In the early 1980s, a lawsuit was brought forward by seven teenage plaintiffs in the custody of the Department of Human Services known as the “Terry D. Case.” The lawsuit alleged instances of abuse and generally horrific conditions faced by Oklahoma children in state custody and cared for by institutions. Along with the lawsuit, local Gannett news aired a series of reports called ‘Oklahoma’s Shame,’ which helped lead to a massive change in the child welfare system. As part of these changes, in 1982, Oklahoma House Bill 1468 was signed into law and the Oklahoma Commission on Children and Youth (OCCY) was created to bring accountability and oversight into the child and youth service systems of Oklahoma. Programs within OCCY include the Oklahoma Child Death Review Boards, the Post Adjudication Review Boards, Freestanding Multidisciplinary Teams, the Office of Planning and Coordination, and the Office of Juvenile System Oversight. For more than 39 years, OCCY has successfully worked for the establishment of effective services, has been instrumental in the remediation or elimination of substandard services, and has helped create quality systems for children, youth, and families.
