Adoption Option, Number 1

In the next few days, or weeks, we are going to give you the Adoption Options as they stand in Oklahoma. So today, the first option available to families, is through the Department of Human Services. To make it simple and to the point. There are mainly two ways in which you may adopt children through DHS.

The first way to adopt a child through the Department of Human Services (hereinafter DHS) is to foster children. Click HERE to find out how to become a foster parent. The good side of this is that you do not have to pay to become a foster parent, in fact, you are paid to foster children in the State of Oklahoma. In addition, the children will have their own health insurance, DHS will pay for daycare if it is needed, and you will receive a monthly stipend. The downside to this, you have DHS in your home, you are restricted in your parenting methods (such as discipline) and you MUST take a training course, which is about seven weeks. But again, I must point out....it is biblical, and it is FREE. In addition, if the child placed in your home becomes eligible for adoption, the legal services finalizing the adoption are paid for by OKDHS. Therefore, this is really the only FREE method of adoption in Oklahoma.

The second way is to apply to adopt a "waiting child". These children are typically older children, mixed races, sibling groups or special needs. But wonderful, beautiful, loving little creations that need a home and a forever family. Click HERE on how to adopt through DHS. The only expense to the family is the medical exam that each family member must have prior to finalization. Click HERE to see some of the precious children right here in Oklahoma, waiting on a family.

So that is lesson number one on adoption options....please ask questions and check back for updates and answers to those questions.

***It was brought to my attention that you may have to pay for a physical which costs approximately $50. You will incur this cost!

Adoption Task Force

Whoa! I am so excited about this group and what they are doing!



On Friday, the committee had their monthly meeting and I sat in on it. I wasn't really invited, but was told it was open so I went to see what they do. It was so cool!



This is a group of people who are working together to improve adoption in the state of Oklahoma. They are not just working on domestic adoption, but international and DHS adoption as well! The two men leading the meeting were Representative Jason Nelson and Senator Steve Russell. I am not sure how this committee was put together, but they did a wonderful job opening the doors to so many different people in different areas to create a wonderful balance. There were 3 judges, several different agencies represented, the Oklahoma Adoption Coalition, a public defender and that's just what I could see from the name tags I could read!



I was so proud of myself for keeping quiet and just listening. Blake will be the first to tell you that I am not a good listener, so this took a lot of work for me to just sit there and take it all in. In all honesty though, I was just shocked at all they are wanting to do with this committee! It makes me so proud of our state that we have this group of people working to better adoption for everyone involved. The group broke out into subcommittees to look at different areas to be addressed: courts, adoption related expenses, and children's rights.



So I just had to let you know what we are doing to continue to support changes in law and find resources to encourage those that are thinking about adoption. If you haven't yet contacted these two politicians about our desires to amend current laws in OK with Cooper's Law please take the chance to do so today. If you click on their names above it is linked to their contact information. I am hoping that with my presence at these meetings I could draw more attention to this amendment. Please also pray for everything that we are following what God is calling us to do in Oklahoma to care for His children and families.



If you would like to know more about Cooper's Law, go here or email us (mollykshockley@hotmail.com) and we'll send you the full text amendment. Some of you asked about a form letter so that you could have friends easily send out an email, but after researching it we decided that they are not very effective. My email was not lengthy but let them know why I supported Cooper's Law and how much I appreciate their attention and concern for adoption in Oklahoma. Thanks again for your constant support!