KINSHIP: State Turns to Urgent Placement of Foster Kids with Relatives, Friends

Making matters more urgent are the strict requirements under the Indian Child Welfare Act, which strongly favors placement in tribal households like the Tointighs’. The family said the fact that John Tointigh and their three biological children are members of the Apache tribe increased their appeal in the eyes of DHS. The foster kids they took in come from a different tribe.

Source: State Turns to Urgent Placement of Foster Kids with Relatives, Friends | Oklahoma Watch

Since the latter half of 2016, the percentage of children placed first in a kinship foster home by the state has increased, according to Oklahoma Department of Human Services data. Under DHS' definition, kinship can include not only close blood relatives but also more distant relatives, family friends, community members who have played an important role in the child's life, and others.

Month	Children Placed in Kinship as First Placement	Children Removed from Family Home and Eligible for Placement	Percent of Kinship as First Placement
Baseline: July-December 2016	878	2,540	34.6%
January-June 2017	1,001	2,594	38.6%
July-December 2017	1,009	2,264	44.6%
January-June 2018 (YTD)	664	1,417	46.9%