OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The Oklahoma Commission for Human Services has voted to close two state facilities for Oklahoma's most severely developmentally disabled residents. The decision drew a bitter reaction from parents and guardians of the more than 200 residents who live at the two centers.
The nine-member commission voted 6-3 Thursday to shut down the Southern Oklahoma Resource Center in Pauls Valley by April 2014 and the Northern Oklahoma Resource Center at Enid by August 2015.
The two facilities have a total of 231 residents who are to be moved into community based settings during the next two years.
Commission Chairman Wes Lane proposed the change and says parents and guardians will be able to participate in the transition.
Several parents of residents criticized commissioners for not allowing more input on the proposal.