“Those state agencies that serve to safeguard Oklahoma’s children require adequate funding in order to perform their duties. Oklahoma needs to make certain tax regulations and reforms are in place that ensure revenue will not be reduced and a budget that can be balanced. A stand-still budget, much less budget cuts, will not provide Oklahoma with the foundation it needs to build capacity nor to provide strong infrastructure, safe communities and healthy, thriving children. Agency improvement and policy changes are ineffective without a financial commitment by the state of Oklahoma to affect positive change.”

– The opening paragraph of the Oklahoma Child Death Review Board 2015 Recommendations. The Child Death Review Board is a statutorily-created entity within the Oklahoma Commission on Children and Youth to reduce the number of preventable child deaths. (Source)