1. A.

   1. 1. The Department of Human Services is authorized to manage and operate the children's shelter located at 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.
   2. 2. The Department is authorized to manage and operate, to the extent of funds available, such group homes as may be necessary to provide a diversity of placement alternatives for children adjudicated deprived and placed in the Department's custody.
2. B. The Commission for Human Services shall establish and maintain such methods of administration, including those necessary to establish and maintain a merit system of personnel administration, and shall prescribe such rules as it deems necessary for the efficient and effective operation of the children's facilities operated by the Department.
3. C. The Director of the Department of Human Services shall employ and fix the duties and compensation of a director or supervisor, and such other personnel as he deems necessary, for each of the children's facilities operated by the Department; provided that 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 around children in said facilities. Such minimum qualifications shall be designed to assure that such personnel possess sufficient education, training, experience and background to provide adequate and safe professional care and services to said children; and that the children will not be exposed to abuse, deprivation, criminal conduct, or other unwholesome conditions attributable to employee incompetence or misconduct.
4. D. It shall be the duty of the State Fire Marshal and the Commissioner of Public 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. Such inspections shall include, but not be limited to, compliance with minimum fire, life and health safety standards and compliance with minimum standards governing general sanitation of the institution. Reports of such inspections will be made in writing, itemizing and identifying any deficiencies and recommending corrective measure, and shall be filed with the Child Care Facilities Licensing Division of the Department of Human Services, the Office of Juvenile System Oversight and the Commission on Children and Youth.
5. E. The Department of Human Services shall file copies of the reports of the inspections and recommendations of the accrediting agencies with the Office of Juvenile System Oversight.
6. F. The Department may give assistance to local school districts in providing an education to children in facilities operated by the Department, may supplement such education and may provide facilities for such purposes. It shall be the duty of the Department to assure that children in the aforesaid 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.

Laws 1968, SB 446, c. 282, § 403, eff. January 13, 1969; Amended by Laws 1982, HB 1468, c. 312, § 33, emerg. eff. July 1, 1982; Amended by Laws 1995, HB 1978, c. 352, § 52, emerg. eff. July 1, 1995; Renumbered from 10 O.S. § 1403 by Laws 1995, HB 1978, c. 352, § 199, emerg. eff. July 1, 1995.