{"data":{"id":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-10a-10a-1-9-117","jurisdiction":"us-ok","citation":"Okla. Stat. tit. 10A, § 10A-1-9-117","heading":"Allegations against employees of Department or child-","body":"placing agency by foster parent.\n\nA. 1. A foster parent may report to the Office of Client\n\nAdvocacy within the State Department of Health an allegation that an\n\nemployee of the Department of Human Services or of a child-placing\n\nagency has threatened the foster parent with removal of a child from\n\nthe foster parent, harassed 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 this\n\ntitle,\n\nb. provided information to any state official or\n\nDepartment of Human Services employee, or\n\nc. testified, assisted, or otherwise participated in an\n\ninvestigation, proceeding, or hearing against the\n\nDepartment of Human Services or child-placing agency.\n\n2. The provisions of this subsection 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 of Human Services or a child-placing agency\n\nin conformity with the result of any such proceeding.\n\n3. A reporter shall not be relieved of the duty to report\n\nincidents of alleged child abuse or neglect pursuant to the Oklahoma\n\nChildren's Code.\n\n4. The Advocate General shall establish rules and procedures\n\nfor evaluating reports of complaints pursuant to paragraph 1 of this\n\nsubsection and for conducting an investigation of such reports.\n\nB. 1. The Office of Client Advocacy shall prepare and maintain\n\nwritten records from the reporting source that shall contain the\n\nfollowing information to the extent known at the time the report is\n\nmade:\n\na. the names and addresses of the child and the person\n\nresponsible for the child's welfare,\n\nb. the nature of the complaint, and\n\nc. the names of the persons or agencies responsible for\n\nthe allegations contained in the complaint.\n\n2. Any investigation conducted by the Office of Client Advocacy\n\npursuant to such information shall not duplicate and shall be\n\nseparate from the investigation mandated by the Oklahoma Children's\n\nCode or other investigation of the Department of Human Services\n\nhaving notice and hearing requirements.\n\n3. At the request of the reporter, the Office of Client\n\nAdvocacy shall keep the identity of the reporter strictly\n\nconfidential from the operation of the Department of Human Services,\n\nuntil the State Commissioner of Health determines what\n\nrecommendations shall be made to the Director of the Department.\n\nC. The Commissioner and the Director shall ensure that a person\n\nmaking a report in good faith under this section is not adversely\n\naffected solely on the basis of having made such report.\n\nD. Any person who knowingly and willfully makes a false or\n\nfrivolous report or complaint or a report that the person knows\n\nlacks factual foundation, pursuant to the provisions of this\n\nsection, may be subject to loss of foster parent certification.","path":["OK Code","Title 10A"],"source_url":"https://www.oklegislature.gov/OK_Statutes/CompleteTitles/os10A.pdf","current_through":"2026-08-14","vintage":"open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:32:36Z","sha256":"babc68f71a9adca2934b45e87df5c63c7c5c25031201e11552e2fdbcd729dcc7","source_id":"us-ok","stale":false,"prev":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-10a-10a-1-9-116.1","next":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-10a-10a-1-9-118"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}