Dear friends and colleagues – Please take a moment to vote on what you believe are the top 5 issues facing Oklahoma Children. The deadline to vote is JUNE 20th. So, take a moment RIGHT NOW and give us your opinion.
Please pass this on!! We want all Oklahoman’s to participate in this vote.
The Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy’s annual Fall Legislative Forum will be Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2011 at the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond.
Join community leaders and child advocates as we discuss solutions to the issues facing Oklahoma’s children. We need your input! Participate in our poll on children’s issues below. Be a voice for children – vote for the top five issues to be addressed on Oct. 11. Please pass this information on to your networks, we want advocates across the state to REGISTER and VOTE.
Click here to REGISTER for the event.
WE NEED YOUR OPINIONS! Issues facing Oklahoma’s children are complex and challenging. A diverse group of advocates from across the state identified ten broad issues facing Oklahoma’s children. Although all of these issues are important, we need to focus our efforts to create meaningful change where we can do the most good for our state’s children. The ten issues listed below will be narrowed to five issues based on your votes. Voting will end June 20th.
We will tabulate the results and announce the top five issues later this summer. Those five issues will be the priority for our work on Oct. 11. The Fall Forum will provide information, create dialogue and propose solutions for Oklahoma’s children and families in the areas chosen by our online voters.
Please read the descriptions of the issues below before voting.
Click here to vote.
Workforce Readiness: All children should have equal access to adequately and equitably financed public schools meeting rigorous academic standards aligned with the needs of the 21st century workforce. This includes successful strategies to prevent school failure and high school dropouts, as well as provide career guidance and after school programs.
Family Self-Sufficiency: All children should live in families that can provide for their needs and make investments in their future. This includes tax and economic policies that enable families to invest in themselves and their children’s development, and family support policies that allow families to meet basic health and living needs.
Food Security: All children should have access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food. In Oklahoma, we know that is not always the case. One in five children in our state is at risk for hunger each day. Continued support of initiatives that combat food insecurity such as school breakfast and lunch programs, summer food programs, Women Infants and Children (WIC) supplemental nutrition, farmer’s markets, farm-to-school programs, and community gardens is essential.
Mental Health: All children and families should have access to mental health resources necessary to maintain healthy families. Promoting mental health depends on multiple resources such as early childhood interventions, violence prevention programs, community development programs, and programs targeted to the needs of vulnerable groups.
Child Safety: All children should be safe in their homes and communities from all forms of abuse, neglect, exploitation and violence; avoid risk-taking behaviors; and contribute to community well-being. This includes ways to improve and promote the physical and mental health well-being of children in state custody for child abuse and/or neglect.
Early Care & Education: All children and their parents should receive services and supports to enable them to start school prepared for success. This includes parent education programs, pre-kindergarten and early intervention services.
Substance Abuse: Consider ways to improve the effectiveness of substance abuse prevention and treatment services. Parental substance abuse and dependence have a negative impact on the physical and emotional well-being of children and can cause home environments to become chaotic and unpredictable, leading to child maltreatment.
Child Health: All children should have an opportunity to lead a healthy lifestyle with access to nutritious foods and daily physical activity. All Oklahoma children should be ensured access to comprehensive primary care services that include oral, physical and mental health services.
Maternal and Infant Health: Provide adequate and accessible medical services to expectant and new mothers and their infants. These services include prenatal and postnatal services, family planning care, and pediatric care in infancy. Develop and expand programs for early identification and treatment of infants, toddlers and children under six exhibiting mental health concerns.
Adolescent Health: Promote healthy adolescent development and the prevention of injuries, unplanned pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, substance abuse and mental health issues. Education on risk behaviors and promoting best practice policy solutions is critical.