Oklahoma Foster Care and Adoption Guidelines

Thank you for considering becoming a foster and adoptive parent. Your desire to share your love and your life with a child will create permanency for children that will last a lifetime. Please feel free to contact Oklahoma Department of Human Services for more information regarding foster care and adoption in Oklahoma.

• Phone: 866-612-2565
• Website: Oklahoma Department of Human Services
   

Things You Should Know

• Foster Care and Adoption Licensing Requirements
• Costs to Foster and Adopt
• Parent Support Groups
• Agency Contact and Orientation Information
• Information on Oklahoma's Waiting Children

Licensing Requirements for Foster or Adoption

Basic requirements include:

• You must be at least 21 years old
• You must be in reasonably good health
• You can be single, married, divorced or widowed
• You must have no history of child abuse, neglect, or sexual abuse
• You must have or provide sufficient beds and space for personal items for additional children
• You must be able to manage your income to meet the financial needs of your family
• You must be capable of understanding, loving and accepting a child. Your role is to provide protection and nurturance to the child/children placed in your care and to act as a role model
• If you have a spouse or partner, he or she is also required to participate in the home assessment process and to attend the27-hour orientation session with you

You must complete a home assessment, which includes:

• Completion of OKDHS forms and application
• Reference checks
• Background checks
• Medical examination report
• Fingerprinting
• Family assessment, including interviews with all family members;
• Completion of 27-hour resource family orientation
• House safety assessment
• Verification of income sufficient to meet your needs
• Verification of vaccination for pets
• Automobile insurance verification

Costs to Foster and Adopt

It is always free to adopt or foster.

Parent Support Groups

• One Church, One Child Family Ties Support Group
  Contact: Nikesia Miller
  Child Development Center-Metro Technology Center
  Phone: 800-865-0225
  Address: 3901 Martin Luther King Ave., Oklahoma City, OK 73111
• Oklahoma Therapeutic Foster Parent Association (a support group)
  Contact: Laura Boyd
  Phone: 405-503-1123
  Address: 2801 Castlewood Drive, Norman, OK 73072

Agency Contact and Orientation Information

In addition to State Department of Human Resources, the following private agencies have programs and services for children in need of a permanent home. They work with many situations, including private adoption and adopting a child from foster care. They welcome you to contact them or view their website for additional information.

Private Adoption Agencies

Information on Oklahoma's Waiting Children

The Oklahoma Department of Human Services has 8,362 children in out of home care. Of these children, 1,982 are waiting for adoptive families.

Children come into the care of the State child welfare system due to abuse or neglect. Many are sibling groups and are from all cultural and socio-economic backgrounds. Some of the children are already legally free for adoption. Others are not.