specifically for children with
Native American heritage. Native American foster families help ensure
these children maintain their connection with their tribe, family and culture.
The Indian Child Welfare Act protects the rights of Native American
children and families by establishing specific placement preferences for
children who are in need of temporary or permanent homes.
Placement preferences of Native American children in foster care and
adoptive placements are given to:
• a member of the Indian child’s extended family;
• a foster resource home that is licensed, approved, or
specified by the child’s tribe;
• an Indian foster resource home that is licensed or approved
by an authorized, non-Indian, licensing authority; or
• an institution for children approved by an Indian tribe or
operated by an Indian organization which has a program
suitable to meet the child’s needs.
Thirty-eight federally recognized tribes call Oklahoma home. If you or
your spouse are members of a federally recognized Indian tribe and are
interested in learning more about becoming a tribal foster or adoptive
parent, please contact your Indian child welfare program or DHS directly.
Absentee Shawnee Tribe Fort Sill Apache Tribe Peoria Tribe of Indians
Alabama Quassarte Tribal Iowa Tribe Ponca Nation
Town Kaw Nation Quapaw Tribe
Apache Tribe Kialegee Tribal Town Sac & Fox Nation
Caddo Nation Kickapoo Tribe Seminole Nation
Cherokee Nation Kiowa Tribe Seneca-Cayuga Tribe
Cheyenne-Arapaho Tribes Miami Nation Shawnee Tribe
Chickasaw Nation Modoc Tribe Thlopthlocco Tribal Town
Choctaw Nation Muscogee (Creek) Tonkawa Tribe
Citizen Potawatomi Nation Nation United Keetoowah Band
Comanche Nation Osage Nation of Cherokees
Delaware Nation Otoe-Missouria Tribe Wichita & Affiliated Tribes
Delaware Tribe of Indians Ottawa Tribe Wyandotte Nation
Eastern Shawnee Tribe Pawnee Nation
For your tribe’s foster care specialist visit
http://OKFosters.org/tribal-information/

#OKFosters OKFosters.org
Page 12
 THE FOREVER IMPACT
Foster parents don’t just foster children, they foster families
too – helping parents and children become healthy and whole
again. With the help of individuals like you, we can support
these families through difficult times in their lives and help
them achieve successful outcomes. Children will experience
fewer traumas and maintain long-lasting, healthy relationships.
Because of you, we are one family closer to achieving our
dream of having so many families that no child is left waiting,
and to be able to choose the best home to meet each child’s
specific needs.

Thank you!

Page 13
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: As a foster parent, can I interact with the child’s
biological family?
A: Yes, in partnership with the child welfare worker, you are encouraged
to create and maintain a relationship with the biological family if it’s
beneficial to the child’s overall health and well being.
Q: Is it ok as a foster parent to invite the biological family into
my home or to visit their home?
A: Yes, in partnership with the child welfare worker, you are welcome
to invite and visit with the biological family if you feel it is appropriate and
healthy for the child. However, this is not a requirement.
Q: Are there any costs associated with the certification
process to be a foster parent?
A: The family assessment and trainings are free. However, there may be
some costs in preparing your home for a foster child or for physical exams
for each person in your home 18 years or older.
Q: Do I need a separate source of income outside of foster
care reimbursements?
A: Yes, foster care reimbursements should be funds that help you
meet the needs of the foster child in your care, and not to cover daily
household expenses.
Q: Is there financial help available for foster families?
A: Yes, foster parents are given a monthly stipend to defray the cost for
caring for each child they foster.
Q: Do foster children have medical insurance?
A: Yes, each foster child in DHS custody has insurance coverage through
Medicaid-SoonerCare.
Q: Can I work outside of my home?
A: Yes, provided that your work will not make caring for children too
difficult for you. Assistance with childcare may also be available from DHS.
Q: Can I be a foster parent if I already have biological children
in my home?
A: Yes, families who have experience parenting are a great support for
foster children.
Q: Are there health requirements for foster parents?
A: DHS does require physical examinations from a doctor for the
applicants and adults in the household. However, this does not mean
that you or your family members have to be in perfect physical
condition to qualify.

#OKFosters OKFosters.org
Page 14
 CONTACT INFORMATION
• Information about fostering or adopting in Oklahoma is available at
OKFosters.org or by calling (800) 376-9729. You can also send
questions by email to FCASupportCenter@okdhs.org.

• There are many online resources available to help someone

considering becoming a foster parent, including:
• The Oklahoma Foster Care and Adoption Support Center
OKFosters.org
• The Oklahoma Department of Human Services Child
Welfare Services
okdhs.org

• To report abuse or neglect of a child, please call DHS’ 24-hour,

toll-free abuse and neglect hotline at (800) 522-3511, or call local
law enforcement. Callers may remain anonymous.

Page 15
NOTES

DHS Pub. No. 17-11 Issued 9/2017 - This publication is authorized by Oklahoma Department
of Human Services Director Ed Lake and printed by DHS in accordance with state and
federal regulations at a cost of $498.35 for 1,000 copies. Copies have been deposited with
the Publications Clearinghouse of the Oklahoma Department of Libraries. DHS offices may
request copies on ADM-9 (23AM009E) electronic supply orders. Members of the public may
obtain copies by calling 1-877-283-4113 (toll free), by faxing an order to (405) 962-1741, or by
downloading a copy at www.okdhs.org/library.
NOTES

#OKFosters OKFosters.org
Page 17
 Department of Human Services
Child Welfare Services
Foster Care and Adoption
2400 N. Lincoln Blvd.
Oklahoma City, OK 73105
(800) 376-9729

#OKFosters
@OklahomaFosters

OKFosters.org

EVERY CHILD DESERVES A SAFE,

LOVING HOME EVERY DAY!