DHS concludes Quinten Wood investigation

Initiates disciplinary actions, efforts to improve collaboration of services

Ed Lake
Director of OKDHS

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma Department of Human Services (DHS) has completed its internal investigation of the circumstances surrounding the death of Quinten Wood, a 15-year-old boy with disabilities who died in his home over a year ago from complications of pneumonia.  While the criminal investigation is ongoing and the agency’s child death summary is pending, DHS is taking actions based upon the information obtained through the internal investigation. 

“Quinten’s death has been heart-wrenching for all of us at DHS and our deepest sympathies go out to his sister, Valerie Wood-Harber, and his brother,” said Ed Lake, DHS Director. “Ms. Wood-Harber deserves full credit and our appreciation for pushing the system--our agency, law enforcement, the school, and health care officials--to investigate the circumstances that led to Quinten’s death.

Ms. Wood-Harber refused to let her brother’s death be accepted as something unpreventable that occurred as a result of his disability,” said Lake.  “Had it not been for her advocacy and persistence, the truth about what Quinten and his brother endured might never have been fully investigated. We hope that through discovery of the facts and the actions we are taking, they will have some peace going forward.”

Quinten’s death should not be in vain,” said Lake. “Just as we have done, we encourage every entity involved in this case to evaluate its response to children with intellectual and developmental disabilities who may be vulnerable to abuse and neglect. DHS has an important role to play in the child protection system, but not the only role.”

Upon reviewing child death cases, the agency takes into account all of the facts and the full context of cases, including the responsibility and the involvement of staff members. 

“This agency will not rush to blame or scapegoat front-line staff when the facts show they have performed appropriately and have acted in good faith.  We will not punish staff for system failures that are beyond their ability to control,” said Lake.

“Unfortunately in this case, a thorough and comprehensive review of the facts and circumstances of Quinten’s death led us to the difficult and sad conclusion that the individual actions of two employees associated with this case clearly violated agency policies and reasonable child protection practices,” Lake said. “Based upon the information that has been obtained, the decision has been made to initiate steps to terminate those employees.”

“Despite this instance, we have confidence in our child welfare workforce,” said Lake. “Child protection is anxious work.  Our workers are making life and death decisions every day under tremendous pressure never to err. Given the nature of our work, the fragility of the families we serve, and daunting caseloads, we know that tragedies may occur despite our best efforts.  When our people are acting in good faith, doing everything they know to do, this agency should and will support them when that occurs.” 

“I want to express special thanks to Kathryn Brewer, the Advocate General over the Office of Client Advocacy, for her untiring and passionate work on this case. Ms. Brewer deserves great credit for leading this internal investigation, collaborating with the family and law enforcement, not stopping until every stone had been turned in pursuit of the facts.” 

Through this investigation, DHS has also identified areas within its own organization that the agency will strengthen to improve child protection, particularly when it becomes involved in cases with children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. 


Some of these efforts include improving collaboration between its Developmental Disabilities Services (DDS) and Child Welfare Services (CWS), beginning with child protective investigations and continuing through permanency planning for children in the foster care system. CWS is updating child welfare worker training to include more specific information about children with intellectual and developmental disabilities and services available. Also, DDS and CWS will work together to recruit families who have the desire to provide care for children with severe disabilities who enter the foster care system. 

OETA story on status of children in Oklahoma

Click here to link to an OETA Oklahoma News Report story on the challenges facing many children in our state. 

Lis Exon produced the segment following release of the Kids Count report released by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The story was originally broadcast on November 15, 2013

OKDHS Response to 1st Co-Neutral Commentary

Statement from OKDHS -- The Oklahoma Department of Human Services appreciates the Co-Neutrals’ recognition of the progress our agency has made during the first year of implementing the Pinnacle Plan. This includes the reorganization of Child Welfare Services to achieve sustained progress, greater accountability and transparency, as well as more effective and efficient communication and performance. The new management team assembled within Child Welfare Services ensures new and current workers will have the necessary leadership and supervisory guidance to carry out their child welfare responsibilities. 

Co-Neutral Commentary One, Issued October 24, 2013

Another main point of progress was the integration of the Office of Client Advocacy and Child Protective Services investigation protocols, standards and reporting systems. This change will provide us with consistent child abuse and neglect data in both family homes and settings where children are placed in congregate care such as group homes and residential treatment facilities. 

We believe we have in fact made a lot of progress in just one year’s time. This is not a sprint, it is a marathon. We acknowledge that we have not yet met every target, however, we are totally committed to making the necessary improvements to our system that everyone wants. We fully expect to meet the Pinnacle Plan goals over the next four years. 

DHS greatly appreciates the Governor’s and the Legislature’s strong support of our work and in securing $57 million in additional funding to assist DHS in meeting our obligations under the settlement agreement. 

We wholeheartedly agree with the co-neutrals this is an iterative process to establish baselines and targets for DHS to report progress with Pinnacle Plan initiatives. This will be an ongoing process for some metrics due to the realization that further clarification is needed about the data which could not have been predicted when the Metrics Plan was agreed upon. For example, the public reporting requires DHS to post data each month prior to the co-neutral’s validation process. The validation process may result in additional changes in previously reported data, future targets and measures. Both parties are continuously working on the data and what the data means. 

Ongoing review of the data may often result in revised measurements. Another example of a changing data set is the foster home recruitment goal. DHS, in good faith, recruited and approved in excess of the target number of foster homes as defined in the baselines and metrics both parties agreed to previously. Only after further reflection on the data did the issue of how long the approved homes would be open without children being placed become a factor in determining the counting of such homes towards the target. 

“[T]he Co-Neutrals will judge good faith from the activities and decisions of the state, and not just its intention to do better or improve,” and “will not draw any conclusions with regard to DHS’ good faith efforts until their next report to be released in the first half of 2014.” -- From the Co-Neutral Commentary

Obviously, DHS needs a sufficient number of active foster homes to care for the children coming into state care. To recruit homes that are never used would be a waste of resources. 

DHS committed in the Pinnacle Plan to build a pool of homes and create a matching process whereby children would be placed with the best foster home and avoid multiple moves. To have a successful matching process, DHS will need a wide variety of homes across the state in which to place children together with their siblings, in their home communities and in their same schools. In a statewide system such as this, it stands to reason that some of the homes may not have children placed in them for a period of time. 

We understand further discussion of the metrics in this data set is warranted in light of these circumstances and additional consideration given to the goal of a statewide matching process. We are committed to continuing our work with the co-neutrals to further refine data collections and definitions, and to ensure accuracy and consistency in our data reporting. We appreciate the expertise and the guidance offered by the co-neutrals as we work together to develop the measurements of our progress.

The seven performance categories measured:

• Maltreatment (abuse and neglect) of children in the state’s legal custody; 

• Development of foster homes and therapeutic treatment foster homes (TFCs); 

• Regular and consistent visitation of caseworkers with children in the state’s legal custody; 

• Reduction in the number of children in shelters; 

• Placement stability, reducing the number of moves a child experiences while in the state’s legal custody; 

• Child permanency, primarily through reunification, adoption or permanent guardianship; and, 

• Manageable caseloads for child welfare staff. 

Committee studying child abuse, neglect deaths issue report

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The Special Review Committee studying child abuse and neglect deaths of Oklahoma children released its report today which includes both praise and criticism regarding the performance of the Oklahoma Department of Human Services and many other entities responsible for the protection of children, and also disputes previous claims made by legislators against OKDHS.

In a 38-page report containing 50 findings and 37 recommendations which took 16 months to develop, the Committee found there were many individuals, agencies, and situations which were both ‘part of the problems and part of the solutions.’

Senate bill would provide resources to combat child abuse

OKLAHOMA CAPITOL -- The state Senate this week approved legislation that would strengthen the ability of the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) Child Abuse Response Team (CART) to combat child abuse.

Senate Bill 1002 would provide a funding mechanism for CART, and the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. ICAC agents investigate technology-driven crimes against children including child pornography, child abuse and human trafficking.

Sen. Dan Newberry, author of the proposal, said the bill would provide law enforcement with the resources to protect children and prosecute some of the state’s worst offenders.

“As lawmakers, we have a responsibility to ensure the safety of our most vulnerable citizens, and guarantee that crimes against them are prosecuted efficiently,” said Newberry, R-Tulsa. “To do so, we must give law enforcement the resources and preventative tools they need. Crimes like this permanently impact the lives of far too many people. This bill will strengthen our ability to combat child abuse in Oklahoma.”

Newberry said he was motivated to file the proposal after learning about the shocking amount of uploading of child pornography being detected by the ICAC Task Force. ICAC agents report that as many as 1500 such crimes occur daily.

Newberry’s legislation states that any person convicted of a crime punishable by a fine of $25 or more, or by incarceration, will be ordered to pay a $10 fee. Funds collected through the fee would then be distributed to the Internet Crimes Against Children Prosecution Revolving Fund and the OSBI Revolving Fund for use by CART and the Internet Crimes Against Children Unit.

Approved by a vote of 46-0, the measure now advances to the House for consideration.

“I’m proud that my colleagues unanimously stood in support of this bill,” said Newberry. “This law would allow Oklahoma parents to rest easier, and make a difference in the lives of children who need help.”

OKDHS Gets Final Approval of Pinnacle Plan

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The Oklahoma Department of Human Services (OKDHS) has received final approval from outside child welfare experts on its improvement plan for the state's foster care system.

The plan, referred to as the “Oklahoma Pinnacle Plan” is part of a settlement agreement reached in January 2012 in a federal, class action, civil rights lawsuit. OKDHS agreed in the settlement to make targeted performance improvements related to the way it cares for children in foster care. As part of the settlement agreement, three out-of-state child welfare experts (referred to as co-neutrals) were selected to oversee the state’s improvements. 

The plan was first submitted to the co-neutrals on March 30, 2012 and was subsequently endorsed on July 25, 2012. Since the plan was endorsed, Child Welfare Services (CWS) staff have been diligently implementing the initiatives outlined in the plan. Quarterly reports are posted on the agency website for public review. The last step of the approval process was to finalize the baselines, targets, and measures for the 15 performance areas. This final approval lays the foundation for the monthly required public reporting.

"OKDHS was challenged to improve its child welfare program and is committed to this plan," says Deborah G. Smith, Director, OKDHS Child Welfare Services. "We appreciate the support of Oklahomans, especially the foster parents who are caring for these precious children. Even more important than the plan though, we care about every child in our foster care system and know they deserve our very best. They are not just numbers or cases to us. They are the future of our state."

House Working Group to Address Home Visitation Programs

OKLAHOMA CITY – To better service Oklahoma families in need, House Speaker T.W. Shannon has asked Representatives Mark McCullough and Jason Nelson to form a bi-partisan working group to examine the state’s Home Visitation Programs.

“The first order of government is to protect our citizens,” said Speaker Shannon, R-Lawton. “We must ensure the safety of our children and do what we can to help strengthen the family unit. Strong families build a strong nation.”

Programs like the Children First Home Visitation Program currently visit the homes of at-risk families to evaluate living conditions of children.  Recently, Rep. McCullough, R-Sapulpa, and other House members have voiced concerns over the decline in families being serviced and the effectiveness of the program over the past decade.

“It’s time to see what modern standards we can implement and how we can best serve and protect children in at-risk homes,” Rep. McCullough said. “I fear we are wasting funds on an old system that does not address modern issues.  Our tax dollars should go towards home visitation methods that truly protect our vulnerable young Oklahomans.” 

Members will look at each state visitation program over the next year and consult with affected constituents and local and national experts.

“We will concentrate on efficiency, effectiveness and possible alternatives,” said Rep. Nelson, R-Oklahoma City.  “It’s time we take a serious look at how we can help strengthen families so Oklahoma children in need can have a better future.”

Working group members will be announced within the next several weeks.

Rep. McCullough will not pursue passage of House Bill 1063 this session to allow the working group to study the issue and develop recommendations. HB1063 would have suspended all home visitation programs and required an audit of the effectiveness of each program. 

Update 2: Charges Filed Against 2 Former DHS Workers in Serenity Deal Case

I will be posting more information as I get it ...

(Updated 11-9-12 at 8:00 p.m.)

Statement from the Oklahoma Department of Human Services reference misdemeanor charges filed against former child welfare workers in Serenity Deal case:
 
"The tragic death of little Serenity Deal shocked and saddened everyone at the Oklahoma Department of Human Services.  We share the District Attorney's belief that the child welfare workers handling Deal's case, Jennifer Shawn and Randy Lack, were negligent in their duties which is why they were terminated last year.  We continue to regret the heartwrenching outcome of this child's case."


(Updated 11-9-12 at 6:00 p.m.)
Link to copies of the charges that were filed

SQ 765 necessary to rebuild Oklahoma’s broken Department of Human Services

Supporters say the welfare of Oklahoma’s children need a voice

OKLAHOMA – Passage of State Question 765 is a major component of Oklahoma’s effort to rebuild and improve the state’s broken Department of Human Services (DHS). The welfare of Oklahoma’s children, families, aging and disabled need a voice, supporters and authors of the ballot measure said Friday at a news conference at the Oklahoma State Capitol.

“Currently, the Department of Human Services is largely governed by a volunteer board which, however well-intentioned, does not answer to voters,” said Governor Mary Fallin. “The passage of SQ 765 will put authority for appointing an agency director in the hands of the governor, who was chosen to represent the people of Oklahoma and whose job it is to be responsive to their concerns. I am supportive of SQ 765 because it offers the governor more flexibility to pursue the reforms and improvements needed to keep Oklahoma children safe and to deliver higher quality services.”

See also: DHS will be improved, not abolished by SQ765

See also: Vote YES on SQ765 for Real DHS Reform

Under the watch of the DHS nine-member board, the Oklahoma Commission of Human Services, numerous child deaths, lawsuits and the resignation earlier this year of the DHS chairman have occurred.

Five-year-old Serenity Deal died while in the custody of the state in 2011, after repeated concerns were expressed by her foster parents about the danger she was in. DHS employees testified as to the safety of her father’s home, despite proof of repeated physical injuries.

Linda Terrell

“The Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy fought hard last session to bring bold reforms to the broken child welfare system through the Serenity Project,” said Linda Terrell, OICA executive director. “The next crucial step is for voters to say yes to SQ 765 to abolish an antiquated oversight commission to bring greater accountability and ensure the safety of our most vulnerable Oklahomans.”

“The death of any child is tragic, but when a child dies because a government bureaucracy failed them is simply unacceptable,” said Annette Deal, grandmother of Serenity Deal. “Voting yes on State Question 765 means we are doing everything in our power to ensure no family has to endure the pain of losing a child the way our family lost Serenity.”

Under the watch of the DHS commission, DHS recently paid $9,500 to settle a lawsuit filed after a temporary DHS worker picked up the wrong girl from a Harrah elementary school in 2006. Additionally, the agency is involved in a lawsuit with a New York-based child advocacy group, Children’s Rights, that alleges Oklahoma’s system of caring for abused and neglected children is so bad that children are being injured and otherwise harmed while in shelters and foster homes. Earlier this year, the state of Oklahoma paid $300,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by a mother who hid her young girl after DHS workers allegedly rejected concerns the girl had been molested.

“The agency’s governance structure is broken. It’s a 1930s governance model that fails to meet the needs of a complex 21st century agency,” said Rep. Jason Nelson, R-Oklahoma City and leader of the House DHS Working Group. “Nearly all the agency’s major problems can be traced back to an unaccountable commission and the historical tendency to insulate the director from any real accountability. If DHS is really going to improve, it must start at the top.”

In 2009, 3-year-old Ryan Weeks was beaten to death after being placed back in his mother’s custody from foster care despite pleading with the agency not to return the boy to the home. The mother’s live-in boyfriend eventually pleaded no contest to first-degree murder.

“Weeks spent his entire life in a home plagued by drug abuse and domestic violence,” said Steven Dow, executive director of the Community Action Project of Tulsa County and former DHS commissioner. “Children like him need the support and encouragement of a child welfare system that works and acts as a savior.”

DHS Commission meeting earlier this year

Three former or current Oklahoma Commissioners of Human Services, including Dow, are in favor of SQ 765 and getting rid of the commission altogether. The additional members include, Anne Roberts and former chairman Brad Yarbrough, who is a current commissioner.

Voter approval of the measure would end Oklahoma’s distinction as the only state where the director reports to an unelected commission rather than a governor whose elected position makes them directly accountable to the people ofOklahoma.

If the state question passes, HB 3137, passed in the legislature earlier this year, would require the DHS director to be appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate. Currently, the director is hired by the Commission for Human Services.

“It puts the agency’s leadership closer to the people because the governor is accountable to all the people of Oklahoma,” Nelson said. “The pressure will be on the agency director to do what is right or they’ll have to answer to all the people ofOklahoma rather than an unelected, unaccountable commission. This agency is too important to leave it in the hands of people who don’t directly answer to the public.”

HB 3137 would also establish advisory panels that would monitor each of the agency’s divisions to help agency leadership make informed decisions. The legislation was developed and supported collectively by a bipartisan group of legislatures comprised of House Speaker Kris Steele, R-Shawnee; Reps. Wade Rousselot, D-Okay; Jason Nelson, R-Oklahoma City; Pat Ownbey, R-Ardmore; Pam Peterson, R-Tulsa; and Sens. Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City and Rick Brinkley, R-Owasso.

“The state question would not only abolish the commission but also a bad statute that goes back to 1936, Dow said. “Nothing has happened or can happen to improve the system because of the laws that are currently in effect. It’s time to change our system and SQ 765 is the first step.”

“A vote for SQ765 is a vote to fix DHS,” said Sen. Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City. “It is a vote to bring greater oversight and accountability that is desperately needed.”

Nelson Statement on Approval of the Pinnacle Plan

OKLAHOMA CITY – State Rep. Jason Nelson (R-Oklahoma City) released the following statement regarding the approval today of the Pinnacle Plan by Children’s Rights, a New York-based advocacy group that sued the Oklahoma Department of Human Services in 2008 to in an effort to bring about agency reforms. The Pinnacle Plan is a set of DHS reforms approved by the Oklahoma Legislature this year.

"Approval of the Pinnacle Plan will be remembered as the moment the status quo started changing for the better in Oklahoma's child welfare system. The Pinnacle Plan represents the most comprehensive and aggressive reform of our state's child welfare system in this agency's history. It's clear to anyone who reviews the plan that this is not an attempt at a political quick-fix. This is a complex, long-term solution that will make a meaningful, transformational difference for Oklahoma's at-risk children. Oklahoma now stands above other states facing similar child welfare challenges due to the unwavering support of our major stakeholders, including the Legislature, the governor, the agency and all others. The public should have confidence in the plan and high expectations for the results it can bring if all stakeholders continue working together to ensure the plan's full implementation. Children in state custody will be much safer and see far better outcomes under this historic plan."

Lowry of Children's Rights Compliments Pinnacle Plan

(New York, NY) — Today three independent, court-appointed child welfare experts approved the latest version of the Pinnacle Plan, developed by the Oklahoma Department of Human Services (DHS), resulting from the January 2012 settlement of the class action lawsuit brought by Children’s Rights, a national nonprofit advocacy organization, and Frederic Dorwart Lawyers in Tulsa. Marcia Robinson Lowry, executive director of Children’s Rights, issued the following statement:

“The settlement has produced a wide-ranging, comprehensive plan that commits DHS both to necessary reforms in the state’s foster care system and to the best ways of implementing those reforms. The strength and specificity of the plan demonstrates the wisdom of having independent child welfare experts overseeing the process of remedying the problems identified in the lawsuit. The resulting roadmap, created by DHS and guided by these experts, inevitably will transform Oklahoma’s foster care system into one that consistently benefits and protects those children whose lives depend on it. Given the considerable impact this will have on Oklahoma’s abused and neglected children, it is gratifying to see the settlement agreement begin to come to fruition.”

Fallin Statement on Approval of DHS Pinnacle Plan

OKLAHOMA CITY – Gov. Mary Fallin today released the following statement after the Department of Human Services (DHS) received endorsement today from child welfare experts on the Pinnacle Plan, an improvement plan for the state’s child welfare system: 

“The approval of the Pinnacle Plan is a big step forward for the state and for DHS as it works to strengthen child welfare services. My thanks go out to DHS employees and the co-neutrals for their hard work and cooperation, as well as Oklahoma legislators for making the necessary financial commitment to support these important reforms. Moving forward, DHS will continue to have my support and assistance as it works to implement the Pinnacle Plan. The success of these reforms is critical to ensuring the state can provide adequate protection and care to vulnerable Oklahoma children.”

DHS Officials Comment on Approval of the Child Welfare Pinnacle Plan

Oklahoma City—The Oklahoma Department of Human Services received endorsement today from outside child welfare experts on a bold improvement plan for its child welfare system.

The plan, referred to as the “Oklahoma Pinnacle Plan” is part of a settlement agreement reached in January 2012 in the D.G. vs. Yarbrough class action, civil rights lawsuit. OKDHS agreed in the settlement to make targeted performance improvements related to the way it cares for children in foster care. As part of the settlement agreement, three out-of-state child welfare experts (referred to as co-neutrals) were selected to oversee the state’s improvements. 

“We are pleased to have received endorsement of this plan which outlines very ambitious goals for the agency to achieve over the next five years,” said Preston Doerflinger, Interim Director of OKDHS. “OKDHS is committed to the vulnerable children of this state and to the successful implementation of this plan.”

The plan was first submitted on Mar. 30 to the co-neutrals and since that time the monitors have worked with OKDHS officials and plaintiffs to refine the plan and ensure the initiatives outlined will achieve needed improvements in the state’s foster care system.

“To demonstrate our commitment, we have already implemented some of the initiatives in the plan such as the first of several increases to reimbursements for foster parents and salaries for child welfare specialists,” said Doerflinger. “We have also been working with the co-neutrals on performance targets and baselines which will measure our successful implementation of this plan as we move forward.”

“This is an exciting time for all of us who work in child welfare,” said Deborah Smith, Director of OKDHS Child Welfare Services. “The Pinnacle Plan’s name reflects our goals--to reach the highest point possible in our child welfare program. This plan is the result of a lot of hard work and collaboration by people who are very committed to improving our system that protects abused and neglected children."

"This is an exciting time of great reform at DHS," said Wes Lane, Chairman of the Oklahoma Commission for Human Services. "Rarely before in state history have we seen so many people all pulling the same wagon in the same direction. To our legislators, our Attorney General, our Governor and to the many DHS staff who have worked tirelessly with the Co-Neutrals to put this plan together - the Human Services Commission says a hearty thank you! With this continued unity of purpose, we will be successful and our children the better for it."

Historic Child Welfare Reform Plan Approved by Co-Neutrals

Statement of the Co-Neutrals, Eileen Crummy, Kathleen Noonan and Kevin Ryan On Approval of the Oklahoma Pinnacle Plan July 25, 2012

On January 4, 2012, the Oklahoma Department of Human Services (OKDHS), jointly with the Governor’s Office and the Oklahoma Commission for Human Services, reached an agreement with the Plaintiffs in the federal class action litigation DG vs. Yarbrough, Case No. 08-CV-074. The settlement agreement charged Oklahoma to develop a plan to reform, strengthen and improve the Oklahoma child welfare system to better serve the State’s children and families. Over the past seven months, OKDHS, with the assistance of state leaders, advocates and other stakeholders developed the Pinnacle Plan, a five year roadmap of significant commitments, beginning with State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2013, to address the 15 performance areas identified in the parties’ settlement agreement approved by the court. The State and the Plaintiffs chose and approved the three of us to serve as “Co-Neutrals” under the agreement, vesting in us the authority to approve or reject the Plan prior to its implementation, and then monitor its implementation.


Following extensive consultation with the parties, we approve the Pinnacle Plan, which is attached in its final form and is now binding pursuant to the terms of the settlement agreement. We do so because the Pinnacle Plan articulates a bold new vision for the improvement of the Oklahoma child welfare system, including:

1. A commitment to work with families and children as partners, and provide services to help strengthen families and ensure children’s safety, permanency and well-being;
   
2. A newly integrated system for screening, investigating and reporting allegations of child maltreatment in out of home care;
   
3. The elimination of shelter care for young children and steep reductions in the use of shelter care for older youth;
   
4. The end of primary and secondary casework assignments, which had at times led to confusion and diluted accountability;
   
5. Ambitious commitments to grow more family settings for children in out of home placement, including resource homes and treatment foster homes;
   
6. The establishment of a new, integrated Child Welfare Division within DHS with responsibility for children’s safety, permanency and wellbeing;
   
7. Reasonable workloads for staff so that they can devote themselves properly to the needs of vulnerable children and families.
   

This is a thoughtful and ambitious plan; very hard work is yet ahead to build the system OKDHS describes. Success will require the continued leadership and support of all three branches of government in the best interests of Oklahoma’s children. It will not be easy – change of this magnitude will take time. Focus, investment, transparency and perseverance will be essential to reach the goals identified in this Pinnacle Plan. As Co-Neutrals, we intend to report fairly and openly over the next five years on the State’s progress in making the Pinnacle Plan a reality for the children and families of Oklahoma.

As contemplated by the parties’ original agreement, we now turn our attention to working with the parties to identify the specific performance targets and baselines that will mark Oklahoma’s progress in the implementation of the Pinnacle Plan, which we expect to finalize by no later than December 2012. 


Link to the Pinnacle Plan

Nelson Comments on Foster Parent Rate, Child Welfare Worker Pay Increases

The Oklahoma Department of Human Services announced today it is increasing reimbursement rates for foster families and pay for child welfare workers over the next five years. The increases are part of the Pinnacle Plan for improving child welfare services. 

State Rep. Jason Nelson, R-Oklahoma City, supports the increases in reimbursement rates and worker pay.

"We ask for a tremendous amount of sacrifice from foster parents and, frankly, from the workers on the front-line. They certainly deserve the increase. But great foster parents and great child welfare workers will tell you that money alone won’t lead to the improvements in the Department that are still desperately needed. Changing the culture at DHS is the kind of key reform needed that money can’t buy.

"I will continue to work with Governor Fallin, the Department and others to make sure real improvements happen at DHS - particularly on the worker side. I have visited recently with Interim Director Preston Doerflinger and Commission Chairman Wes Lane about the need to professionalize the frontline workforce so we can attract enough quality applicants to these key positions. We also need to better train and support workers and link worker promotions and pay to demonstrated skill levels. These types of improvements in personnel policy will, in turn, improve the experience and outcomes for children in state custody and for the foster parents who open their hearts and homes to the these children.

“Our child welfare system will never be any better than the workers on the front-line and the foster families that open their homes. It’s great to see these changes, and others, finally moving forward but it’s important to remember that it will take time to see the full positive results from these reforms and that no single action is enough.”

Since October, Nelson has served as chairman of a working group in the House of Representatives tasked with performing a thorough review of the Department of Human Services. The working group made several sweeping recommendations during the 2012 Legislative Session that were passed and signed by Governor Fallin. 

One of the recommendations by the working group resulted in State Question 765 being submitted to voters this November. SQ 765, if approved by the voters, would abolish the constitutional DHS commission.  

OKDHS raising reimbursement rates for foster parents, pay for workers

Oklahoma City -- The Oklahoma Department of Human Services is increasing reimbursement rates for foster families as part of its Pinnacle Plan for improving child welfare services. The new rates will take effect on Aug. 1, 2012 and will help in the retention of foster families across the state. Foster parents should see the increase in their September payments.

As part of the OKDHS Pinnacle Plan for child welfare, the Oklahoma legislature appropriated funds for incremental raises for foster parents as well as child welfare staff over the next five years. Only the first year of the funding has been approved. The monthly reimbursement for foster parents is used to help pay for food, clothing, shelter, school supplies, personal incidentals and reasonable travel. The original rate was set 30 years ago with only two previous rate increases. Based on sources determining the cost of raising a child, the current rate is significantly below the rising increase in cost-of-living expenses.

Deborah Smith

"It's not just about money," said Deborah Smith, Director of OKDHS Child Welfare Services. "We appreciate those foster parents who have stepped-up and provided safe, loving homes for so many children in Oklahoma. We still need 500 additional foster families and we are committed to improving the experience of new foster parents," Smith continued. "The rate increase is just one of the new initiatives we plan to implement to improve our response to people interested in fostering and to improve our services." 

Smith noted that increased rates for foster parents will affect future reimbursement rates for adoptive parents.

The issue of recruiting additional foster families is important to Governor Mary Fallin who serves as a spokesperson for the OKDHS foster care recruitment campaign, "You can change a child's lifetime."

"With more than 8,000 children in the Oklahoma foster care system, it's vitally important we recruit more foster families and ensure those families have the means to support foster children," said Gov. Fallin. "By increasing reimbursement rates for foster families, as well as increasing the pay of frontline workers and reorganizing the structure of the child welfare division, Oklahoma is sending a strong signal that the state is committed to the reforms of the Pinnacle Plan, which will help us provide more transparency and accountability while ensuring our children are protected and well served."

The legislature also appropriated funds for incremental salary increases for OKDHS child welfare specialists. The first year increases were approved effective July 16 and staff will see the increase in their August checks. Pay increases are just one of the initiatives aimed at supporting the child welfare workforce. OKDHS is also focused on worker certification, improving training, technology, supervision and more manageable caseloads.

For more information about becoming a foster or adoptive parent, call 1-800-376-9729, send an email to bridge@ou.edu or visit www.okbridgefamilies.com (Link opens in new window).

Lamb and OKDHS join forces to promote Think.Prevent.Live. campaign for summer

Oklahoma City -- The Oklahoma Department of Human Services has teamed up with Lt. Governor Todd Lamb, the Child Death Review Board and the Department of Public Safety to remind Oklahomans about the dangers facing children during the summer months in hopes of preventing needless child deaths.

OHP Lt. Jim Cherry & Oklahoma Lt. Governor
Todd Lamb demonstrate the dangers of a hot
car with a thermometer that had been placed
in a vehicle for 45 minutes. The temperature
read 110 degrees!!

"Children die each year from being left or becoming trapped in hot cars, and by drowning and not being supervised," said Sheree Powell, Communications Coordinator for OKDHS. "These are deaths that could have been prevented and we want to make all Oklahomans aware of what they can do to stop these tragedies before they happen."

In the first half of 2012, 10 children have died in the U.S. from being left in hot cars. Since 2005, 12 Oklahoma children have died from hyperthermia - in a hot car. Half of those children were still strapped in car seats left in the car by a distracted caregiver. The other half were children who became trapped in the automobile during unsupervised playtime. There were two separate occurrences in which siblings died when they became trapped in a hot car.

So far, no Oklahoma children have died this year from being left in a hot car but there have been some close calls.

"We all know how quickly our cars heat up," said Powell. "A child's body temperature rises at a rate at least three times faster than an adult's. Hyperthermia can occur on days with relatively mild (70 degrees F) temperatures and vehicles can reach life-threatening temperatures very rapidly."

Safety tips to keep children safe:

Child Abuse is not OK PSA

Child Advocacy Group Praises DHS Reform Efforts

Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy Executive Director Linda Terrell expressed support last week for a slate of DHS reforms passed by the Legislature during the 2012 session. 

“The Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy fought hard to demand bold reforms at DHS to fix the broken child welfare system this legislative session and Oklahoma lawmakers delivered,” Terrell said. "The reforms that passed the Legislature send a strong message: It's unacceptable for a system created to protect children to fail in that mission, and it's time for change.”

Institute for Child Advocacy Holding Press Conference Today

THE TRUE COST OF CHILD ABUSE

WHO:        

Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy Executive Director Linda Terrell

Annette Deal – Serenity Deal’s grandmother

Dr. George Young – Holy Temple Baptist Church

WHAT:      Press Conference – OICA will host a press conference to discuss the
                   economic burden of child abuse and the importance of child abuse
                   prevention, the recent developments with the DHS lawsuit settlements
                   and the opportunities to fix our broken child welfare system. Annette 

                   Deal, grandmother of 5-year-old Serenity Deal, will speak briefly about
                   how bold reform to the OK Child Welfare system must happen to
                   ensure no child faces the same fate as Serenity.

WHEN:     Tuesday, April 3, at 11 a.m.

WHERE:  Governor’s Conference Room 2^nd floor at the Capitol

WHY:        In 2010, Oklahoma had more than 7,200 confirmed cases of child
                  abuse and neglect; that year, OKDHS assessed and investigated
                  45,811 cases of possible child abuse or neglect. Currently, there are
                  about 8,000 children under the care of about 1,000 DHS employees
                  and caseworkers. The overall economic burden of child abuse reaches
                  billions of dollars annually, including an estimated $1.2 Million in lost
                  productivity for businesses throughout Oklahoma and the United States.
                  Action must be taken to prevent cases like Serenity Deal’s and the
                  countless others like hers from happening again. Our Serenity Project
                 calls for recommendations to reform the broken Oklahoma DHS - child
                 welfare system in order to better protect our kids.