Current through Vol. 42, No. 1, September 16, 2024
(a)
Licensing staff training. All Oklahoma Child Care Services (OCCS)
licensing staff are required to receive job-related training on an annual
basis. This includes the new worker licensing training required for all new
licensing staff. An annual training plan is developed for each employee with
the employee's supervisor.
(b)
Professional development of OCCS staff. OCCS may award
scholarships for coursework leading to a master's degree in early childhood
education at an Oklahoma public university. The program may be discontinued at
any time based on unavailability of funding.
(1) Scholarships are awarded to employees
based upon supervisory recommendation and selection by the OCCS Education
Assistance Committee. Preference is given to staff who have three years of
Oklahoma Department of Human Services (OKDHS) employment.
(2) Applications are not accepted for
participants while in probationary status or a trial period or during any level
of corrective discipline. Once approved, any continued participation is based
upon supervisory approval, satisfactory job performance appraisal, and OCCS
Education Assistance Committee approval.
(3) Participation is limited to two courses
per semester per person.
(c)
Scholarship requirements.
(1)
Mandatory service
requirement. The OCCS Education Assistance Committee establishes
conditions of a mandatory service requirement for participants in the
scholarship program. The service requirement is included in a written contract
between OCCS and the participant.
(2)
Grade report. At the end of
each semester, scholarship recipients submit a copy of their grades to their
supervisor and to the OCCS Education Assistance Committee.
(3)
Reimbursement requirement.
Exceptions to the reimbursement requirement may be granted, at the discretion
of the OCCS Education Assistance Committee, for serious illness, injury, or a
personal situation requiring the recipient to withdraw from school. The OCCS
Education Assistance Committee specifies and includes the terms of
reimbursement in a contract between OCCS and the participant. Unless an
exception is granted by the OCCS Education Assistance Committee, reimbursement
to OKDHS for the cost of tuition, books, fees, and other expenses incurred is
required and a recipient is not permitted to enroll in further courses until
the debt is paid in full when a recipient:
(A)
withdraws from a class;
(B) earns a
grade below "C" in any class;
(C)
receives a grade of "incomplete" that is not converted to an acceptable grade
during the next semester; or
(D) is
removed from the program by the university.
(4)
Use of leave. With
supervisory approval, scholarship recipients may use educational leave up to
160 hours per year. Such requests are submitted and approved in accordance with
OKDHS:2-1-42. Attendance at night or weekend classes does not qualify the
recipient for compensatory time.
(5)
Application. Applications
and supporting documentation for the scholarship program are submitted within
the designated time frames. Upon scholarship award, a contract is signed by the
recipient to indicate an understanding of and commitment to the scholarship
requirements.
Added at 16 Ok Reg
2527, eff 7-1-99; Amended at 18 Ok Reg 2144, eff 6-11-01; Amended at 20 Ok Reg
1259, eff 6-1-03; Amended at 21 Ok Reg 910, eff 6-1-04; Amended at 24 Ok Reg
1351, eff 7-1-07; Amended at 25 Ok Reg 1962, eff
7-1-08
