Oklahoma foster care and adoption guidelines
Thank you for considering becoming a foster and adoptive parent. Your desire to share your love and your life with a child will create permanency for children that will last a lifetime.
Also see information about becoming a foster parent or therapeutic foster care provider at the Oklahoma Fosters website.
On this page:
- State contact information
- Foster care and adoption licensing requirements
- Costs to foster and adopt
- Post-adoption support services
- Agency contact and orientation information
- Information on Oklahoma's children
State contact information
Contact the Oklahoma Department of Human Services for more information regarding foster care and adoption in Oklahoma.
Phone: 800-376-9729
Website: Oklahoma Department of Human Services
Licensing requirements for foster or adoption
Basic requirements include:
- You must be at least 21 years old.
- You must be in reasonably good health.
- You can be single, married, divorced or widowed.
- You must have or provide sufficient beds and space for personal items for additional children.
- You must be able to manage your income to meet the financial needs of your family.
- You must be capable of understanding, loving and accepting a child. Your role is to provide protection and nurturance to the child/children placed in your care and to act as a role model.
- If you have a spouse or partner, he or she is also required to participate in the home assessment process and to attend the27-hour orientation session with you.
You must complete a home assessment, which includes:
- Completion of OKDHS forms and application
- Reference checks
- Background checks
- Medical examination report
- Fingerprinting
- Family assessment, including interviews with all family members;
- Completion of 27-hour resource family orientation
- House safety assessment
- Verification of income sufficient to meet your needs
- Verification of vaccination for pets
- Automobile insurance verification
Costs to foster and adopt
It is always free to adopt or foster.
Post-adoption support services
See a comprehensive list of post-adoption and guardianship support services and support groups available to families who live in Oklahoma.
Agency contact and orientation information
In addition to State Department of Human Resources, the following private agencies have programs and services for children in need of a permanent home. They work with many situations, including private adoption and adopting a child from foster care. They welcome you to contact them or view their website for additional information.
Child Study Center
Phone: 405-271-5700
Address: 1100 NE 13th, Oklahoma City, OK 73117
The Children's Center
Phone: 405-440-9866
Address: 6800 NW 39th Expressway, Bethany, OK 73008
National Resource Center for Youth Services
Phone: 800-274-2687
Address: 4502 E 41st Street, Tulsa, OK 74135-2553
JD McCarty Center for Children with Developmental Disabilities
Phone: 405-307-2800 or 800-777-1272
Address: 2002 E Robinson Street, Norman, OK 73071
Oklahoma CASA Association
Phone: 405-524-8999 or 800-742-2272
Address: PO Box 54946, Oklahoma City, OK 73154
Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy
Phone: 405-236-5437
Address: 2915 N. Classen Blvd, Suite 320, Oklahoma City, OK 73118
Oklahoma Family Network (OFN)
Phone: 405-271-5072 or 877-871-5072
Mailing Address: PO Box 21072, Oklahoma City, OK 73156-1072
Private adoption agencies
Adoption Choices of Oklahoma
Phone: 405-794-7500 or 800.898.6028
Text: 405-310-8790
Address: 201 N Broadway, Suite 107, Moore, OK 73160
Crisis Pregnancy Outreach
Phone: 918-296-3377
Address: PO Box 1113 Jenks, OK 74037
Deaconess Adoption Services
Phone: 405-949-4200 or 800-567-6631
Address: 8308 N. May Avenue, Suite 100 Oklahoma City, OK 73120
Dillon International, Inc.
Phone: 918-749-4600
Address: 7335 S. Lewis Avenue, Suite 204 Tulsa, OK 74136
Eastern Oklahoma Youth Services
Phone: 918-420-5325
Address: 2626 S 14th Street, Suite A-20, McAlester, OK 74501
Nightlight Christian Adoptions
Phone: 918-491-6767
7929 E. 50th, Suite D7, Tulsa, OK 74145
Lilyfield
Phone: 405-216-5240
Address: 501 E 15th Street, #400A, Edmond, OK 73013
Oklahoma Baptist Home for Children
Phone: 405-942-3800
Address: 3800 N. May Avenue Oklahoma City, OK 73112 (corporate office)
Information on Oklahoma's children
The Oklahoma Department of Human Services has 9,000 children in out-of-home care. We are looking for adoptive families for approximately 500 children.
Children come into the care of the state child welfare system due to abuse or neglect. Many are sibling groups and are from all cultural and socio-economic backgrounds. Some, but not all, of the children are already legally free for adoption.