41. Placement considerations and requirements for the child in Oklahoma Department of Human Services (DHS) custody

340:75-7-41. Placement considerations and requirements for the child in Oklahoma Department of Human Services (DHS) custody

Revised 9-17-18

(a) Placement preferences for the child in DHS custody.Refer to Oklahoma Administrative Code (OAC) 340:75-6-85 for additional statutory and DHS requirements regarding sibling placement and placement preferences for the child in DHS custody.

(b) Identification of appropriate placement.Per Section 1-4-204 of Title 10A of the Oklahoma Statutes ( 10A O.S. § 1-4-204), when selecting an appropriate placement, preferably kinship placement, for the child in DHS custody, DHS considers the:

(1) child's best interests;

(2) preferences of the parent, relative, and child, when appropriate; and

(3) applicant's ability and willingness to:

(A) provide safety for the child;

(B) cooperate with any restrictions placed on contact between the child and others;

(C) support DHS efforts to implement the child's permanency plan;

(D) meet the child's physical, emotional, and educational needs including the child's need to continue in the same school or educational placement;

(E) provide a placement for the child's sibling(s); and

(F) care for the child as long as necessary and provide a permanent home, when necessary. • 1

(c) Placement stability.To promote stability and healthy growth of the child in DHS custody, it is the intent of DHS to limit the number of times a child is moved in out-of-home placement.

(1) The placement made is the best available placement to provide permanency for the child.

(2) A request by a placement provider for immediate removal of a child is examined and assessed to determine if the situation can be resolved to prevent disruption of the placement.

INSTRUCTIONS TO STAFF 340:75-7-41

Revised 9-17-18

1.(a) Placement in nearest proximity to parent or legal guardian or school.When a kinship placement is not identified, the resource specialist and child welfare (CW) specialist make diligent efforts to place the child with siblings in a resource family living in the closest geographic proximity to the child's family or school that can best meet the child's needs.

(1) Cooperation between the resource specialist, CW specialist, and resource families ensures the effective and appropriate use of resources to serve the best interests of the child in Oklahoma Department of Human Services (DHS) custody.

(2) The resource specialist assesses each placement decision considering the resource family's skills and abilities.

(3) The resource family's willingness to accept the child is not the major criterion for the placement decision.

(4) When a resource home is not available for the child in the child's county of jurisdiction, a search for a resource home in contiguous counties is initiated, followed by a statewide search, when necessary.

(5) The child's transportation to the out-of-county placement is coordinated between the county of jurisdiction and the district of placement.When the child is placed:

(A) he or she has an adequate supply of clothing;

(B) he or she has a sufficient amount of his or her prescribed medication to allow for uninterrupted treatment;

(C) Form 04MP012E, Receipt and Release of Prescription and Over-the-Counter Medication(s), is provided to the placement provider; and

(D) Form 04KI004E, Placement Provider Information, is provided to the placement provider.Form 04KI004E contains information required by Oklahoma Administrative Code OAC 340:75-6-40.2, including the child's:

(i) daily routine schedule;

(ii) available medical history, including immunization records; and

(iii) educational information.

(6) When a disruption occurs in the placement, the district of placement and county of jurisdiction exchange information regarding the best alternative placement for the child.Placement planning decisions are made by the county of jurisdiction.Factors considered in determining the placement include the child's:

(A) length of stay in the current placement;

(B) connection to the community;

(C) connection to the school; and

(D) extracurricular activities.

(b) Pre-approval required before the child moves out-of-district with the resource parent.Prior approval of the CW and resource supervisors is required before the child in DHS custody moves out-of-district with the resource parent.

(1) The CW specialist prepares a written request stating the reasons remaining in the current resource home is in the child's best interests.

(2) The resource specialist files copies of the request and approval or denial in the resource and child's record and documents the date and general content of the determination in the KIDS Resource Contacts.

(3) When approved, resource specialist sends a copy to the receiving district of the authorization for the child to move.

(c) Assignment of resource home when the resource parent relocates.When a resource parent moves to a contiguous county and the recommendation is made to not transfer assignment of the resource to the new county of residence, the resource supervisor submits a recommendation to the applicable field managers.The request and assignment determination are documented in theKIDS Resource Contacts by the field manager to whom the resource is assigned.

(d) Pre-approval required before the child moves out-of-state with the resource parent.The CW specialist consults with the resource specialist to ensure the resource parent is in good standing prior to recommending approval for the child to move out-of-state with the resource parent.

Library: Policy