Okla. Stat. tit. 10A, § 10A-1-9-111

A. 1. The Department of Human Services is authorized to manage

and operate and may contract with designated youth services agencies

or designated child-placing agencies for the management and

operation of the children's shelter located in Oklahoma City, known

and designated as the Pauline Mayer Children's Shelter, and the

children's shelter located in Tulsa, known and designated as the

Laura Dester Children's Shelter. The Department shall implement a

plan to transition the use of shelters from a placement for children

taken into custody into an alternative purpose to be determined by

the Department. Kinship care homes and emergency foster care homes

shall be utilized for the care of children instead of a shelter

whenever possible. The Department shall monitor and report to the

Legislature and Governor on a monthly basis the daily average

shelter population and the number of kinship care homes utilized and

the total number of emergency foster care homes available by county.

2. Subject to the availability of suitable placements, no child

in the custody of the Department of Human Services:

a. six (6) years of age or younger shall be placed in

shelter care after June 30, 2013, or

b. thirteen (13) years of age or younger shall be placed

in shelter care after June 30, 2014.

3. The Department is authorized to manage and operate, to the

extent of funds available, and may contract with designated youth

services agencies or child-placing agencies for the management and

operation of such group homes as may be necessary to provide a

diversity of placement alternatives for children adjudicated

deprived and placed in the custody of the Department. The

Department shall, prior to awarding a contract to a facility for the

purposes of this paragraph, ensure that such facility provides

continuing education to its employees in the area of cultural

competency. Such continuing education shall include, at a minimum,

instruction on the problems of race and gender-based disparities

faced by youths in group homes.

B. The Commission for Human Services shall establish and

maintain methods of administration, including those necessary to

establish and maintain a merit system of personnel administration,

and shall prescribe rules necessary for the efficient and effective

operation of the children's facilities operated by the Department.

C. 1. The Director of the Department shall employ and fix the

duties and compensation of a director or supervisor, and other

personnel necessary, for each of the children's facilities operated

by the Department.

2. The Department shall promulgate, and in its hiring and

employment practices, the Department shall adhere to, written

minimum qualifications by position for personnel working with or

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 10A. Children and Juvenile Code Page 235

around children in such facilities. Minimum qualifications shall be

designed to assure that:

a. personnel possess sufficient education, training,

experience, and background to provide adequate and

safe professional care and services to children, and

b. children will not be exposed to abuse, deprivation,

criminal conduct, or other unwholesome conditions

attributable to employee incompetence or misconduct.

D. 1. It shall be the duty of the State Fire Marshal and the

State Commissioner of Health to cause annual unannounced inspections

of children's facilities operated by the Department, utilizing

adequately trained and qualified inspection personnel, to determine

and evaluate conditions in their respective areas of agency

jurisdiction.

2. Inspections shall include, but not be limited to, compliance

with:

a. minimum fire, life, and health safety standards, and

b. minimum standards governing general sanitation of the

institution.

3. Reports of inspections shall be made in writing, itemizing

and identifying any deficiencies, and recommending corrective
nd evaluate conditions in their respective areas of agency

jurisdiction.

2. Inspections shall include, but not be limited to, compliance

with:

a. minimum fire, life, and health safety standards, and

b. minimum standards governing general sanitation of the

institution.

3. Reports of inspections shall be made in writing, itemizing

and identifying any deficiencies, and recommending corrective

measures, and shall be filed with the Department, the Office of

Juvenile System Oversight, and the Commission on Children and Youth.

4. The Department shall file copies of the reports of the

inspections and recommendations of the accrediting agencies with the

Office of Juvenile System Oversight.

E. 1. The Department may:

a. give assistance to local school districts in providing

an education to children in facilities operated by the

Department,

b. supplement the education, and

c. provide facilities for such purposes.

2. It shall be the duty of the Department to assure that

children in the facilities receive educational services which will

stress basic literacy skills including, but not limited to,

curricula requirements stressing reading, writing, mathematics,

science, and vocational-technical education.