A. There is hereby created in the State Treasury a revolving fund for the State Department of Health to be designated the "Children First Fund". The fund shall be a continuing fund, not subject to fiscal year limitations, and shall consist of all monies deposited to the credit of the fund by law. All monies accruing to the credit of the fund are hereby appropriated and may be budgeted and expended by the State Department of Health for operation of Children First family resource programs. Expenditures from the fund shall be made upon warrants issued by the State Treasurer against claims filed as prescribed by law with the Director of the Office of Management and Enterprise Services for approval and payment.

B. The State Department of Health shall submit to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, and the Governor by January 15 of each year, an annual report, including a full accounting of administrative expenditures from the fund for the prior fiscal year, and a summary detailing the demographic characteristics of families served including, but not limited to, the following:

1. Age and marital status of parent(s);

2. Household composition of families served;

3. Number of families accepted into the program, by location, and average length of time enrolled;

4. Referrals made on behalf of families not accepted into the program; and

5. Average actual expenditures per child during the most recent state fiscal year.

C. Projects shall comply with the uniform components of the State Plan for the Prevention of Child Abuse.

D. The Department shall forward to the Oklahoma Health Care Authority a report of the total number of hours of nursing services provided to families under Children First family resource programs. The Oklahoma Health Care Authority shall submit such information to the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services for purposes of applying for federal matching funds and shall submit any necessary applications for waivers to accomplish the provisions of this subsection.

E. The State Department of Health shall contract with a university-related program for a performance-based evaluation of programs. Program sites shall fully cooperate and comply with the evaluation process, and sites shall provide weekly caseload and referral information to the State Department of Health.

Added by Laws 1997, c. 375, § 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1997. Amended by Laws 1998, c. 392, § 5, eff. Sept. 1, 1998; Laws 2001, c. 356, § 5, emerg. eff. June 4, 2001; Laws 2003, c. 103, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2003; Laws 2012, c. 304, § 477.