Oklahoma’s foster care system is no longer under federal oversight after 13 years, officials announced Thursday.
A federal judge ended the class action lawsuit that had closely examined the state’s foster care system. The lawsuit aimed to improve conditions for children in state custody.
Known as the “Pinnacle Plan,” the state committed to meeting specific performance goals to resolve the class action case. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of children in Oklahoma’s foster care system.
“We’ve made huge investments into our child welfare system and have made the well-being of our state’s children a top priority,” said Governor Kevin Stitt. “The conclusion of the Pinnacle Plan highlights that our state is on the right track.”
At the time of publication, the Oklahoma Department of Human Services had not disclosed the costs related to the lawsuit.
The case dates back to 2012 when Oklahoma settled the federal class action lawsuit D.G. vs. Yarbrough. The lawsuit claimed that the state failed to provide adequate care for foster children. As part of the settlement, Oklahoma agreed to address issues of abuse and neglect, increase the number of foster homes, reduce the number of children in shelters, manage child welfare worker caseloads, and find more permanent placements for children.
The state appointed three co-neutrals to monitor progress on these measures.
In March 2023, Oklahoma was released from most of the consent decree but was still required to work on seven key areas.
Fred Dorwart, an attorney representing the children in the lawsuit, praised the transformation of Oklahoma’s foster care system. “The Court-ordered Consent Decree, with the exceptional work of the co-neutrals, successfully transformed Oklahoma’s foster care system from one that failed to meet basic constitutional standards to one that is now nationally recognized,” he said. “This lawsuit shows the effectiveness of litigation in driving agency reform and improvement.”
Senate Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle, emphasized that the funds spent on legal fees could now be redirected toward improving child welfare services.
House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, cautioned that while the end of the Pinnacle Plan is a positive step, the state still faces challenges. “We can’t let up now,” he said.
Since 2014, Oklahoma has reduced the number of children in foster care from over 11,000 to 5,800 in March 2023, according to the Oklahoma Department of Human Services.
Additionally, Oklahoma has entered into a separate consent decree to resolve a federal class action lawsuit over mental health services for defendants awaiting trial.
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