Senator James Lankford applauds Governor Fallin’s new Oklahoma Fosters Initiative to help address the needs of the approximately 11,000 children in the state’s foster system. The initiative is meant to recruit more foster and adoptive families in Oklahoma.
“I applaud the new Oklahoma Fosters Initiative to recruit more foster and adoptive families for our children who are in the foster care system,” said Lankford. “Foster children often go through a lot, so we must step up and care for the 11,000 children in our state’s foster system and make sure they have a stable environment to grow and thrive. In America, about 250,000 children enter the foster care system every year – many of these children will reunite with their families but many will remain in foster care, or even ‘age out’ of the foster system.
“There is no substitute for a safe and stable family to the health and well-being of children. To address many of the poor outcomes associated with the foster care experience, and to prevent the ‘age out’ crisis, we must work together to provide families for Oklahoma children. Other states have seen success with initiatives like this, and I’m hopeful that we can drastically reduce the number of waiting children by encouraging adoption, stable foster care, and healthy reunification.”
The Oklahoma Fosters Initiative brings together state, tribal, and local governments with businesses, non-profits, and the faith based community to help find foster families. The campaign’s website is www.OklahomaFosters.com .
