Child Advocacy Organization Seeks “Thought Leaders” to Help Focus Work on Children’s Behalf

Joe Dorman, CEO of the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) responded to a news release announcing that Oklahoma Human Services has been released from the Pinnacle Plan and is no long subject to the oversight of child welfare monitors. “We at the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy welcome this news and applaud the improvement made at Oklahoma Human Services through the years under the Pinnacle Plan court order,” Dorman said. “And personally, as a lawmaker who supported the series of legislation which implemented the standards which DHS had to follow under this plan, I am extremely happy to see this come to successful culmination.” “OICA was created to be an outside watchdog on state government in matters relating to child well-being due to an earlier court case, the Terry D. Lawsuit. We look forward to working with Oklahoma Human Services to assist with their promise to ‘continue working with community partners, legislators, and other stakeholders to maintain transparency and ensure Oklahoma families have the resources they need for lifelong success,” said Dorman. “We never want to return to a place where another such action is needed to protect children placed in these systems. We remind officials that although progress has been made, we have a long way to go before we end the trauma experienced by Oklahoma's children. We encourage lawmakers to continue to invest in education, healthcare, and family support programs that stabilize Oklahoma's fragile families.” 

I want to extend my condolences to those families who were impacted by severe storms this past week. From reports that were aired, it sounds like many Oklahomans were lucky to get away with only property damage as two Mississippians were killed by a tornado. You simply do not know when the next damaging or fatal tornado will strike and where. Our state consistently ranks in the top three for areas impacted by the variety of storms, fires, and other catastrophes. Thankfully, the National Weather Service based in Norman provides location-based notifications about extreme weather events that are transmitted directly to your phone using a Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA). These alerts are issued by government authorities, including state and local safety agencies, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and the Department of Homeland Security. The service does not track individuals by their billing address; rather, these are notifications sent by cell towers to mobile devices in the affected area. Every phone capable of receiving WEA notifications should receive them if you have cell coverage and alerts are allowed in your settings. To be safe, you should check your phone’s settings to ensure that it can receive alerts. For iPhones: -Tap “Settings" and then “Notifications." -Scroll to “Government Alerts” at the bottom of the screen. -Check that “Emergency Alerts" and “Public Safety Alerts" are turned on. The green circle indicates the alerts are on and enabled.  The instructions may vary on Android phones, but here is the standard: -In "Settings," find "Apps and Notifications." -Tap "Notifications." -Next, turn on "Allow alerts." -Make sure each of the alert types are enabled. While enabled, a loud tone will alert you whenever you receive a WEA. It is best to consult your phone carrier to ensure that you have your system set up properly. I own a battery-operated NOAA Weather Radio with a warning alarm for my home, preparedness I learned from my father. This makes an excellent back-up for home for the hours when one is asleep. These are often very affordable and can easily be set to your home location. Many municipalities do not provide storm shelters established for public use, so it is best to check with your local city hall to see if your community has one. Occasionally, county governments will offer grant assistance for home shelters, so watch for this support. Several rural schools have included the minimal extra cost to build shelter space for students and school employees for storms which hit during the daytime hours. Often, they will open these spaces to the community at night, but note the rules, such as most not allowing pets. Visit with your local school board to ensure that addition is included in future construction. I also want to share how FEMA reimbursements often work. When a disaster hits, FEMA will review the damage to public spaces, including cities, counties, electric cooperatives, and tribal facilities. The reimbursement rate is as follows: 75% coverage from the federal government, 12.5% covered by the state, and 12.5% paid for by the entity receiving damage. Individuals are rarely covered by property damage as that is up to private insurance. Following natural disasters, many young people face severe trauma, both physical and mental. I have heard stories of multiple surgeries required to heal people, often leaving families near bankruptcy. There also does not appear to be any structured support network to help with long-term mental trauma following disasters. I would encourage lawmakers and state agency leaders to explore assistance for such support services. This up-front care will provide work stability and decrease health issues long term. Further information for preparedness can be found at the Oklahoma Office of Emergency Management website at https://oklahoma.gov/oem.html and through your county emergency managers.

PHOTO CUTLINE – State Rep. Nick Archer (left) receives the Legislator of the Year award from Oklahoma Care, , a non-profit 501(c)3 network of Oklahoma residential and foster care agencies. Archer, R-Elk City, was recognized for his work to increase the foster family reimbursement rate which has not been increased in nearly a decade. Making the presentation is Bryan Larison, CEO of Lion’s Meadows of Hope, a member organization of Oklahoma Care. It has been an interesting first month of the legislative session at the Oklahoma State Capitol with the focus on committee work. This year, the House of Representatives requires every bill to pass both a subcommittee and a parent committee. The Senate set extra time to consider legislation in committees. Several great ideas are moving forward. House Bill 2030 by Rep. Nick Archer, R-Elk City, and Sen. Kristen Thompson, R- Edmond, would increase foster care reimbursement rates by $5, up from the current $17.72 per day. This rate has not increased in nearly a decade, making it impossible for many families to be foster families. Representative Archer was recognized by Oklahoma Care , a non-profit 501(c)3 network of Oklahoma residential and foster care agencies , as their “Lawmaker of the Year” for his work on this issue. The bill passed the Appropriations Subcommittee on Human Services and is now before the full House Appropriations Committee. Another bill OICA is tracking is House Bill 1848 by Rep. Suzanne Schreiber, D-Tulsa. HB 1848 grants a tax credit to employers that provides a childcare subsidy to its employees or operates a childcare facility for its employees. The credit is equal to 30 percent of the subsidy amount or operating cost, limited to $30,000 per employer. The credit is for five years and is capped at $5 million in total claims each year. The bill was passed by both committees and will hopefully soon be scheduled for a vote by the House of Representatives. A high priority bill for OICA has already passed the Senate and has moved to the House of Representatives. Senate Bill 364 by Sen. Dave Rader, R-Tulsa and House Speaker Pro Tempore Anthony Moore, R-Clinton, prohibits government employees in schools from striking children who are special needs students under Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The Senate passed the legislation by a vote of 30-16, and we await House action. Oklahoma has some amazing leaders working for children. OICA has worked with many who see the benefit of building better opportunities for young people. I recently attended the memorial service for Gene Rainbolt, a philanthropist who helped many through his efforts, and it made me realize that OICA needs to do a better job of sharing our message and serve as a resource for those who want help to serve children. Recently, not only did our state lose Rainbolt, but also former U.S. Sen. David Boren and former state Rep. Bobby Frame. At the local level close to me, Steve LaForge of Chickasha and Melvin Heath of Rush Springs also passed. Steve and Melvin proved you can make a positive difference for children without holding an elective office. There must be others, and OICA needs to do a better job of working with advocates across the state. We at OICA want to hear from you about those doing good work for young people so we can connect with them. You can help us find those who are doing significant work for children by going to https://tinyurl.com/OICAThoughtLeader and submit up to five youth-serving leaders with whom we can connect. Submit more by simply filling out the survey again. OICA recognizes individuals and organizations for their effort when we learn of them, but I also want to start conversations on how we can work together to turn around many of the negative statistics that face the children of our state. Most importantly, we need to build up these conversations so the local leaders might elevate their own work to new levels. Please help us build a strong network of those who want to improve our state.

The Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) is a statewide nonprofit charged with “creating awareness, taking action, and supporting policy to improve the health, safety, and well-being of Oklahoma’s children.” An integral part of our work is to provide information to policymakers at all levels of government, from local to federal. We also share this research with those who will reach out to officials themselves, sharing their concerns regarding policy decisions under consideration. Solid data enhances life stories shared by citizens, making the stories more persuasive for policymakers. From my days as a state lawmaker, when my office received just a few calls about an issue from the people in my legislative district, I knew something serious was happening. The budget changes happening with the federal government will certainly have an impact on our state. OICA receives funding through a federal grant to help Oklahomans navigate the complex system of signing up for children’s health insurance through Medicaid, which the state calls SoonerCare. It is still unclear whether we will continue to receive funding due to the recent federal restrictions on many programs; the money is provided through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). In Oklahoma, there are 552,090 children as of December who are signed up for SoonerCare. The grant is important because an estimated 7% of children in Oklahoma qualify for this healthcare but are not enrolled by their families. Children qualifying for SoonerCare under the federal CHIP program are under age 19 and have a family or individual income between the maximum for standard eligibility and the expanded Federal Poverty Level income guidelines. From that, you can see how many families might simply not know if they qualify. For a family of one, which could be an independent minor, the income threshold in which to qualify is $31,632. For a family of two, the level is $42,948; for three, $54,240; and the numbers continue up based upon family size. Our work with this grant assists those seeking help to enroll for this temporary program until their economic situation can improve. As many Oklahomans can attest, it only takes one medical emergency for a family to end up in bankruptcy, further forcing families into other assistance programs through government or charitable support. This grant work helps get those who qualify on insurance to avoid such a catastrophe. If you would like to see if you qualify, call 1 (833) 465-7526 to visit with a navigator. For SoonerCare, federal funding covers a significant portion with a match of nearly 90%. If this program’s federal budget is cut, this will either pass the burden back to the states or the states will be forced to reduce eligibility numbers, meaning fewer people will have healthcare. Our state budget split has about 47% coming from federal funding. Only a fraction of state overall spending is actually allocated by the Oklahoma Legislature; most federal dollars are provided as a match based upon what the state spends, while some other dollars are predetermined spending as required by law. Now, add on to this that the state expects to receive less revenue from state taxes for the upcoming fiscal year, primarily due to the state grocery tax cut passed last year. Some at the State Capitol are discussing further tax cuts. We agree that budgets must be audited and some even streamlined, but blanket cuts will harm Oklahoma’s children. If you would like to share your thoughts with our federal delegation, this link - https://oklahoma.gov/mcgirt/contact-congress.html - provides their office information. One call could make the difference on whether cuts are made, and how this will impact decisions made by our own state lawmakers.

Decisions are made by those who show up, as quoted by President Jed Bartlet from “The West Wing.” Voters who take the time to cast ballots make the decisions. Oklahoma has one of the worst voting percentages for eligible voters in the nation, so this means a few who show up are deciding elected officials for us all. Through my time serving as a state representative, I learned the lesson that “the customer is always right” in politics, and those customers are voters. I can recall only a few times when I voted “for my district” instead of my own personal views. I often used my column to educate about policies in advance and why I chose a specific policy side. I now feel fortunate to work in a field - child advocacy - that often does not come down to partisan dissension, but instead a values system of how children should be treated. Each issue the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) promotes is backed by data and case studies showing best practices for how to handle situations covered by the proposed legislation. As we work with lawmakers who represent districts rather than the entire state, we must seek ways to navigate policy for the best interests of children while understanding views of those in both the majority and minority parties for their districts. Again, issues such as childhood trauma (abuse and neglect), hunger (SNAP), and access to medical care (Medicaid) are usually not partisan; sometimes, though, the pathways to solutions diverge into varying political opinions. Public opinion weighs into the conversation; it is up to advocates to educate the “customers” and on a wider scale, the general public, who share their opinions with lawmakers. This education also involves the policymakers themselves as they cannot be an expert on every issue put before them. In contrast, activists want to “storm the castle” and demand rapid change, which is often met by pushback from policymakers. Advocates and activists have their parts to play in the system of government by trying to win over public opinion. I have long subscribed that the solution, while slower, is through systemic change and educating about the impact of policy. Polling, while not popular when by politicos to make decisions, gives them a picture of where the public stands on issues. For example, the website “538” shows President Donald Trump with a +3.4-approval rating currently in the United States in his first month in office. When you look at the national registration, and then correlate that to Oklahoma, this demonstrates why many of our elected officials have aligned their messaging with President Trump. In a recent Newsweek article, the President’s favorability rate in Oklahoma was reported at 63% with 34% unfavorable. If you want to be effective in advocacy, you need to learn how to work in the political environment in which we live. Whether an official is extremely liberal or MAGA Republican, each wants better outcomes for children, and that is why the conversations can occur to find solutions, and that is why the conversations must occur. Do you want to join the conversation? The OICA Child Advocacy Day will be on Tuesday, March 11, at the Oklahoma State Capitol. We not only provide answers for issues facing children, but we also hold a chili cook-off in the parking lot which allows child-serving programs to network with lawmakers and offer solutions. Please join us on that day for fun, great chili, and even better advocacy for children. You can find more details at oica.org/events about how to sign up to cook or be a sponsor and be a part of the solution.

As the first full week of session has ended, the lawmakers at the Oklahoma State Capitol are hard at work with shepherding their legislation through the committee process. The Legislature has implemented a new committee deadline system which has extended the time for hearings by committees; in the House of Representatives, they have established that most bills will be heard by two separate committees. This is an attempt to front-load much of the work to go over the bills and have them in better shape when they move the full House of Representatives for discussion. This idea has a great deal of merit. Lawmakers are also continuing the effort to improve the transparency of the budgetary process. This is something advocates, and every Oklahomans, should applaud as we see similar conversations at the federal level. As the legislation moves forward, the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) works with lawmakers to promote ideas, and to stay connected with others who are moving their own agenda items forward. In this column and in subsequent weeks, I will highlight some of the House bills I hope you will also review and encourage lawmakers to support. Rep. Mark Tedford, R-Jenks, has filed legislation to modify the process for awarding child custody to parents going through the court process. OICA worked with him, along with other advocates, to attempt to shorten the long, drawn-out process of costly legal battles in the court system and attempt to establish a more solid opportunity for parents to have 50/50 custody of their children. This arrangement is something social science has shown will most benefit children. House Bill 1082 is currently in Civil Judiciary/Judiciary & Public Safety Oversight awaiting consideration. Rep. Mark Lawson, R-Sapulpa, sat down with advocates to develop a new concept to ensure that children are safe when in custody of the state or housed in other children’s institutions which receive state or federal funding. The Oklahoma Commission on Children and Youth would have the ability to investigate complaints, review inspection reports from other government agencies regarding the facility, and interview residents (children) within the facility to ensure that they are safe. This is in direct response to the issues seen with the Tulsa Juvenile Detention Center and that mirrors issues from the 1980s that led to a massive overhaul of the way Oklahoma cares for justice-involved youth. House Bill 1574 is in the Children, Youth & Family Services/Health & Human Services Oversight committees. House Bill 2921 by Rep. Ajay Pittman, D-Oklahoma City, seeks to allow dental therapists to operate in Oklahoma. With the increased need for dental care in our state and a limited number of dentists, this would create and authorize the practice of training these health care providers. They would be able to apply specific care to patients which will help in decreasing issues with dental problems before they escalate. If the bill passes, dental therapists will have to receive university training, and the therapists could be hired under dental practices to work throughout Oklahoma. The bill is in the House Public Health/Health & Human Services Oversight Committees. Finally, some sad news to report: two excellent lawmakers with whom I served passed away last week. Former Reps. Bill Nations, D-Norman, and Ryan Kiesel, D-Seminole, both did exemplary work to make our state better for all Oklahomans. Bill was Ryan’s mentor in the Legislature. Ryan had helped Bill win his first legislative election, and then a few years later, Ryan was elected and joined him. Our state is better for them having served, and I will miss them both. 

Photos from Legislative Learning Lab - Column Follows

As the Oklahoma Legislature begins work, there is a record number of bills presented for consideration over the next four months before the constitutionally required adjournment on the final Friday in May. The Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) is diligently reading bills to determine which would have a direct impact on the health and well-being of children and their families. Some of the concepts are quite innovative, while others resurrected ideas which did not pass in past Legislatures, the two-year period when lawmakers meet between elections. There likely will be several ideas not filed that will possibly be added to the bills as they work their way through the process. One returning idea for consideration is the proposed creation of a business court system in Oklahoma. Currently, the judicial branch may create such a court, but the newly filed bill would require there be such a court in Oklahoma’s two counties with a population of more than 500,000 residents: Oklahoma and Tulsa counties. This idea has support from Governor Stitt and many people inside and outside the Capitol. This is a good idea to have judges who are well-versed in an area of law rendering rulings for a more just system. With that, I also encourage lawmakers, as they look at the need for this type of court, to consider another area of the law which desperately needs attention: expanded children’s courts in Oklahoma. Children’s courts would be charged with addressing the severe backlog of thousands of family cases. These cases are critical because delays are keeping children away from their families or slowing their placement in a permanent setting that is best for the child. Currently, only four counties have designated judges specifically charged to handle such cases through a juvenile bureau, but more are needed. The federal Court Improvement Program (CIP), created to “promote the continuous quality improvement of court processes and legal representation in child welfare proceedings through ongoing data analysis,” provides federal funding to state and tribal courts to assess their child welfare and judicial practices and develop and implement improvement plans. Other states have models which could easily be replicated in Oklahoma. A children’s court system would reduce numbers of youth lingering in foster homes or awaiting placement with other family members until a court renders a decision. Some of these cases can last well over a year, which is traumatic for the child and impedes business productivity while employees are involved in these cases. This often costs families tens of thousands of dollars. OICA was among the organizations supporting the Family Representation and Advocacy Program. This program, under Oklahoma’s Supreme Court, provides financial incentives for attorneys around the state to take on family law cases. This is important because these cases almost always do not pay well from families, often struggling financially, who want to find a way to bring their children home. This program levels the playing field for families by providing access to experienced family law attorneys. It is important that lawmakers continue to expand this program to see success, but even this will not provide the overall solution needed. The ultimate answer is to have judges across Oklahoma who specialize in family law who can set manageable dockets and have resources to expedite decisions to benefit children involving greater use of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs) and Guardian Ad Litems. We encourage policymakers to consider a statewide children’s court system. Not only will this be best for families and their children, but it will also be good for business in Oklahoma. 

When I heard the news of the death of former President Jimmy Carter, I was reminded of a statement he made 10 years ago during his announcement that he was battling brain cancer. He was asked if he would have done anything different in his life. I was surprised by his response. “I wish I’d sent one more helicopter to get the hostages and we would have rescued them, and I would have been re-elected,” Carter said. By the way he responded, you could tell that decision weighed heavily on his heart. I hope that this did not haunt him, but I also know with politicians, due to the nature of their decisions which sometimes impact millions of people, they often struggle with making the best choice for most people with the least harm to those they represent. Former Gov. George Nigh often says that based upon the information that he had at the time, he felt that each decision he made was the correct one in that moment. Now, information can change and provide a different outlook in the future but knowing that you did the best you could with what you had certainly makes it easier to not dwell on those decisions. Every person has some situation which at some degree plagues them, a “what-if” scenario that either is a whisper at the back of their mind or that completely disrupts their life. If it is the latter, let this be a suggestion for considering a conversation with a therapist to discuss how this has impacted you and a way you can move past that tribulation. It is important to seek help for something which causes you to dwell in the past and what might affect your current personal or professional well-being. I am not embarrassed to share that I sometimes visit with a therapist when I feel pressure, and this provides significant relief. I have also found that it helps to visit with people who you have “wronged” in some situation to enable that healing, hopefully on both sides. Facing regret in a healthy way is critical to growth, healing, and hopefully prosperity. I have thought about what my “helicopter moment” might be, and I am fortunate that I cannot point to a major one. I can certainly think of several choices I have made which I wish that I had handled differently, but nothing as significant as President Carter. Personally though, I wish that I had developed a better work/life balance in my earlier years as I am a “workaholic” and have often spent far too much time with my job instead of building a better equilibrium. With that regret, I do balance it with the opportunities to do good that I have been afforded, and, to me, that certainly helps. I provide this bit of advice to those policymakers who are about to start making decisions for the people with their votes: before deciding on legislation, put thought into the consequences and outcomes for all those impacted. Additionally, no vote is worth keeping your elected office. If it goes against what you believe is “right” at your core, you must be able to look at yourself in the mirror long after you leave your position. But also, do not be afraid to grow as a person, as sometimes you learn from others and your views (and vote) might change. Finally, dedicate time to friends and family as it is easy to lose touch with them while serving in an office. Your “helicopter moment” could come at any moment, so do your best with what you have so as to hopefully avoid that regret.