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OKLAHOMA CAPITOL --- On any given day there are nearly 7,000 children in foster care in Oklahoma. And though quality foster homes are needed for all children, there is a particular need for families willing to care for children with special needs.
“It’s safe to say that nearly a third of children in state custody have some kind of special medical need,” said Margaret Linnemann, Oklahoma Department of Human Services Foster Care program manager. “And these children need special foster parents to help care for them.”
Though there are children of all ages in foster care with medical needs, the majority of them range from ages six to 18. Their needs cover a wide range such as Muscular Dystrophy, Autism, respiratory challenges, blindness, hearing loss and mental delay.
“Some of these children where born healthy and now face medical needs as a result of abuse and neglect,” said Linnemann. “Some have suffered physical trauma that has left them without sight or hearing while others suffer from a delay in mental development simply because they were locked away and neglected, sometimes for years, before they came into foster care. And then there are children who were born exposed to Methamphetamines, the results of which we don’t fully know since this is the first generation to suffer this kind of abuse and neglect.”
Some of these children are part of a sibling group and are unfortunately separated from their brother or sister who has special medical needs because of the lack of foster parents willing to care for them. Regardless of what medical needs these children have, they all need the same thing, a loving, caring home.
“We need foster parents who either have medical training or are willing to be educated about the children’s medical needs,” said Linnemann. “These are great children who already face enough challenges, not having a place to call home shouldn’t be one of them.”
OKDHS provides a special difficulty of care stipend for children with medical needs based on the child’s particular needs. Medical, dental and mental health benefits will also be provided to the foster child.
To become a foster parent you must be 21 years old and financially stable. You do not have to own your own home and you can be married or single. There can be a maximum of five foster children in the home and six children total. Childcare assistance is available for foster parents who work 20 hours or more a week.
If you or someone you know would like to experience the rewards of becoming a foster parent for a child with special medical needs, or if you would like to become a volunteer, please call 1-800-376-9729, or go to http://www.OKDHS.org. To report suspected child abuse or neglect, call 1-800-522-3511, or contact your local OKDHS human services center.
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