Okla. Stat. tit. 10A, § 10A-1-7-105

Department custody.

A. The Department of Human Services shall promulgate written

rules, policies, and procedures governing the operation of those

residential care facilities, including group homes, operated by or

under contract with the Department wherein a child may be placed,

requiring assurance that at least one employee of the facility is

designated and authorized to apply the reasonable and prudent parent

standard to decisions involving the participation of a child in age-

appropriate or developmentally appropriate activities. The

authorized employee shall be provided with training on how to use

and apply the reasonable and prudent parent standard.

B. The policies prescribed shall, at a minimum, ensure that:

1. A child shall not be punished by physical force, deprivation

of nutritious meals or family visits, or solitary confinement;

2. A child shall have the opportunity to participate in

physical exercise each day;

3. A child shall be allowed daily access to showers;

4. A child shall be allowed his or her own clothing or

individualized clothing which is clean;

5. A child shall have constant access to writing materials and

may send mail without limitation, censorship, or prior reading, and

may receive mail without prior reading, except that mail may be

opened in the presence of the child, without being read, to inspect

for contraband or if authorized by the court for the protection of

the child;

6. A child shall have a right to communicate and to visit with

his or her family on a regular basis, and to communicate with

persons in the community provided the communication or visitation is

in the best interests of the child;

7. A child shall have timely access to medical care as needed;

8. A child in the custody or care of the Department shall be

provided access to an education including teaching, educational

materials, and books;

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 10A. Children and Juvenile Code Page 198

9. A child shall have a right to access to the child's

attorney;

10. A child shall be afforded a grievance procedure, including

an appeal procedure;

11. The behavioral health needs of the child shall be met,

protected, and served through provision of guidance, counseling, and

treatment programs, staffed by competent, professionally qualified

persons;

12. The emotional and developmental growth of the child shall

be encouraged by allowing the child to participate in age-

appropriate and developmentally appropriate extracurricular,

enrichment, cultural, and social activities, using a reasonable and

prudent parent standard; and

13. Use of physical force, when authorized, shall be the least

force necessary under the circumstances and shall be permitted only

under the following circumstances:

a. for self-protection,

b. to separate children who are fighting,

c. to restrain children in danger of inflicting harm to

themselves or others, or

d. to deter children who are in the process of leaving

the facility without authorization.

C. Any contract or agreement entered into by the Department for

the residential care and treatment of children in the custody of the

Department shall provide that a failure to comply with the

provisions of this section may result in a termination or

cancellation of the contract or other appropriate sanction.