Board Votes To Change DHS Rules Following Childâ€™s Death

The board that governs the Oklahoma Department of Human Services votes unanimously to change the way DHS oversees childcare in the state. The changes are aimed to help the DHS staff be more efficient

Tuesday, July 24th 2007, 9:00 pm

By: News On 6

The board that governs the Oklahoma Department of Human Services votes unanimously to change the way DHS oversees childcare in the state. The changes are aimed to help the DHS staff be more efficient when dealing with problems in the state's childcare system. News On 6 anchor Jennifer Loren reports the changes to Department of Human Services policy comes in the wake of 2-year-old Joshua Minton's death at his Tulsa daycare earlier this year.

The Oklahoma Human Services Commission voted for six different policy changes.

They will make it easier to declare an emergency shutdown order for a daycare by giving more people the authority to order the declarations.

Child care facilities must post, in a prominent location, summaries of any investigations where child welfare allegations were confirmed. Those must remain posted for 120 days after the investigation is complete.

Daycares that have employees with criminal histories must also post that information for as long as that employee lives or works there.

Officials will create a compliance file to include recent complaints and compliance issues. That file will be accessible to the public.

Daycare providers must now complete additional training, including reporting procedures for child abuse and neglect.

The DHS website, www.okdhs.org, is being revamped and will give the public some access to child care facilities and complaints against them. It is expected to be up and running by the end of the year.