Library: Policy

340:75-7-37. Resource parent responsibilities

Revised 9-16-19

(a) Resource compliance.The resource parent complies with the Oklahoma Children's Code, the Oklahoma Child Care Facilities Licensing Act, and the rules promulgated by the Oklahoma Department of Human Services (DHS), per Sections 1-9-106 and 1-9-118 of Title 10A of the Oklahoma Statutes (10A O.S. §§ 1-9-106 and 1-9-118).

(b) Resource parent responsibility to the child in DHS custody and the child's family.The resource parent's responsibilities to the child in DHS custody placed in foster care and the child's family include:

(1) integrating the child into the resource family setting and caring for the child as the resource parent would care for the resource parent's own child;

(2) bridging with the child's parent, per Oklahoma Administrative Code (OAC) 340:75-7-18;

(3) coordinating visitation and contact between the child, siblings, and family members including face-to-face, phone, email, and mail contact, when appropriate, per OAC 340:75-6-30;

(4) participating in the initial meeting with the child's parents coordinated by DHS, per OAC 340:75-7-12;

(5) helping the child understand why he or she is in foster care and attempting to resolve the grief caused by separation from the child's family;

(6) helping the child maintain a connection to the child's kin, culture, and community;

(7) helping the child develop a positive identity and self-esteem that includes feeling lovable, capable, worthwhile, and competent;

(8) utilizing appropriate parent-child conflict resolution, and behavior and stress management techniques in a manner appropriate to the child's age and development, without using any type of physical discipline, per OAC 340:75-7-38;

(9) participating with SoonerStart services, per OAC 340:75-7-65, when applicable;

(10) enrolling the child in an accredited school, when applicable, ensuring the child attends school, and completes schoolwork, per OAC 340:75-6-50;

(11) advocating for the child to obtain timely, appropriate educational testing and placement;

(12) attending school conferences and Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings and following up with recommended services including, but not limited to, tutoring or special assistance with school work, per OAC 340:75-6-50;

(13) exercising the reasonable and prudent parent standard when determining the child's participation in extracurricular and other recreational activities as age- and developmentally-appropriate, such as allowing the child overnight stays with appropriate individuals;

(14) ensuring the child's necessary medical, dental, and counseling needs are met and maintaining records of all medical, dental, and counseling appointments, per OAC 340:75-14-3;

(15) promoting and supporting the child's opportunity to participate in the religious practices of the child's family's choice, per OAC 340:75-6-49;

(16) providing for the child's access to legal counsel including, but not limited to, mail contact, and transporting or arranging the child's transportation to meet with legal counsel upon reasonable request, per OAC 340:75-6-89;

(17) utilizing the foster care maintenance payment for the care and maintenance of the child, per OAC 340:75-7-52 including, but not limited to, food, adequate clothing and possessions, and incidental expenses;

(18) providing federally mandated successful adulthood services to youth who are at least 14 years of age, per OAC 340:75-6-110;

(19) assisting the child younger than 14 years of age learn basic life skills, allowing him or her the opportunity to improve self-esteem and strengthen identity in preparation for life after foster care, per OAC 340:75-6-110; and

(20) maintaining and respecting the confidential nature of information regarding the child and the child's family.The resource parent does not identify the child or the child's family as a participant in a Child Welfare Services case when sharing a photo or information on any type of media or on any Internet site, per OAC 340:75-1-42.

(c) Resource parent's responsibility to DHS.The resource parent's responsibility to DHS includes:

(1) participating as a team member with DHS and the child's parent toward a permanency plan including, but not limited to:

(A) attending meetings and case staffings when requested;

(B) informing DHS and other team members of the child's strengths, needs, progress, and development; and

(C) providing DHS and other team members with any known family information;

(2) cooperating and assisting DHS to place siblings together;

(3) attending court hearings as desired or required;

(4) submitting written reports to the court when desired or requested;

(5) presenting testimony concerning the child's strengths, needs, behaviors, important experiences, and relationships in addition to other information the court requests;

(6) completing required training hours each year of service;

(7) maintaining a Life Book for each child placed in the resource home to support the child's sense of family continuity.The Life Book accompanies the child when he or she leaves the resource home; and

(8) notifying the resource specialist, per OAC 340:75-7-18:

(A) immediately of any:

(i) charges, arrests, or any alleged illegal activity committed by the applicant or any household member; or

(ii) proceeding for a protective order filed by, or against the applicant, or any household member; and

(B) within 24 hours of any change in the household including, but not limited to:

(i) the address or the home's location including emergency home displacement;

(ii) any significant change in the home that impacts the family's day-to-day living;

(iii) the death or serious illness of a resource parent;

(iv) health;

(v) income;

(vi) new or terminated relationships; or

(vii) household members moving in or moving out of the home for any reason.