TULSA, Okla. — A new law will allow licensed group homes in Oklahoma to file protective orders on behalf of the children in their care.
The Tulsa Girls Home said this a win for girls in foster care and after finding legal loopholes, they knew something had to change.
CO-Founder and CEO Brittany Stokes said House Bill 2207 is just one way of putting the advocacy into action.
“This allows Tulsa Girls home and other residential care facilities to go and take a protective order out on someone who is targeting our group homes, who wants to take these girls and exploit them for personal gain,” said Stokes.
Stokes said the Tulsa Girls Home opened its doors in 2021. They shelter, support, and empower teen girls who have been placed in foster care. They continuously work to protect them in a time when Stokes said the girls are vulnerable.
“These girls want to belong. They want someone to love them. They want someone to cherish them, to give them attention, you know? They are vulnerable. They are very much like someone who wants to traffic a child, who wants to abuse a child, exploit a child. This is who they seek. They seek girls in foster care,” Stokes said.
She said the home has seen predatory behavior firsthand.
“We had a person who was pretending to be much younger than he was and really pulling on this girl’s heartstrings in her situation. She was very much abused by this person,” said Stokes. “We were thankful that we were able to work alongside Tulsa PD, Jenks PD, the DA and prosecute him and he is now serving time, but that’s not the normal.”
Stokes said she went to State representative Mike Lay to let him know this was a problem that needed to be addressed. Lay said that Stokes’ situation exposed a gap in the law.
“It basically did not allow a DHS certified facility like Brittany’s to step in and protect some of our most vulnerable populations,” said Lay.
Stokes said this new law gives the home peace of mind to know they can respond quickly in these situations. Lay said he can’t think of a better example of people going to government with concerns and the government serving the people in return.
The bill that is now law passed with unanimous bipartisan support and will go into effect on July 1.
If you’d like to support the Tulsa Girls Home, you can help them fulfil their wish list of needed items for the girls by clicking here.
To read the full bill, click here.
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