Oklahoma Administrative Code › Title 340 - Department of Human Services › Chapter 75 - Licensing Services › Subchapter 7 - Foster Home Care › Part 4 - ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES › Section 340:75-7-37 - Resource parent responsibilities

Current through Vol. 41, No. 20, July 1, 2024
(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.