{"data":{"id":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-10-10-601.6","jurisdiction":"us-ok","citation":"Okla. Stat. tit. 10, § 10-601.6","heading":"Office of Juvenile System Oversight - Powers, duties and","body":"authority.\n\nA. For purposes of this section, the term \"children and youth\n\nservice system\" shall have the same meaning as it is defined in\n\nSection 600 of this title.\n\nB. The Office of Juvenile System Oversight shall have the\n\nresponsibility of inspecting and investigating misfeasance and\n\nmalfeasance within the children and youth service system, as\n\ndirected by the Oklahoma Commission on Children and Youth, to\n\nascertain compliance with established responsibilities.\n\nC. The Office shall conduct not less than one but not more than\n\ntwo regular, periodic, unannounced inspections of state-operated\n\nchildren's institutions and facilities annually. The Office is\n\nfurther authorized to inspect privately operated children's\n\ninstitutions and facilities that receive state or federal funding,\n\non a periodic basis or as needed.\n\nD. The Office shall investigate complaints filed with the\n\nOffice regarding the children and youth service system.\n\nE. The Office of Juvenile System Oversight shall have the\n\nauthority to:\n\n1. Access all facilities within the children and youth service\n\nsystem for the purpose of conducting inspections and investigations;\n\n2. Examine and copy all records and budgets pertaining to the\n\nchildren and youth service system and to review inspection reports\n\nof the State Fire Marshal, State Department of Health, and any other\n\nagency that accredits such institutions and facilities;\n\n3. Interview the residents of institutions and facilities\n\nwithin the children and youth service system;\n\n4. Subpoena witnesses and hold public hearings;\n\n5. Establish, in accordance with the Dispute Resolution Act,\n\nSections 1801 through 1813 of Title 12 of the Oklahoma Statutes, a\n\nvoluntary program for foster parents to mediate complaints\n\nconcerning the rights of foster parents, as provided for in Section\n\n1-9-119 of Title 10A of the Oklahoma Statutes, that relate to\n\ncertain actions, inactions or decisions of the Department of Human\n\nServices, the Department of Juvenile Justice, or child-placing\n\nagencies that may adversely affect the safety and well-being of\n\nchildren in the custody of the state;\n\n6. Receive any complaint alleging that an employee of the\n\nDepartment of Human Services or a child-placing agency has\n\nthreatened a foster parent with removal of a child from the foster\n\nparent, harassed a foster parent, or refused to place a child in a\n\nlicensed or certified foster home, or disrupted a child placement as\n\nretaliation or discrimination towards a foster parent who has:\n\na. filed a grievance pursuant to Section 1-9-120 of Title\n\n10A of the Oklahoma Statutes,\n\nb. provided information to any state official or\n\nDepartment employee, or\n\nc. testified, assisted, or otherwise participated in an\n\ninvestigation, proceeding, or hearing against the\n\nDepartment or child-placing agency.\n\nThe Office of Juvenile System Oversight shall forward the\n\ncomplaints to the Office of Client Advocacy for investigation\n\npursuant to subsection D of Section 1-9-112 of Title 10A of the\n\nOklahoma Statutes. The Office of Juvenile System Oversight shall\n\nwork with the Office of Client Advocacy to ensure the complaints are\n\ninvestigated and resolved in accordance with the grievance\n\nprocedures provided in Section 1-9-120 of Title 10A of the Oklahoma\n\nStatutes. The provisions of this paragraph shall not apply to any\n\ncomplaint by a foster parent regarding the result of a criminal,\n\nadministrative, or civil proceeding for a violation of any law,\n\nrule, or contract provision by that foster parent, or the action\n\ntaken by the Department or a child-placing agency in conformity with\n\nthe result of any such proceeding;\n\n7. Issue reports to the Governor, Speaker of the House of\n\nRepresentatives, President Pro Tempore of the Senate, Chief Justice\n\nof the Supreme Court of the State of Oklahoma, any appropriate\n\nprosecutorial agency, the director of the agency under\nprovision by that foster parent, or the action\n\ntaken by the Department or a child-placing agency in conformity with\n\nthe result of any such proceeding;\n\n7. Issue reports to the Governor, Speaker of the House of\n\nRepresentatives, President Pro Tempore of the Senate, Chief Justice\n\nof the Supreme Court of the State of Oklahoma, any appropriate\n\nprosecutorial agency, the director of the agency under\n\nconsideration, and other persons as necessary and appropriate; and\n\n8. Provide recommendations to the Oklahoma Commission on\n\nChildren and Youth on or before May 1 of each year.\n\nF. The Office of Juvenile System Oversight shall not release\n\ninformation that would identify a person who makes a complaint to\n\nthe Office, unless a court of competent jurisdiction orders release\n\nof the information for good cause shown.","path":["OK Code","Title 10"],"source_url":"https://www.oklegislature.gov/OK_Statutes/CompleteTitles/os10.pdf","current_through":"2026-08-14","vintage":"open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:32:36Z","sha256":"8c27225448386843664807f446842cc69ce772af18a77420516559f4bf41dbfb","source_id":"us-ok","stale":false,"prev":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-10-10-601.5","next":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-10-10-601.61"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}