Oklahoma (D.G. v. Henry)
29 Feb 2012
Federal Judge Approves DHS Settlement Agreement at Fairness Hearing, Marking Significant Victory for State’s Foster Children
(Tulsa, OK) — U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell today approved a settlement agreement that will vastly improve care for the nearly 8,000 children in Oklahoma’s child welfare system. The settlement stems from the federal class-action lawsuit filed by Children’s Rights and Frederic Dorwart Lawyers against the Oklahoma Department of Human Services (DHS).
05 Jan 2012
Oklahoma Commission for Human Services Approves Settlement That Mandates Accountability for its Child Welfare System
(Tulsa, OK) — The Oklahoma Commission for Human Services today approved the settlement agreement that resolves the federal class-action lawsuit on behalf of nine foster children, accepting modifications made by Oklahoma’s Contingency Review Board last week. After clarifying that the Review Board did not change either the details or the principles of the settlement, the Plaintiff Class accepted the final agreement, which now must be submitted to the federal court for approval.
21 Dec 2011
DHS Commissioners Agree to Terms of Settlement in Class-Action Lawsuit and ‘Are Coming to Grips with Problems in the System,’ Says Children’s Rights
(Tulsa, OK) — The Oklahoma Commission for Human Services voted today in favor of settling the federal class-action lawsuit filed by Children’s Rights and Oklahoma attorneys in 2008. In response, Executive Director Marcia Robinson Lowry issued the following statement:
16 Dec 2011
Judge Rejects All of Oklahoma’s Attempts to Limit Protections for Foster Children
Tulsa — Children’s Rights today applauded a federal judge’s legal support for a class-action lawsuit that seeks widespread reform of the Oklahoma child welfare system. U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell rejected the State’s effort to dismiss the case on the basis that it interferes with the Oklahoma family courts.
21 Mar 2011
Two Expert Reviews Find OK Child Welfare Plagued by Mismanagement, Dysfunctional Computer System
“Leadership and accountability are crucial to a properly functioning child welfare agency and they are sorely lacking at DHS,” according to a new review of management and leadership at OK DHS.
17 Mar 2011
Oklahoma Ignores Abuse & Neglect Claims from Foster Youth in Institutions, Says Shocking New Report
Not only does Oklahoma’s DHS routinely fail to appropriately investigate allegations of abuse and neglect in congregate care, but the state never reports how many children in those settings are actually harmed.
24 Feb 2011
Oklahoma: Too Many Placements, Too Often in Shelters
One Oklahoma toddler was shuttled between eight different foster care placements in less than a year — and her experience isn’t unusual, according to a recent expert report.
17 Feb 2011
New Report Reveals Shocking Number of Oklahoma Kids Abused in Foster Care, Forced to Change Homes Repeatedly
“It is extraordinary that Oklahoma continues to defend a system that is doing so much harm to so many of the state’s vulnerable children,” says Children’s Rights Executive Director Marcia Robinson Lowry.
24 Mar 2010
Kids in Foster Care Suffer as Oklahoma Child Welfare Agency Fails to Track Workers’ Caseloads
New expert report draws connections between Oklahoma child welfare failures and horrific abuse and neglect; child welfare agency admits it does not systematically track workers’ total caseloads.
08 Feb 2010
Lawsuit to Reform Harmful Oklahoma Child Welfare System May Proceed as Class Action, Federal Appeals Court Rules
Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously upholds lower court’s decision to allow reform lawsuit to proceed on behalf of more than 10,000 abused and neglected children in state custody.
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