Williams Holds Interim Study on Foster Care Housing
OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Danny Williams, R-Seminole, led an interim study to examine barriers to foster care participation and explore ways to expand safe, stable housing for Oklahoma children in foster care. The meeting focused on incentives, training and oversight reforms aimed at increasing the number of homes prepared to care for foster children. Oklahoma continues to lag behind peer states in placement stability, prompting lawmakers to explore actionable recommendations to strengthen the system. "We want to do the best we can for the kids we serve. What breaks my heart is they don't have a voice, and if we don’t speak for them, they don't get spoken for," Williams said. "The goal of this study is to find out what we can do to make things better for kids. A lot of improvements will have to be done at the local level, that is where the real benefits are going to come." Kylie Adams, a recruiter for foster homes with the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, highlighted challenges facing foster parents, including outdated pay rates and limited support for emergency placements. She stated that foster parents currently receive between $16 to $21 per day, with no increase in at least five years. Adams suggested raising emergency pay by $50 per child per day and creating specialized childcare facilities to support children while parents work. She also called for investment in front-line staff to improve retention and better compete with other states. Former foster child Kris Gilmore shared personal experiences highlighting gaps in the system, saying the biggest disconnect is that foster children’s concerns are often not heard or acted upon, and in some cases, they must repeat their concerns multiple times over the years. "A lot of folks downplay it as ‘you're just children, you don’t know what's best for you,’ and that is correct in most cases, but we do know when we are in danger and when there is a situation we don’t want to return to," Gilmore said. "This has had an extreme effect on my siblings’ ability to do well in life." Lindsay Crim with the Department of Human Services spoke toward the end of the meeting, thanking foster parents for their dedication and noting that DHS has several initiatives in the works, including a well-being system and increased community involvement, such as partnerships with churches. "Child welfare is not just DHS," Crim said. "It’s community involvement, juvenile justice, behavioral health, mental health, and simply providing natural care for our children." Williams expressed gratitude to everyone who attended the meeting and shared their experiences. "We are listening to foster parents and former children in care so we can understand the real-world challenges and deliver solutions that truly make a difference," Williams said. "Every child deserves a safe home and a chance to thrive." The study, Interim Study 25-109, was heard by the Children, Youth and Family Services Committee at the Oklahoma State Capitol.

