[lcc4hl] FW: RELEASE: House Votes to Reform Child Welfare System
- From: Lundy Kiger <lundy.kiger@xxxxxxx>
- To: "lcc4hl@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <lcc4hl@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 3 Mar 2015 17:25:18 +0000
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Oklahoma House of Representatives
Media Division
March 2, 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: State Rep. Pat Ownbey
Capitol: (405) 557-7326
House Votes to Reform Child Welfare System
OKLAHOMA CITY - Legislation approved today by the Oklahoma House of
Representatives would improve the foster care system, according to the bill's
author.
House Bill 1078, by state Rep. Pat Ownbey, was approved by a vote of 91-0. The
legislation expands the independent living program that transitions children in
the system into their adult lives, updates requirements for foster parents and
group homes to ensure the child is engaged in typical childhood activities such
as sports and other social activities and revises protocols used to deal with
runaways and child trafficking victims.
Ownbey said the specific changes to the independent living program include
lowering the age from 16 to 14 and providing for a team concept. The team would
include the state independent living worker, the child and an advisor that
could be a coach, teacher or foster care parent.
"The independent living program is very important to ensure that individuals
who are leaving the child welfare system are established well in their adult
lives," said Ownbey, R-Ardmore. "When our kids grow up, we support them until
they get their feet under them. This program endeavors to do the same thing for
children in the child welfare system."
The safety provisions of the legislation include the expansion of reporting
requirements in the case of missing children in the system, Ownbey said.
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