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DHS highlights child welfare gains under Pinnacle Plan, lawmakers press on caseloads and transition services
Summary
DHS said foster placements and out‑of‑home counts have fallen from about 6,300 in 2023 to just over 5,700; committee members pushed for attention to caseloads, services for youth aging out of foster care and support for kinship caregivers.
Department of Human Services officials told the House Appropriations and Budget Committee the Pinnacle Plan has contributed to declines in out‑of‑home placements, but legislators pressed the agency on heavy caseloads, post‑adoption support and transition services for youth who age out of foster care.
Cartmell said the number of Oklahoma children removed from their homes and placed in out‑of‑home care was more than 6,300 in 2023 and the most recent figure he’d seen was just over 5,700. “I think that speaks to a lot of things. First and foremost is the dedication of the agency to provide treatment and prevention services to families,” he said.
Why it matters: Lower placements can reflect…
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