Focus On Kids: DHS Looking For Specialized Foster Parents

The Oklahoma Department of Human Services (DHS) always needs more foster families.

In our Oklahoma's Own Focus On Kids, we're taking a closer look at the need for more families to care for foster children with special needs.

DHS says part of the problem is, many people aren't sure the specialized program exists.

Oklahoma has about 450 children in need of specialized foster care — that's about 10% of the total number of children in state custody.

Right now, DHS only has about 70 families approved to be specialized foster parents.

Lindsey Jones says this is a need that stretches across Oklahoma.

“We really want to help families understand that it isn't a scary thing,” said Jones. “We have a lot of individuals that just need some extra support; we have some individuals in specialized foster care that have some different medical needs that we can better serve them by how our program works.”

Those interested in becoming specialized foster parents need to be at least 21 years old, pass a background check, have a private bedroom available for the child and pass a home assessment.

“We don't just toss them into it and say, 'Good luck, we hope you make it.’ We make sure that they are well supported through training,” she said. “They have case managers they are still engaged in child welfare, they have specialists that work with them in their home, so we really try to make sure that they know there's that support as well.”

Jones says keeping a child close to home lessens some of the trauma felt from being removed from their birth family.

“Being able to have foster homes across the board and available whenever we have a child removed in their community is huge. If we were able to have homes just ready and waiting, it would make a significant impact on the reunification of kiddos in child welfare custody overall.”

Anyone interested in becoming specialized foster parents can find more information here.

DHS is also hosting a virtual seminar next month to help families learn more about the program.