Oklahoma legislation · 2026 Regular Session
Oklahoma SB1796: Foster care; allowing foster parents to use certain caregivers and arrangements for temporary care of foster children; specifying certain time limit on temporary care. Effective date.
Status: Signed into law, May 13, 2026
What the bill says
An Act relating to foster care; defining terms; allowing foster parents to use certain caregivers and arrangements for temporary care of foster children; specifying certain time limit on temporary care; requiring certain notice; requiring foster parents to identify certain formal alternate caregiver; specifying requirements for alternate caregivers; requiring certain screenings and home evaluation for alternate caregivers; authorizing respite care by certain foster families; providing for qualifications; authorizing certain informal care arrangements…
From the enrolled text, May 7, 2026:
An Act relating to foster care; defining terms; allowing foster parents to use certain caregivers and arrangements for temporary care of foster children; specifying certain time limit on temporary care; requiring certain notice; requiring foster parents to identify certain formal alternate caregiver; specifying requirements for alternate caregivers; requiring certain screenings and home evaluation for alternate caregivers; authorizing respite care by certain foster families; providing for qualifications; authorizing certain informal care arrangements; requiring application of certain parenting standard; prohibiting use of certain informal caregivers; directing promulgation of rules; providing for codification; and providing an effective date. SUBJECT: Foster care temporary arrangements SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 1-7-117 of Title 10A, unless there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows: A. As used in this section: 1. "Alternate caregiver" means a person, assessed and approved by the Department of Human Services, who for not more than fourteen (14) consecutive days, relieves a foster parent's day-to-day responsibilities by temporarily assuming care and supervision of the child in the custody of the Department. Such term applies only to traditional, contracted, and kinship foster care; 2. "Informal care arrangement" means an arrangement a foster parent makes with one or more informal caregivers, who may be friends, neighbors, or relatives, for …