Oklahoma House advances HB 3380 to expand foster-care data transparency and strengthen child welfare oversight

Legislation targets reporting, technology upgrades, and outcomes tracking across Oklahoma’s child welfare system

Oklahoma lawmakers are moving forward with a bipartisan proposal intended to restructure how the state tracks performance in foster care and broader child welfare services. House Bill 3380, titled the “Fostering the Future for Oklahoman Children and Families Act,” advanced from a House committee in early March and was sent to the full House for consideration.

The measure would require the Department of Human Services to complete a set of reforms within 180 days of the bill taking effect. Among the core changes is a directive for the agency to improve the collection, publication, and usefulness of child-welfare data, including efforts to eliminate reporting requirements described in the bill as duplicative, high-cost, or low-value, while expanding the pace and scope of public data publication.

Annual scorecard and system modernization are central requirements

HB 3380 would mandate publication of an annual scorecard intended to measure progress on key outcomes. The bill lists target areas that include reducing unnecessary entries into foster care, shortening the time between maltreatment reports and investigations, reducing injuries and fatalities caused by caregiver neglect and abuse, increasing foster parent recruitment and retention, improving caregiver-child matching, and reducing placement disruptions. It also seeks to shorten the average time children spend in foster care and accelerate permanent placements.

In addition, the bill calls for modernization of child-welfare information systems and expanded use of technology. That includes potential use of predictive analytics and artificial intelligence tools, with the bill specifying that any pilots or demonstration programs should include privacy and bias safeguards.

Transition supports for youth leaving foster care

The proposal would also create a “Fostering the Future” initiative to build partnerships with private-sector organizations, academic institutions, and nonprofit entities to develop education and employment opportunities for youth who are in foster care or transitioning out of it. It further directs development of an online platform designed to help former foster youth assess needs and access services such as housing, education, employment, health care, and mentoring, including a searchable database of resources and customized self-sufficiency plans.

• Develop a statewide plan for a foster-youth support platform and partnerships focused on education and work opportunities.
• Create strategies to reallocate unexpended or returned transition-related funds, subject to legislative appropriation authority.
• Increase flexibility in state-administered education and training assistance for individuals transitioning out of foster care.

Faith-based partnerships and participation in federally funded programs

HB 3380 includes provisions directing the department to take action addressing state or local policies that “inappropriately prohibit” participation in federally funded child-welfare programs by qualified individuals or organizations based on sincerely held religious beliefs or moral convictions. The bill also directs efforts to increase partnerships with faith-based organizations and houses of worship for families whose children are in foster care or at risk of entering custody.

The bill sets an effective date of November 1, 2026, and requires annual implementation reporting to legislative leaders.

Projected cost and next steps

A legislative fiscal summary attached to the introduced version estimates total implementation costs of about $55.9 million, split evenly between state and federal funds, with a DHS state-share impact listed at $27.95 million. The bill specifies that implementation is subject to the availability of appropriations and clarifies that it does not create enforceable legal rights or benefits against the state.

HB 3380 is positioned for debate on the House floor, where lawmakers would determine whether the proposal advances further in the 2026 legislative session.