On the first day of his second term, Governor Kevin Stitt signed Executive Order 2023-01, forming the Child Welfare Task Force. The Task Force will be comprised of 12 members, whose focus will be to improve Oklahoma’s child welfare system.
“One of a state’s most important responsibilities is to protect the lives and safety of its citizens. Paramount among these, is protecting and enhancing the lives of our children. Some of the hardest and most difficult work that any state does is in child welfare. We must continue to meet this challenge head on. As Governor I am committed to protecting our youngest and future generations,” the executive order reads.
The Task Force shall study, evaluate, and make recommendations regarding policies, programs and proposed legislation that will:
- Further reduce the time to permanency in the foster care system;
- Further reduce the amount of re-entries to foster care after discharge to permanency;
- Identify risk factors that lead to the removal of children from their biological parents’ home; and
- Identify and propose areas of support for biological parents
Executive Order 2023-01, including information on the determination of members, can be read in full here.
