Logan Community Services will help recruit foster care families

The Oklahoma Association of Youth Services (OAYS) has announced that it is subcontracting with local community-based youth service agencies to provide local foster family recruitment, support, and retention services.  

OAYS Executive Director Shawn Black says that “due to the increases in the number of children in out-of-home placement throughout Oklahoma, the Oklahoma Association of Youth Services and designated youth services agencies are ready to help recruit, support and retain good quality foster families in rural areas.”

OAYS will contract with DHS to provide technical assistance, training, service coordination, and financial oversight for qualifying member agencies.  Those agencies will recruit and support foster families for children in need of homes.  Foster families will also receive caseworker support and monthly payments directly from DHS.

Logan Community Services will provide foster care as an OAYS Subcontractor beginning in July.  Executive Director William Alexander says that Logan Community Services staff members are looking forward to the opportunity to make a real impact on the state’s foster care system.

“We are dedicated to making this an efficient and productive program because the children in Oklahoma who need a home need our support.”

Shawn Black says that youth services agencies are a natural choice to provide foster care to their community’s abused, neglected, and homeless children.

“Youth Services Agencies have been providing services to children, youth and families in their local communities for more than 40 years,” Black says.  “We have the services and community connections that can help foster families succeed. The community-based service model can provide foster families and kids with the local services needed for them to be successful.”

OAYS Agencies will work in three of five service regions, which span across the state.

Black says his goal is “to create a system of caring foster families helping children in their communities.  We want local families to take care of local kids. All foster care children will be placed as close to their home community as possible.”

Two of the qualifying agencies already provide some foster care services in their communities, and many operate emergency youth shelters for children in state custody.  Youth & Family Services, Inc. (YFS) in El Reno has been providing foster care services for five years. In that time, YFS has placed 119 children in loving foster homes with virtually no turnover, and celebrated 17 adoptions.

“We have seen some amazing outcomes in foster care using our model,” explains YFS Executive Director Dee Blose.  “Families have reported great satisfaction with the service set and children have been given very stable care.  We look forward to other youth service agencies starting to help meet this very important need.”

Logan Community Services is located at 4710 South Division in Guthrie, OK. Those interested in finding out more about the foster care program in Logan County may contact Megan Campbell, Foster Care Coordinator, at (405) 282-5524 to schedule an appointment. Those outside of Logan County can contact OAYS at (405) 528-4120.