My 2 Cents: Foster Families And Fort Sill Immigrant Children

Last week I started asking the Health and Human Services Department some pointed questions about the unaccompanied minors at Fort Sill.

Tuesday, July 22nd 2014, 10:14 pm

By: News 9


Last week I started asking the Health and Human Services Department some pointed questions about the unaccompanied minors at Fort Sill.

After learning on my tour two weeks ago that more that hundreds of children who'd crossed the border illegally had been discharged, nearly 1,000 as of Tuesday, I wanted to know where they were going, and specifically if the federal government was planning to use Oklahoma foster families.

The answers were vague, but I learned from another source that DHS had been contacted. And today Gov. Fallin talked to HHS and got more answers about the DHS contact.

"…And asked if we could take some of these migrant children into our foster care families in the state which takes away from Oklahoma kids who are waiting to get into the foster care system," Fallin said.

My concern exactly. And they told the governor, 212 of the children have already been released into Oklahoma, either to family or sponsors that are here legally or illegally.

And yes Oklahoma would be expected to pick up the cost of educating these children, usually twice as much because they don't speak English, and HHS admitted state taxpayers could end of paying for medical care they might need.

The governor wants the President to stick to his promise of closing the shelter at Fort Sill in 120 days, but the Fed is already trying to extend that another three months.

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