Deadline Set In Lawsuit Against Oklahoma DHS

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- A New York-based children's group has a March 9 deadline to propose changes it wants to see in Oklahoma's child welfare system.

Children's Rights is suing the state Department of Human Services over what it says is an inadequate system of foster care for children.

Related story: 1/7/2009  Tulsa Judge Greenlights Federal DHS Case

Federal Judge Gregory Frizzell in Tulsa wants Children's Rights to provide a list of proposals he could order if the group wins the lawsuit.

Children's Rights director Marcia Lowry says the group hasn't completed its fact-finding process but she says some problems are obvious.

She says child welfare workers have too many cases, there are too few foster homes and some of the foster homes are not appropriate for children and she expects to ask for reforms in those areas.