Recent "For The Children" Weekly Columns

For the week of December 28, 2024

No matter what holiday you are celebrating in December, there are usually gifts involved. With Christmas Day and Hanukkah both falling on December 25, and Kwanzaa starting on December 26, people from all around the world will have reason to exchange gifts with friends and loved ones. I should say most people, as there are many who are without anyone in their lives other than those generous strangers who provide the means to share a bit of joy with those truly in need. Think back over the past and remember that one special item which brought joy to you. I can think of many great things received, even with my family often struggling to make ends meet. One of my friends had a handheld video game, Donkey Kong, and I really wanted one of my own. My parents gave me a gift to open one Christmas morning. It was a video game cartridge of the game that I wanted, but I assumed they did not realize that it was not the item that I wanted and would not work without the Atari console. To surprise me, they brought out the console it would play on following my look of dejection. I was thrilled. It was special to have something like this, a gift I never expected to receive. I was lucky. I had parents willing to make that type of financial sacrifice to see me happy. In fact, I appreciate all they were did to provide opportunities for me, along with people in the community where I grew up who helped me have the chance to take 4-H trips, participate in activities, and be involved in programs which set me on the path to service. With my current job, I often see the tribulations many modern-day youths face. Far too many do not have family members who provide a safe and loving home for their children. When this happens, the state must find a suitable place for children to remain until problems are resolved and reunification can happen, or adoption when no other option is left. According to the state-run website okfosters.org, there are currently 5,824 children currently in the custody of the state as foster children, with 350 waiting to enter the system. Oklahoma Human Services estimates that there are 736 families needed to serve as foster or bridge parents for youth at this moment. At one point, Oklahoma ranked ninth in the nation for grandparents raising their own children’s children. Much of that number is contributed to incarceration rates for single parents or sometimes even both parents. Other family members are often called upon to take in youngsters when something happens which requires the children to be taken from their mothers and fathers so as to avoid foster care. These family members often do not receive financial support similar to what foster parents receive from the state to care for children due to budget constraints. Many of these children will be fortunate to eventually return to their biological parents, but they need a safe, loving environment until that occurs. If you are able and have the means, please consider giving that special gift to a child who is enduring the most traumatic experience of their young life: being a foster parent. Oklahoma is in desperate need of those who could open their home to a child in need and make that difference to them. If you are moved to do so, please call 1-800-376-9729 to learn more. Please also share this thought with friends, your church, and others so together, we can ensure each of these children has the brightest of holidays possible.

As we approach Christmas and the other holidays celebrated during this time of year, many will have joyous moments, while others will endure sadness. I want to extend heartfelt appreciation to the nonprofit Camp Fire Heart of Oklahoma as their board made the difficult decision to close down. This program offered many camping adventures to thousands of young people through the years. Our OK-LEAD program, which took older foster youth their ropes program, was an experience which our campers enjoyed thoroughly. Unfortunately, the inability to recover financially following the pandemic led to this decision. They have indicated news about their campgrounds are forthcoming. Many areas of the nonprofit sector have endured financial stress in recent years, partially from federal tax policy that eliminated some incentives for giving, along with personal giving having faced a slowdown due to economic hardships. The Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) has been no different in that we had to leave some positions vacant longer than we wanted this year to ensure we could complete our mission and be ready for 2025. I have heard stories shared from counterparts regarding the need for financial support and more volunteer hours to support work. I can attest as just a few short weeks ago, we had members of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity at Oklahoma State University, the house in which I was a member, come to Oklahoma City to help with distributing SoonerCare information which was mailed to schools and daycares in twenty rural counties. These brochures provide information to families about how to qualify and a number to call for assistance. We appreciate their help as we would have missed our deadline if not for them. Not all of the news this year is negative though as we just wrapped up our annual effort to help support foster youth across the state through OK Foster Wishes. Oklahoma Human Services (OHS) approached us for support to collect gift cards for foster families to be able to purchase gifts for the youth under their care. OHS set a goal of 200 cards of $150 each this year and OICA originally committed to raise funds for 50 of them. Thanks to generous donors, we were able to surpass that and provide 82 cards for them. If you were a donor to this or another of the OHS Holiday Hope programs, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your generosity. We will still collect for Holiday Hope for another week as children enter foster care each and every day, including on Christmas Day and these workers are committed to their mission, even on holidays. It is not too late to support your favorite nonprofit organization or mission. Your donation could make the difference in sustaining the work coming from nonprofits. End of year giving often raises 10 percent of the funds that these organizations use to operate. Please do not leave them off your list this year as the struggle is very real. And, if you are so moved, we at OICA would be very grateful to be included among your end of year giving plans to support our operations. You can go to make a donation at https://tinyurl.com/OICADonate or to discuss planned giving, you can contact our development director, Dr. Myron Pope, at mpope@oica.org with questions. Thank you in advance for your generosity to OICA and all the nonprofits that do critical work in Oklahoma. Your support is what keeps all of the state’s nonprofits able to continue improving the quality of life for Oklahomans.

The deadline for submission of ideas for the upcoming legislative session was Friday, December 6, and lawmakers were turning in their concepts for bills up to the final moment. The Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) worked with several state senators and representatives on ideas developed during our annual Fall Forum conference. I expect a robust conversation will be held this upcoming session on those ideas, which comprised the Children’s Legislative Agenda for 2025. You can read that document on our website at https://tinyurl.com/25OICALEGAG . I always enjoy this time of year as advocates who have suggested solutions to problems have the opportunity to work with policymakers to produce the needed answers. Of course, not all of these ideas move forward; sometimes the price tag is too much no matter how noble the solution. Of course, politics sometime comes into play, and personalities certainly can influence which ideals move forward. People have taken notice of late regarding civility in politics. I would argue that, in Oklahoma, our lawmakers certainly take pride in their party registration, but the division is not as wide as what we see at the federal level. Of course, with 81 of 101 House members being in one party, and 39 of 48 Senators also being in the majority party, it is often more difficult for members of the minority to have their bills heard due to time constraints and natural differences in views. The big difference in Oklahoma is the hostility between the parties is not as prevalent as what we see in federal politics. I believe that is due to many state lawmakers finding areas of consensus, sometimes with it being friends with each other’s families or sharing school loyalties, or even geographic similarities. I deeply enjoy working with colleagues from both parties to discuss the problems seen and seek reasonable pathways to help those who are facing those issues through my years in this business. I feel there are a majority of people who are elected who also share that sentiment. I am extremely excited about the new leadership teams in both the House of Representatives and the Senate for the upcoming session, ranging from new presiding officers and floor leaders to budget committee chairmen who have been elevated from their vice chair roles. One of the two minority leaders will also be a new person holding that role. I have had a chance to work with each of these men and women through the years and I believe each to be in public service for the right reasons, which makes the job easier for child advocates. We can rest easier knowing lawmakers also want to see realistic solutions and are willing to look at different pathways to get to those answers. As we begin the new session, OICA will collaborate with all lawmakers willing to work with us on new concepts this year, some involving access to insurance for children, greater access to medical and dental care statewide, and increased support for affordable childcare. We will also continue to work with allies who want to revisit the effort to end corporal punishment for special needs students. We look forward to working with budget leaders to ensure the many successful programs benefiting the youth of our state continue to be funded.  While this all might be a “glass half full” view of our state politics, I do feel optimistic that this new generation of leaders who either continue or begin their service in February will live up to that term “leader” for our state.

The Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) Board of Directors presented 10 awards during its annual Fall Awards Luncheon, held recently at the Capitol View Event Center in Oklahoma City. Here, Joe Dorman, OICA CEO, stands with award winners and their representatives following the event. Each of the award recipients has worked to improve the lives of Oklahoma’s children. (Courtesy Photos). The Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) recently recognized 10 champions for children in various categories with awards. Each of these individuals or organizations has done tremendous work to elevate children’s support services and make lives better for each they have touched. The annual awards luncheon celebrates the winners during our annual Fall Forum policy conference. Fall Forum brings together advocates to suggest policies for implementation by lawmakers and agency leaders. On behalf of our Board of Directors, thank you for all each of you has done to improve the lives of Oklahoma’s children. Kayla Leeper won the Jasmine and Melvin Moran Kidizenship Award for excellence in youth philanthropy for her work with her program Kayla’s Kindness Project. This effort provides items to patients undergoing cancer treatments. Kristina Egnor was presented with the Laura Choate Resilience Award, recognizing someone who has endured tremendous childhood trauma but overcome it to make the children’s lives better. Kristina leads a team of speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, and physical therapists supporting youth in Stillwater. The Oklahoma City Fire Department won the Jon Hansen Public Servant Award which pays tribute to a public servant or department which goes beyond their normal duties to impact the lives of children positively. Among their volunteer efforts, the department provides coats for children in need and toys for foster youth over the holidays. Stan Clark, the founder of Eskimo Joe’s, received the Ray and Pat Potts Community Leader Award for a business leader providing support in their community to benefit children. Eskimo Joe’s, celebrating their 50th anniversary, gives back to many organizations with proceeds from sales of their clothing, along with offering several charitable give-back events through their restaurants in Stillwater. BancFirst was selected for the inaugural H.E. “Gene” Rainbolt Corporate Citizen Award which recognizes a business which works to help children outside their business operations. Beyond the individual work of the more than 100 local branches to support their communities, BancFirst provides support for children’s theatres to perform around the state. Dr. Dwight Sublett was picked to posthumously receive an award which will bear his name to honor medical providers who improve the health of Oklahoma’s children. Dr. Sublett was President of the American Academy of Pediatrics - Oklahoma Chapter and was a calming voice for children’s health during the pandemic. Debbie Hogue Downing was selected by our office staff to receive the OICA Volunteer of the Year Award for helping with our events and operations. Debbie has repeatedly given many hours multiple times this year to help our mission. The Judy Eason McIntyre Inclusion Award was presented posthumously to the Rev. Dr. John A. Reed, Jr. Dr. Reed was a pastor for 67 years, all but six at Fairview Baptist Church in Oklahoma City, and worked tirelessly in his community to elevate children’s causes. Tahlequah Public Schools Superintendent Tanya Jones received the Sandey Garrett Educator Award for exceptional work benefiting the well-being of students. Superintendent Jones led a team to embed state social workers in the school system, providing support services to help families their keep children out of foster care. Alana Hughes, another posthumous winner, received the Steven A. Novick Child Advocacy Award celebrating the work of an unsung hero in child advocacy. Alana, an OICA board member at the time of her death, worked for years with the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies. She was a driving force for legislation that reduces the backlog of family cases in the courts, keeping children with families rather than going into foster care. OICA is grateful to all these award recipients, and the many Oklahomans working with us to improve the lives of children.

PHOTO CUTLINE: STATE AGENCY HEADS join Joe Dorman (far right), CEO of the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) at the organization’s Fall Forum held last week at The Ellison OKC hotel. The group discussed efforts to improve the quality of life in front of more than 100 child advocates from across the state. Joining Dorman were (from left) Timothy Tardibono, Office of Juvenile Affairs; Annette Jacobi, Oklahoma Commission on Children and Youth; Kelly Perry, Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services; Christina Foss, Oklahoma Health Care Authority; and, Mendy Spohn, of the Oklahoma Department of Health. The 2024 Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) Fall Forum wrapped up last week with more than 100 conference attendees spending part of four days helping shape a legislative agenda for the upcoming session. The conference focused on four primary policy items: • Access to health support programs. • School learning loss issues. • Childcare/paid family leave policies. • Support programs for foster families, bridge parents and biological mothers and fathers. I will touch on one point from each of the dialogues in this column, and we should have the full agenda ready for distribution next week. Under the category of access to health support programs, the gathering delved into access for children’s health insurance and ways to increase enrollment numbers. Currently, it is estimated that about 7% of Oklahoma children (about 70,000 children) are not enrolled in any program; about half of those would qualify for SoonerCare, the state’s Medicaid program. Despite expanding Medicaid a few years ago, we are still facing a significant problem in Oklahoma with enrolling those under eighteen. OICA is partnering with Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma to distribute information in twenty rural counties to students in schools and children in daycare. If you would like to see if you or someone you know qualifies, go to myokplan.org or call (833) 465-7526 to check. In the school learning loss conversation, the group discussed behavioral issues tied in with forms of punishment. OICA will renew our efforts to seek a law forbidding corporal punishment in schools as a punishment for students with special educational needs. This bill made it through the Oklahoma Senate but was held up in the final days of the 2024 session. We are working with lawmakers to renew this for 2025, and we will certainly keep you updated. On top of that, we will also be prepared for any effort to implement out-of-school suspensions for Pre-K through fifth grade students; instead, we will encourage schools to not send children home, which forces parents to take time off from work or pay for costly services to watch the children while they are work. Additionally, this type of suspension often leads to worse behavior by teaching the children they are “bad,” and data shows this leads to increased percentages of juvenile misbehavior and eventually incarceration. With the topic of childcare and paid family leave, OICA will work with lawmakers to expand upon their work from two years ago to provide paid leave time for state employees and educators who are mothers. We would like to see this also include time off for fathers. We also encourage examining leave policies for those who adopt children and for those who become foster parents to allow them time to acclimate to their situation, hopefully reducing down the number of placements foster children receive if there is time for all to adjust to the new situation. Additionally, with support programs for those with children in the state system, we would like to see an increase in payment for services to foster families, along with providing funding for those grandparents raising grandchildren. Many of these Oklahomans are living on fixed incomes as they have often reached retirement and Social Security age. By providing some type of financial assistance, this will improve the odds that the youth do not end up in a foster care setting. As we finalize the document, we are also in conversation with several lawmakers to address key points from the agenda. The request deadline is December 6 for lawmakers to submit legislation ideas, so we hope that many of these points will make it past this first hurdle. Thank you to our sponsors and those who helped make this a very successful Fall Forum!

On Wednesday, November 20, the new class of Oklahoma lawmakers will take office. In total, 31 new Oklahoma lawmakers – 17 in the House and 14 in the Senate – will join 117 veteran lawmakers for the first session of the 60th Oklahoma Legislature. There is one remaining seat to be filled in the state Senate for District 8, formerly held by Sen. Roger Thompson. That Special Primary Election will be held March 4, 2025, and if necessary, the Runoff Primary will be on Tuesday, April 1. The Special General Election will be May 13, 2025. The House Republican Caucus has 81 of the 101 members in the House of Representatives. In the Senate, the GOP controls 39 of the 48 seats, with expectation that the Thompson seat will remain in Republican hands. There are 20 Democrats in the House and eight in the Senate. While I am looking forward to working with many of the newly elected officials who will serve during the next two years, I also want to thank those leaving state service. Personally, many of these individuals have been great allies as we work for better policies to benefit Oklahoma’s youth. While we might not have seen eye to eye every single time, I knew that each was doing what they felt was best. Civility appears to be a dying sentiment at all levels of government. In the past, most elected officials could agree to disagree on issues and still find common ground on policies which had a little from each side’s position included. Now, it feels like an official is demonized if they dare seek a solution that is not ideologically pure. Even friendships across party lines seem to be out of fashion, which is really disappointing. When I served in the House of Representatives, I was proud to have friendships with lawmakers from both parties – friendships that endure to this day. The reason these have lasted is because we cared about the future of Oklahoma, even if we disagreed on how to get there. The Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) works to improve the lives of children, seeking out policymakers who will sit down and discuss the variety of issues impacting children. Developing the Children’s Legislative Agenda begins with our annual Fall Forum policy conference being held this week. We will discuss different ideas presented by advocates for legislative or agency solutions. The issue areas we will discuss, among others, at Fall Forum are: 1) Support Programs and Services for Foster Families and Biological Parents/Guardians, 2) Accessibility to Health-Related Services and Programs, 3) Learning Loss and Educational Opportunities for Children, and 4) Childcare and Family Leave Programs. Once done, our team will seek out authors of legislation for those concepts. The bill drafting request deadline is Friday, December 6; that’s when lawmakers must submit ideas to the legislative staff for bills. Staff then will begin the arduous process of drafting these ideas into a bill format for where it will best fit into the Oklahoma Statutes. There will roughly be one month for the staff to complete bill drafting; to put into perspective what a heavy lift this is, in 2023, lawmakers filed more than 3,000 bills. I expect that we will see similar numbers this year. State senators can file as many bills as they want, while state representatives are capped at eight bills each. Of course, members of House leadership are allowed more. If you or an organization you work with is considering a state law change, now is the time to reach out to your lawmakers, or those who work in support of the area which is of interest. 

Elections are often exciting, inspiring, and even traumatic. For those who win, they begin a new chapter of their lives, working to make a difference for the people they serve. For those on the short end of the final total, there is a sense of frustration of what more could have been done to effectively communicate the message to win votes. This year’s election was one in which there were strong feelings on both sides, with enthusiastic Oklahomans truly believing their direction was the right pathway for a better tomorrow. On either side, no matter how you feel in the aftermath of Tuesday's elections, the work of advocates continues far beyond just that one day. In fact, it is arguably an effort that happens 365 days a year; and that is why we want to hear your thoughts for what will help Oklahoma’s children. Each year, the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) assembles advocates from across the state at this conference to discuss the needs of Oklahoma’s children. At Fall Forum, advocates begin the promise of better outcomes for Oklahoma's children through policy. It is here that we develop recommendations in the form of the “Children’s Legislative Agenda” which will be presented to the new Legislature and the governor before the 2025 session. We expect to have a robust conversation about many issues, and we know the networking through this conference will help advocates build stronger alliances as we work together to improve the lives of Oklahoma’s youth. This year’s Fall Forum is slated for an online session on Thursday, November 14 from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., and then meeting together on Tuesday, November 19 through Thursday, November 21 at The Ellison Hotel in Oklahoma City. You can go to our website at oica.org to see the jam-packed agenda with agency directors speaking, programs promoting their work, and a health dialogue held for policy.  During the online session, participants will lay out the framework of the agenda through a conversation which will be discussed during the in-person meeting the next week. Once registered, participants will be sent the link to use. While it is good to participate in the online session, it is not necessary to attend the remainder of Fall Forum. Most pundits are expecting that the next Legislature will take place during a challenging two years for children’s policy, with deeper tax cuts, frozen spending, and restructuring of state programs already being discussed. There will also be many new lawmakers and an entire turnover in the legislative leadership, along with Governor Kevin Stitt’s final two years coming up. We need your input, experience, and wisdom as we craft this agenda and move it forward to help policymakers shape ideas into law. It is important to remember that lawmakers are our servant leaders coming from many backgrounds, so we have a responsibility to help them better understand the importance of children’s issues. Children rarely have a voice regarding policy, which is why OICA was created and the reason we continue our mission. Children also have passionate Oklahomans who care deeply about our children’s collective futures, and OICA attempts to bring them together. That is why it is so important for us to gather at Fall Forum to discuss which issues should be the focus of policymaking. To register for Fall Forum, the cost is a very reasonable $100 to attend. Please go to https://www.oica.org/events to register and there are room reservations still available at the Ellison should you want to stay overnight. If you or your organization is already an OICA member, a complimentary conference registration is included in your annual dues. Please join together and add your voice to the conversation!

On Saturday, Oct. 26, 59 fourth, fifth, and sixth grade students from across Oklahoma gathered at the Oklahoma County OSU Extension on office as the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy and Oklahoma 4-H hosted the 2024 Kid Governor® Conference, in cooperation with the Connecticut Democracy Project. The students learned about Oklahoma government and conducted a campaign for the next Kid Governor® of Oklahoma. The 2025 Oklahoma Kid Governor will be Emma Stephens, and she will take office in the new year. On Saturday, October 26, the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) partnered with Oklahoma 4-H to present our OK Kid Governor® program to 59 students in 4th-6th grade from across the state. Of those in attendance, we had about one-third of those students run for the position to serve as a voice for their peers in policy conversations through our organization. While three grades of students were present for the lessons, only 5th graders are allowed to run for Kid Governor® pursuant to the rules provided by the parent organization, the Connecticut Democracy Project. Each of the speeches given by the students were thoughtful, addressed valid concerns facing our state, and were impressive with how each presented a problem and a potential solution to that issue. Congratulations to our new officer team: 2025 Kid Governor Emma Stephens, Lt. Governor Shawn Ferrell, and Secretary of State Lawson Ream, along with Cabinet Members Alburto Harmon, Clayton Rohla, Harper Witt, Koda White and Ryan Young. Together, these 5th graders will meet online to shape an agenda for the upcoming year and seek to implement those ideas with lawmakers and agency leaders. All Oklahoma should be immensely proud of the effort each put into their elections. This program continually inspires me and gives me hope for the future that we will be in good hands once these young leaders become adults. We at OICA thank Kimberly Blodgett, an Oklahoma educator and OICA supporter, for teaching lessons about the three branches of government, the importance of voting, and how campaigns work to seek votes from those who can cast ballots. The students were attentive with the information provided and each responded that they learned a lot from the workshop, hosted by the Oklahoma County OSU Extension Office. We appreciate the team of leaders from 4-H and our own staff from OICA for overseeing the conference and staffing the polling place where the students voted, which replicated the process adults use during voting. Finally, we certainly want to thank the many parents and guardians who also stayed at the conference and who joined in on the questioning period to help elevate the conversation. OICA is incredibly grateful to our current Kid Governor, Mila O’Brien, for her work over the past two years in the role. Mila had to step up and serve two terms with the postponement of the program last year due to each of the classes enrolled in the curriculum withdrawing due to various issues faced by Oklahoma teachers. A reception will be held in Mila’s honor on November 19 during our annual Fall Forum conference, to be held in Oklahoma City. We appreciate sponsors for this program and the many Oklahomans who help encourage stronger civics learning through Kid Governor® and the many other youth-serving experiences used to promote this type of experience. We hope that in 2025, Kid Governor® will be back in Oklahoma’s 5th grade classrooms across the state and we hope to continue the partnership with Oklahoma 4-H. If you want to learn more about how to support the Oklahoma Kid Governor® program, go to oica.org to find out how you can get more involved. You can also join us at the Fall Forum as delegates will help OICA shape our legislative agenda for 2025. We expect to have a robust conversation about issues, and we know the networking through this conference will help advocates build stronger alliances as we work together to improve the lives of Oklahoma’s youth. Please join us and add your voice to the conversation!