SECTION 340:75-15-87. Assessing the adoptive applicant

(a)   Resource family assessment (RFA). The Oklahoma Department of Human Services (DHS) or the RFA contractor conducts an assessment into the adoptive applicant's and each household member's background and other circumstances and conditions to determine if the home is suitable and can provide a safe environment for the child in DHS custody available for adoption. DHS assesses the adoptive applicant's ability to parent and provide a safe environment for a child with special needs, per Oklahoma Administrative Code (OAC) 340:75-15-7, per Public Law 96-272. During the assessment process, the adoptive applicant is provided information:

(1)   about the adoption process, adoption laws, and types of parenting issues faced by parents who adopt children with special needs; and

(2)   designed to enhance the adoptive parent's ability to problem solve, access services, and cope with parenting a child with a unique history and special needs.

(b)   Interviews with adoptive applicants and household members. A minimum of two home visits are conducted on different dates to complete individual and joint interviews with each adoptive applicant and household member.

(c)   Authorization to check adoptive applicant's references. The adoptive applicant grants DHS permission to contact his or her references by signing Form 04AF001E, Resource Family Application. The reference information is not provided to the adoptive applicant as part of the completed assessment.

(d)   Assessment of the adoptive applicant's physical health, behavioral health, and ability to parent the child into adult years.

(1)   Each adoptive applicant and adult household member submits completed Form 04AF008E, Medical Examination Report, that verifies the applicant or adult household member's current physical health.

(2)   Each adoptive applicant's or household member's behavioral health history is assessed.

(3)   Each adoptive applicant's ability to provide care for the child into the child's adult years is assessed.

(e)   Marital history. The adoptive applicant verifies his or her marital history by providing a copy of:

(1)   the current marriage license or other evidence of marriage as indicated by the Oklahoma State Courts Network or similar network of another state, when applicable; and

(2)   all divorce, marriage dissolution, legal separation, or annulment documents, when applicable.

(f)   Financial statement. The adoptive applicant completes Form 04AF010E, Resource Family Financial Assessment, and provides documentation of his or her employment, income, and expenditures as a component of the assessment. The adoptive applicant provides verification that he or she can manage personal and household financial needs and must have sufficient income or community resources in order to meet the child's needs.

(g)   Photographs. The adoptive applicant provides recent photographs of himself or herself as a component of the assessment summary.

(h)   Required pre-service training. The adoptive applicant must complete required pre-service training designed to evaluate the strengths, needs, and challenges associated with parenting a child and meeting his or her special needs, per OAC 340:75-7-14.

[Source: Added at 11 Ok Reg 651, eff 11-15-93 (emergency); Added at 11 Ok Reg 3281, eff 6-27-94; Amended at 14 Ok Reg 998, eff 1-24-97 (emergency); Amended at 14 Ok Reg 2288, eff 6-12-97; Amended at 15 Ok Reg 1463, eff 3-30-98 (emergency); Amended at 15 Ok Reg 3886, eff 7-14-98 (emergency); Amended at 16 Ok Reg 102, eff 10-13-98 (preemptive); Amended at 16 Ok Reg 2740, eff 4-14-99 (emergency); Amended at 17 Ok Reg 445, eff 10-19-99 (emergency); Amended at 17 Ok Reg 1311, eff 5-11-00; Amended at 17 Ok Reg 3531, eff 9-7-00 (emergency); Amended at 18 Ok Reg 2128, eff 6-11-01; Amended at 18 Ok Reg 3067, eff 7-12-01; Amended at 19 Ok Reg 419, eff 12-1-01 (emergency); Amended at 19 Ok Reg 2208, eff 6-27-02; Amended at 20 Ok Reg 2072, eff 6-26-03; Amended at 23 Ok Reg 1024, eff 5-11-06; Amended at 24 Ok Reg 1323, eff 6-1-07; Amended at 25 Ok Reg 269, eff 11-1-07 (emergency); Amended at 25 Ok Reg 970, eff 5-15-08; Amended at 26 Ok Reg 884, eff 5-15-09; Amended at 29 Ok Reg 635, eff 6-1-12; Amended at 30 Ok Reg 1358, eff 7-1-13; Amended at 32 Ok Reg 1904, eff 9-15-15; Amended at 35 Ok Reg 1695, eff 9-17-18]