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As Oklahoma lawmakers request bills for the 2025 legislative session, the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) has finalized its 2025 Children’s Legislative Agenda and delivered it to them. Approved by the OICA Board of Directors, the agenda outlines the organization’s priorities and presents lawmakers with a roadmap to improve conditions for Oklahoma’s children. “Advocates from across the state came together in late November during our annual Fall Forum to discuss a wide range of issues relating to children,” said Joe Dorman, OICA’s CEO. “While this is an ambitious agenda, we believe each component of it is critical to improving the lives of our most important resource. This document represents the recommendations made by advocates and our Board of Directors.” The entire agenda is available to the public on our website and can be accessed at https://tinyurl.com/25OICALEGAG .” From the input from child advocates, the OICA Board of Directors considered the suggestions and coalesced them into recommendations divided into four specific categories: Support programs and services for foster families and biological parents and guardians. Accessibility to health-related services and programs. Learning loss and educational opportunities for children. Addressing childcare needs. The recommendations include a specific focus on improving services to foster and biological families in rural areas, while encouraging partnerships with private sector agencies. Increased stipends and reimbursement rates for foster care are also a foundation of the recommendations, as is mental health and trauma support. The organization also advocates for legal reforms and enhanced support for biological families, stating that reunification with biological families should be celebrated along with adoption. The organization also suggests integrating school-based social workers would enhance access to essential services and promote student wellbeing. In addition, the increased availability of health services would address inequities in care, particularly in rural and underserved communities. Both the learning loss among students in the wake of the pandemic and the annual learning loss during the summer break were addressed by advocates. Among the suggestions was to enhance school readiness among students entering school for the first time, and to prioritize funding for teacher support, smaller class sizes and paraprofessionals. Additionally, eliminating corporal punishment for students in special needs classifications and reducing the use of out-of-school suspensions was prioritized. In short, the advocates asserted, “Providing safer, more supportive environments fosters positive student outcomes.” The continued shortage of childcare also received the advocates’ attention. “Improving access to childcare resources strengthens family stability and child development,” the agenda document asserts. In addition, a focus on ensuring “the safety of foster families, providers, and Oklahoma Human Services workers from biological familial threats is paramount to maintaining effective care systems” was included in the agenda. The final recommendations were to strengthen oversight of childcare facilities in Oklahoma and increasing the Office of Juvenile System Oversight’s authority to conduct periodic inspections of privately operated children's facilities is essential to ensure accountability, safety, and quality care for vulnerable children. Release of the annual Children’s Legislative Agenda is the final action the organization takes each year in preparation for the next and is a critical duty of the organization, established the organization to be an independent watchdog on state government in the aftermath of the child welfare scandal brought to light in the Gannett report, “Oklahoma Shame.” That report can be found on OICA’s website. To kick off the new year, OICA will host its Legislative Learning Lab in late January to help advocates understand the complex procedures of the Oklahoma Legislature. That event will culminate on the opening day of the 2025 session, when Governor Stitt will present is “State of the State” address. The organization’s Advocacy Day at the Capitol will be on March 11. To register for these events and stay up to date with the latest information on the organization’s child advocacy efforts, go to the OICA website at https://oica.org .

The Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) is once again assisting Oklahoma Human Services (OHS) with their Holiday Hope program to provide support for foster youth in the state, according to Joe Dorman, OICA’s CEO. Seven years ago, OICA took over the nonprofit OK Foster Wishes, which provided fulfillment of wish lists submitted by foster children for the gifts they would like to receive, similar to children sending a letter to Santa Claus. As the COVID-19 pandemic struck, the program for collecting toys and distributing them through county OHS offices was shifted to collecting gift cards for the foster families and bridge parents to purchase the gifts themselves for the children. This program assists not only the children in foster care, but also those families who have taken children into their homes until reunification can happen with the biological parents. There are nearly 6,000 children in foster care across the state, with those families receiving various levels of support to care for the youth in their homes. The need is great because as of 2024, the OHS foster care reimbursement rates for the costs associated with the care of a child in their home have not changed in several years. The reimbursement is to be used for food, clothing, shelter, school supplies, personal incidentals, and reasonable travel. As you can see, this amount does not leave much left for also providing gifts over the holiday season. The rates are as follows: Age 0–5: $17.72 per day. Age 6–12: $20.42 per day. Age 13+: $22.62 per day. These rates are per day and are subject to change. OHS pays the foster care rates directly to the family. Other rates include that can be applied above the basic daily rate include Therapeutic Foster Care at $19.76 per day Therapeutic Foster Care serves children aged 3-18 with special psychological, social, behavioral, and emotional needs who thrive in a family setting, but who require intensive or therapeutic services than those found in traditional foster care. “OICA has created a link for individuals to directly donate to the program,” Dorman said. “This allows us to partner with local banks to fill gift cards which OHS will then deliver to the families.” Go to https://tinyurl.com/OICAHH to donate to this program. If you would like to directly support a child through a program offering fulfillment of gifts, we suggest reaching partners of the Holiday Hope program, such as Fostering Connections in northeast Oklahoma. Their site is https://www.fosteringconnectionsok.org/fostering-joy and you can choose a variety of options to help. 

Nominate Someone Deserving at  https://www.oica.org/fall-award-nominations

Registration for the inaugural Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) Advocacy Boot Camp will close on Wed., July 31 at 5 p.m. CDT. The year-long program will focus on making those interested in being a voice for children even more effective, said Joe Dorman, OICA’s CEO. “Oklahoma’s children need for adults to be their collective voice when it comes to both advocating and leading,” he said. “The Advocacy Boot Camp, or ‘ABC,’ is a great way for today’s child advocates to learn to be more effective and make a difference immediately.” The Advocacy Boot Camp is a spin-off of a program operated by OICA from 1995 to 2010 called the Kids Count Leadership Program. Several inaugural sponsors participated in this original program and have generously made it possible for the cost to attend ABC to be reduced for participants. Among those sponsors are Potts Family Foundation, Sarkeys Foundation, Paycom, AT&T, Centene Corporation, and EdChoice. “We are incredibly grateful to the initial sponsors for their investment in a brighter future for Oklahoma’s children,” Dorman concluded. “We certainly would welcome assistance from other organizations and businesses to sponsor and have employees attend, and we anticipate some will cover the tuition for their own employees to be in the inaugural class.” According to Renee Herrman, OICA’s program director, the seven-session program will provide coursework on how participants can be stronger advocates on key issues relating to children, and possibly be candidates for office someday. “This will be the primary goal of the ABC,” she said. The sessions will be held in several state locations, including Sequoyah State Park in September, Lawton in October, Oklahoma City in November and January 2025, Stillwater in April, and Tulsa in May. The final session will overlap with the incoming class for the next year. Among the topics which participants will study will be the dangers of toxic trauma and how to protect children, support services for youth and families, the legislative process including how to communicate effectively with policymakers, overcoming the digital divide in our state through technology, and how to better utilize the resources already in place to improve children’s lives. Various aspects of Oklahoma will also be covered, such as rural versus urban issues, the impact of sovereign nations on their regions of Oklahoma, how the military connects with communities for youth, and what many local nonprofits are doing to support better opportunities for children. “This inaugural class will be the next generation of policy leaders,” Dorman said. “Trained advocates will leave with the skills to lead organizations in communities across the state, working at the grassroots level to make Oklahoma a better place for its youngest residents, and possibly even run for an elective office.” The cost to apply for the program is $50, and for those accepted that money goes towards your registration fee of $500. These events will be multi-day events with hotels and food included for the entirety of the event over multiple months. There are limited spaces available. To register for OICA’s inaugural Advocacy Boot Camp, go to https://www.oica.org/abc . 

Joe Dorman, chief executive officer of the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA, released the following statement following the shooting at the rally for former President Donald Trump: “We at the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy are horrified at the shooting at the rally for former President Trump. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the former president, and to the family of the spectator whose life was lost as well as those who were injured during this ghastly attack. “There is no place for political violence in this nation, and condemnation of this heinous act should be universal. “Finally, we are deeply grateful the former president is safe, and his injuries appear minor. We are thankful for the Secret Service and law enforcement who neutralized the shooter and secured the scene. We wish to extend heartfelt condolences to the family of the spectator who passed, and we wish those who were injured a speedy recovery. No person in this nation should fear a terroristic act at a peaceful assembly.”

Joe Dorman, chief executive officer of the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA), released the following statement following yet another accidental shooting of an Oklahoma child by another child who found a gun: “First, we are incredibly grateful the injuries in this instance were not life-threatening. Sadly, however, we continue to see stories like this, where one child accidentally shoots another. Far too often are the results not as positive. “The real tragedy is that these are wholly preventable incidents. A gun lock would have prevented a child from discharging a weapon they find. “A few years ago, the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy sought and received a grant from the National Shooting Sports Federation to provide free gun locks. We still have a supply and are happy to share these gun locks with Oklahoma families who want to safeguard their firearms. “We will continue to advocate the use of gun locks when children are in the home so that tragedies like this can be avoided 

Choctaw Nation, Coach Switzer Among Announced Honorees

In the works for a year, the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) has announced that registration is now open for its inaugural Advocacy Boot Camp. The year-long program will focus on making those interested in being a voice for children even more effective, said Joe Dorman, OICA’s CEO. “Oklahoma’s children need for adults to be their collective voice, both when it comes to advocating and voting,” he said. “The Advocacy Boot Camp, or ‘ABC,’ is a great way for today’s child advocates to learn to be more effective and make a difference immediately.” The Advocacy Boot Camp is a spin-off of a program operated by OICA from 1995 to 2010 called the Kids Count Leadership Program. Several inaugural sponsors participated in this original program and have made it possible for the cost to attend ABC to be reduced for participants. Among those sponsors are Potts Family Foundation, Sarkeys Foundation, Paycom, AT&T, Centene Corporation, and EdChoice. “We are incredibly grateful to the initial sponsors for their investment in a brighter future for Oklahoma’s children,” Dorman concluded. “We certainly would welcome assistance from other organizations and businesses to sponsor and have employees attend, and we anticipate some will cover the tuition for their own employees to be in the inaugural class.” According to Renee Herrman, OICA’s program director, the seven-session program will provide coursework on how participants can be stronger advocates on key issues relating to children. “This will be the primary goal of the ABC,” she said. The sessions will be held in several state locations, including Sequoyah State Park in September, Lawton in October, Oklahoma City in November and January 2025, Stillwater in April, and Tulsa in May. Among the topics which participants will study will be the dangers of toxic trauma and how to protect children, support services for youth and families, the legislative process including how to communicate effectively with policymakers, and how to better utilize the resources already in place to improve children’s lives. “This inaugural class will be the next generation of policy leaders,” Dorman said. “Trained advocates will leave with the skills to lead organizations in communities across the state, working at the grassroots level to make Oklahoma a better place for its youngest residents, and possibly even run for an elective office.” Similar to the Leadership Oklahoma program, members of this inaugural class will learn leadership skills and then put that knowledge to work by mentoring the subsequent class of the Advocacy Boot Camp. “The connections developed statewide will allow participants to learn a myriad of advocacy tips, and how to effectively work for better laws,” Dorman said, himself a former state legislator. “The most important lesson they will learn though is that one does not have to be an elected official to be an effective advocate for Oklahoma’s children.” OICA is partnering with the Potts Family Foundation to have Anne Roberts, OICA’s longest-serving executive director, lead much of the advocacy training for the program. “Anne is a legend in child advocacy in Oklahoma,” Dorman said. “Her knowledge and experience will give the inaugural class unmatched insight into the litany of challenges Oklahoma’s children face. In addition to their mentor role, each class member will be tasked with returning to their community to serve in a leadership role with a youth nonprofit organization to help in elevating that organization’s work. “A saying that I have tried to set as a standard is that in public service, one goal should be to ‘leave the woodpile just a little bit higher than you found it’ during your life,” said Dorman. “I know each of these people who are interested in this program also live by that, but we want to give them the tools through ABC they will need to do the job even better.” The cost to apply for the program is $50, and for those accepted that money goes towards your registration fee of $500. These events will be multi-day events with hotels and food included for the entirety of the event over multiple months. There are limited spaces available. To register for OICA’s inaugural Advocacy Boot Camp, go to https://www.oica.org/abc .

2024 Valedictorians and Salutatorian Named