Oklahoma House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka, and House Appropriations & Budget Subcommittee on Human Services Chair Rep. Mark Lawson, R-Sapulpa, today released the below statements after the announcement that the Oklahoma Dept. of Human Services will exit supervision of the 23 Pinnacle Plan metrics not impacted by COVID-19.

"Today is a great day for Oklahoma. This accomplishment is the culmination of years of hard work by our DHS leadership, staff and foster families, and the state owes them each a debt of gratitude. To be recognized by national experts as having a model foster care system is a huge achievement. Oklahoma’s children and families deserve nothing less than the absolute best we can offer, and House Republicans will continue to work with the governor and DHS to identify best practices for our kids, our families and our state moving forward." – House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka

"In the years since the Pinnacle Plan was implemented in Oklahoma, DHS leaders and the Legislature have partnered to improve our state's foster care system, protect our children and strengthen Oklahoma's families. Today's announcement is incredible news for our foster children and their families. Oklahoma is fortunate to have had so many fantastic foster families, support organizations and state employees rise to the occasion, and our placement as a model system is a testament to how hard we've worked to turn around our foster care system. Our commitment to improving services for our foster children must not waiver. All children deserve a safe, stable home and a loving family. I applaud the diligence of our DHS leaders and my colleagues in the Legislature who took what was once a failing system and made it one of the best in the nation." – House Appropriations & Budget Subcommittee on Human Services Chair Rep. Mark Lawson, R-Sapulpa