Sen. Paul Rosino, R, Senate Health & Human Services Chairman, is renewing an effort to create a single Oklahoma agency focused exclusively on children after similar legislation failed to advance last year.

Senate Bill 1570 passed the Senate but never received a hearing in the House. Sen. Rosino, who is behind the proposal, says growing concerns about child welfare and the well-being of Oklahoma children prompted her to bring the idea back.

A “holistic approach” to children’s services

The proposal would combine several child-focused programs and agencies under one umbrella, including child welfare, foster care, behavioral health services, the Office of Juvenile Affairs and other youth-related programs.

The goal, he said, is to create a more coordinated system that addresses the full range of children’s needs.

“We need to have a sole agency that really concentrates on kids,” said Sen. Rosino. “By having a holistic approach, everything in one agency would be helpful to children.”

Concerns about child welfare

Sen. Rosino says Oklahoma must do more to protect abused and neglected children, noting that intervention doesn’t always mean removing a child from a home.

In some situations, he said, families simply need education, support or services. However, safety concerns can require children to be placed elsewhere.

He also pointed to growing behavioral health challenges facing Oklahoma adolescents as another reason for restructuring services.

DHS already handling broad responsibilities

The proposal is not intended as criticism of the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, he said.

DHS currently oversees a wide range of programs, including aging services, childcare, family support and services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

“DHS is a behemoth,” said Sen. Rosino. “Those people work very hard over there.”

Still, the senator believes child welfare is an area where Oklahoma can improve by creating a dedicated agency focused solely on children.

Not a quick fix

The senator acknowledged the proposal is not a “silver bullet” and would take time to implement.

He said he worked with stakeholders, including foster care advocates, and revised the legislation multiple times based on feedback.

According to the proposal, most existing funding would move with the programs into the new agency, limiting the need for significant new spending outside of administrative costs.

Building support for a long-term change

Sen. Rosino described the effort as a multi-year project requiring lawmakers to understand why a structural change is needed.

While disappointed the bill stalled in the House last year, he said she believes support is growing.

“It’s going to take some time to change hearts and minds,” said Sen. Rosino. “I’m hoping this year we can make some headway there.”

Key Takeaway

Supporters say a standalone children’s agency would give Oklahoma a more focused approach to child welfare, foster care and youth behavioral health, while opponents and lawmakers continue to weigh the costs and logistics of a major government reorganization.

Oklahoma Farm Bureau President Stacy Simunek released the following statement after the State of Oklahoma and 11 Arkansas-based poultry announced Monday, July 13, that a nearly $44 million settlement had been reached in the decades-long lawsuit regarding the application of chicken litter in the Illinois River Watershed.

Oklahoma Farm Bureau members are pleased with the proposed settlement reached between the State of Oklahoma and 11 poultry companies operating in Oklahoma’s Illinois River Watershed over the state’s long-running lawsuit that was based on outdated science and production methods.

The original lawsuit, filed in 2005, created uncertainty for family farmers and ranchers for more than two decades, and this agreement provides a way for Oklahoma farm and ranch families to continue their important work to feed Americans without being unnecessarily burdened.

We appreciate Attorney General Drummond working with the poultry industry to reach a proposed solution that allows the poultry companies and our family farmers to continue to produce the food products we all rely upon while ensuring our shared natural resources are safeguarded for generations to come.

Our state’s farmers and ranchers, including poultry producers in the Illinois River Watershed, are committed to implementing voluntary environmental stewardship practices each and every day to ensure their land is productive and our rural communities are protected.