For purposes of the Oklahoma Foster Care and Out-of-Home Placement Act:

1. 1. "Child-placing agency" means a private agency licensed to place children in foster family homes, group homes, adoptive homes, transitional or independent living programs, or family child care homes or other out-of-home placements; and which approves and monitors such placements and facilities in accordance with the licensing requirements established by the Oklahoma Child Care Facilities Licensing Act;
2. 2. "Foster care" or "foster care services" means continuous twenty-four-hour care and supportive services provided for a child in foster placement, including, but not limited to, the care, supervision, guidance, and rearing of a foster child by the foster parent;
3. 3. "Foster child" means a child placed in foster placement;
4. 4. "Foster family" means all persons living in a foster family home, other than a foster child;
5. 5. "Foster family home" means the private residence of a family which provides foster care services to a child. Such term shall include a foster family home, a specialized foster home, a therapeutic foster family home, the home of relative, or a kinship care home;
6. 6. "Foster parent" means any individual maintaining a foster family home, who is responsible for the care, supervision, guidance, rearing and other foster care services provided to a foster child;
7. 7. "Foster parent eligibility assessment" includes a criminal background investigation, including, but not limited to, a national criminal history records search based upon the submission of fingerprints, home assessments, and any other assessment required by the Department of Human Services, the Department of Juvenile Justice, or any child-placing agency pursuant to the provisions of the Oklahoma Child Care Facilities Licensing Act and the Oklahoma Foster Care and Out-of-Home Placement Act. Foster parent eligibility assessments shall be similar to the procedures used by the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety for determining suitability of individuals for employees as highway patrol officers;
8. 8. "Foster placement" means a child-placing agency or a foster family home providing foster care services;
9. 9. "Independent living program" means a program specifically designed to assist a child to enhance those skills and abilities necessary for successful adult living. An independent living program may include, but shall not be limited to, minimal direct staff supervision, and supportive services to assist with activities necessary for finding an appropriate place of residence, completing an education or vocational training, obtaining employment, or obtaining other similar services;
10. 10. "Kinship care" means full-time care of a child by a kinship relation;
11. 11. "Kinship relation" means relatives, members of the relative's clan, step-parents, or other responsible adults who have an existing bond with a child and/or to whom has been ascribed a family relationship role with the child's parent or the child;
12. 12. "Out-of-home placement" means a placement, other than a placement in the home of the parent or guardian from whose custody the court has removed the child, until the child is reunified with the child's parents or a permanent placement is made;

13. 13. "Parental substitute authority" means the ability of a foster parent to integrate the foster child into the family setting and to care for the foster child as the foster parent would the foster parent's own child. The term "parental substitute authority" also includes, but is not limited to, the ability of the foster parent to:

    1. a. protect, advance and nurture the foster child's physical, emotional and psychological well-being,
    2. b. meet the foster child's needs and maintain the health and personal hygiene of the foster child,
    3. c. teach the foster child ways to prevent and solve problems,
    4. d. maintain and build the foster parent/ foster child relationship, and
    5. e. teach self-control and responsibility to the foster child;
14. 14. "Relative" means a grandparent, great grandparent, brother or sister of whole or half blood, aunt, uncle or any other person related to the child within the fourth degree of consanguinity;

15. 15. "Specialized foster care" means foster care provided to a child in a specialized foster home or agency-contracted home which:

    1. a. has been certified by the Developmental Disabilities Services Division of the Department of Human Services,
    2. b. is monitored by the Division, and
    3. c. is funded through the Home- and Community-Based Waiver Services Program administered by the Division;
16. 16. "State agency" means the Department of Human Services or the Department of Juvenile Justice, as applicable; and
17. 17. "Therapeutic foster home" means a foster family home which provides specific supportive services, pursuant to a therapeutic foster care contract, which are designed to remedy social and behavioral problems of a foster child residing in the home.

Added by Laws 1996, HB 2960, c. 353, § 3, eff. November 1, 1996; Amended by Laws 1998, HB 2826, c. 414, § 3, emerg. eff. June 11, 1998 (superseded document available).