means an individual who is adopted or is to be adopted.
means a way of providing security for and meeting the developmental needs of a child by legally transferring ongoing parental responsibilities for that child from the birth parents to the adoptive parent(s), and, in the process, creating a new kinship network that links the birth family and the adoptive family through the child.
means the interruption of an adoption after placement of the child and before legal finalization of the adoption.
means an adoptive family who has completed the required assessment process in accordance with OAC 340:75-15-88.
means a psychologically rooted tie between two persons that permits them to have affectual significance for each other.
means permission from State Office Children and Family Services Division to proceed with an offer of a child to an approved adoptive resource family.
means an Oklahoma Department of Human Services (OKDHS) sponsored arrangement for a prospective adoptive parent(s) to view a child without meeting or being introduced to the child as a prospective parent(s).
means the provision of reunification services while simultaneously developing an alternative plan, in case reunification efforts fail or are no longer feasible.
is not synonymous with race or ethnicity. It is the shared values, norms, traditions, customs, arts, history, folklore, and institutions of a group of people who share historical or geographical proximity.
means a form signed by the Director of OKDHS or a designee authorizing an OKDHS employee to sign consent to the adoption of a child who is in the custody of OKDHS.
means the legal consummation of an adoption.
means the process a person undergoes in order to recover from a loss.
means federal and state legislation which sets minimum standards for the removal and placement of Indian children from their families and tribes as described in the Federal Indian Child Welfare Act, Section 1901 of Title 25 of the United States Code and Oklahoma Indian Child Welfare Act, Section 40 et seq. of Title 10 of the Oklahoma Statutes.
means a decree giving the care and custody of the child to the petitioners pending further order of the court.
means a private agency that is licensed by OKDHS. A licensed child-placing agency is authorized to approve families for adoptive placement, and to place children who are legally available for adoption.
means a compilation of photographs, documents, mementos, illustrations, and narrative accounts of important events in a child's and family's life. The child's Life Book is compiled with or for a child who is in the custody of OKDHS. A Life Book is constructed so that it may be used to prepare a child for placement. The adoptive resource family's Life Book is completed by the family as a part of the assessment process.
means the affectual state one experiences when something of significance is unexpectedly withdrawn. Loss is a universal human experience, and a pervasive area of concern in adoptive situations. Loss is a recurrent issue and is stimulated by subsequent losses.
means an experienced adoptive parent who serves as a support person to adoptive families.
"Media recruitment" means the use of newspaper, radio, television, Internet, or other communication resources to provide general information about adoption or to provide specific information about a child available for adoption.
means written notification to the putative father of a child born out of wedlock that the birth mother is considering adoptive placement for the child. Notice of Plan for Adoption can be given by OKDHS, a licensed child placing agency, or an attorney representing prospective adoptive parent(s) of the child, either before or after the birth of the child.
means the father of a minor born out of wedlock or a minor whose mother was married to another person at the time of the birth of the minor, or within the ten months prior to the birth of the minor and includes, but is not limited to, a man who has acknowledged or claims paternity of a minor, a man named by the mother of the minor to be the father of the minor, or any man who is alleged to have engaged in sexual intercourse with a woman during a possible time of conception.
means the process of locating an adult birth relative with whom contact has been lost through adoption or termination of parental rights.
means a child with special needs as defined by Public Law 96-272, who may be difficult to place for adoption due to a serious physical or mental disability, emotional disturbance, high risk to develop a physical or mental disability, age, sibling relationship, racial or cultural factors, or a combination of these conditions.
means processes completed by contracted agencies or OKDHS staff to gather history regarding a child in the custody of OKDHS, biological family background, medical, educational, and social history for purposes of full disclosure to a prospective adoptive family.
means a judicial proceeding that frees a child from all custody and control by a parent(s) |
