Definitions

Resource Home

A foster care home approved to provide care for children in OKDHS custody, including traditional, kinship, TFC, ITFC, and adoptive resource families. 

Pre-Service

Required training completed before approval as a resource parent that prepares applicants for caregiving responsibilities and provides an opportunity for self-assessment. 

In-Service

Required annual training completed by resource parents to maintain approval as a resource home. 

Traditional Foster Care

Temporary, 24-hour care provided in a family home for children from birth to 18 years of age who are in OKDHS custody.

Resource Family Partner (RFP)

A private, licensed child-placing agency that contracts with OKDHS to coordinate and provide foster care services in accordance with Oklahoma Administrative Code (OAC) 340:110-5 and 340:75-7.

Kinship Foster Care

Foster care provided by a relative or fictive kin (a close family friend or other adult with a significant relationship to the child) when the child’s parents are unable to provide care.

The Intensive Treatment Family Care (ITFC)

A foster care program that provides treatment and support for children ages 6–17 who have experienced multiple placements but can successfully live in a family setting with intensive services. 

Therapeutic Foster Care(TFC)

A foster care program that serves children ages 4–18 with significant emotional, behavioral, social, or psychological needs who benefit from living in a family setting while receiving more intensive therapeutic services than are available in traditional foster care.