Library: News Release
On any given day, there are more than 200 children in emergency children’s shelters all across this state. These children find themselves in the custody of Oklahoma Department of Human Services (DHS) through no fault of their own and are awaiting foster homes. Being in an emergency children’s shelter can be a lonely experience for a child, particularly during the holidays. While shelter staff members are compassionate and do everything they can to make the children happy and comfortable, every child deserves to be with a family.
During the Christmas season, DHS wants Oklahomans to remember these children and think about hosting children in their homes. The agency is seeking people who would be interested in opening their homes to children in an emergency shelter to spend the Christmas holiday with their family.
Volunteers who would like to host a child must pass a criminal background check and a home inspection. Because there are typically more volunteers for host homes than the number of children available, there is no guarantee of being matched with a child for Christmas. However, there are children in emergency shelters every day of the year, not just on Christmas day. There are opportunities every day and on weekends to help these children.
DHS wants people who would be interested in being an emergency host home or who are thinking about becoming foster parents to strongly consider this opportunity. Help provide these children homes for the holidays.
If you are interested in getting involved in helping children in DHS custody, please go to /content/sok-wcm/en/okdhs.html and look for the “Home for the Holidays” link. There are designated DHS contacts for each area of the state.
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Editors Note: DHS can provide names and contact numbers of families who have served as emergency host homes and as foster parents who are willing to be interviewed about their experiences. Please contact the DHS Office of Communications for more information.
