{"data":{"id":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-10a-10a-1-9-121","jurisdiction":"us-ok","citation":"Okla. Stat. tit. 10A, § 10A-1-9-121","heading":"Grandparents - Legislative findings and declaration -","body":"Informational and educational program - Distribution of\n\ninformational brochures.\n\nA. The Oklahoma Legislature finds and declares that:\n\n1. An increasing number of children under the age of eighteen\n\n(18) years, including many children who would otherwise be at risk\n\nof abuse or neglect, are in the care of a grandparent;\n\n2. A principal cause for this increase is an increase in the\n\nincidence of parental substance abuse, child abuse, mental illness,\n\npoverty, and death, as well as concerted efforts by families and by\n\nthe child welfare service system to keep children with relatives\n\nwhenever possible;\n\n3. Grandparents providing primary care for at-risk children may\n\nexperience unique resultant problems, such as financial stress due\n\nto limited incomes, emotional difficulties related to dealing with\n\nthe loss of the child's parents or to the child's unique behaviors,\n\nand decreased physical stamina combined with a much higher incidence\n\nof chronic illness;\n\n4. Many children being raised by grandparents experience one or\n\nmore of a combination of emotional, behavioral, psychological,\n\nacademic, or medical problems, especially those born to a substance-\n\nabusing mother or those who are at risk of child abuse, neglect, or\n\nabandonment; and\n\n5. Grandparents providing primary care for children lack\n\nappropriate information about the issues of kinship care, the\n\nspecial needs, both physical and psychological, of children born to\n\na substance-abusing mother or who are at risk of child abuse,\n\nneglect, or abandonment, and the support resources currently\n\navailable to them.\n\nB. The Department of Human Services shall establish an\n\ninformational and educational program including, but not limited to,\n\nthe area of parental substitute authority, for grandparents who\n\nprovide primary care for children who are at risk of child abuse,\n\nneglect, or abandonment or who were born to substance-abusing\n\nmothers. As a part of the program, the Department shall develop,\n\npublish, and distribute an informational brochure for grandparents\n\nwho provide primary care for children who are at risk of child\n\nabuse, neglect, or abandonment or who were born to substance-abusing\n\nmothers. The information provided under the program authorized by\n\nthis section may include, but is not limited to, the following:\n\n1. The problems experienced by children being raised by\n\ngrandparents;\n\n2. The problems experienced by grandparents providing primary\n\ncare for children who have special needs;\n\n3. The legal system as it relates to children and grandparents;\n\n4. The benefits available to children and grandparents\n\nproviding primary care; and\n\n5. A list of support groups and resources located throughout\n\nthe state.\n\nC. The brochure may be distributed through hospitals, public\n\nhealth nurses, child protective services, medical professional\n\noffices, elementary and secondary schools, senior citizen centers,\n\npublic libraries, and community action agencies selected by the\n\nDepartment.","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":"037216df7457b695876f2c10926e913bb309b198ab4c28df4a3ac24b21392d06","source_id":"us-ok","stale":false,"prev":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-10a-10a-1-9-120v2","next":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-10a-10a-1-9-122"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}