OKPOLICY.ORG
KIDS COUNT
We are the Oklahoma affiliate of the KIDS COUNT Network, a group of state-based child advocacy and research organizations that use data to promote smart policies on issues ranging from child welfare and juvenile justice to education and economic opportunity.
For the latest numbers on child well-being in Oklahoma and other states, see the KIDS COUNT Data Center and the 2020 KIDS COUNT Data Book from the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
If you have any questions about our KIDS COUNT work, contact OK Policy’s KIDS COUNT Coordinator Rebecca Fine, rfine@okpolicy.org.
KIDS COUNT Reports
Gov. Stitt’s GEER plan widens the gap in access to technology and online learning for low-income students and students of color
Unfortunately, our Governor squandered an opportunity to use federal dollars to mitigate this harm. As a result, these decisions have left the vast majority of low-income students without the resources they need to access a safe and quality education this coming school year. [More...]
Oklahoma schools should use federal Education Stabilization Funds to mitigate learning loss for low-income students
Additional federal dollars should be used to support low-income students through extended instructional time, lower student-to-staff ratios, and other initiatives. Such investments will prevent the COVID-19 slide from widening academic disparities even further. [More...]
Child care provider support needed to get Oklahoma economy running
Our child care industry and the future of our state’s economy are at stake. Now it is time for the state to listen. [More...]
Emergency relief, policy changes urgently needed for child care in Oklahoma
Child care providers cannot sustain this critical resource, and families will struggle to keep their children safe, without urgent emergency relief and critical policy changes. Ten state organizations crafted a series of recommendations for how to address child care in Oklahoma. [More...]
Providing food security for Oklahoma students who might otherwise go without meals
In response to this need, OSDE received approval for waivers to allow schools to provide “grab and go” meals at no cost to low-income students who qualify for free and reduced-priced lunch through the Summer Food Service Program. [More...]
Child care plays pivotal role during health crisis
By staying open, child care centers make it possible for those workers with children to carry out these important roles. Below are some policy measures that can support keeping child care centers open during the COVID-19 health emergency. [More...]
Black and Latino children in Oklahoma are still more likely to live in concentrated poverty
A new KIDS COUNT Data Snapshot shows that many children in Oklahoma live in high-poverty communities that often lack these vital necessities. In Oklahoma, Black and Latino children are more than four times as likely to live in areas of concentrated poverty (census tracts where 30 percent or more of the population lives in poverty). [More...]
Justice reinvestment offers a model to support vulnerable Oklahoma youth
Oklahoma should take advantage of declining youth incarceration to reinvest in services — such as therapy, substance use treatment, education, and family supports — for justice-involved youth. [More...]
This Constitution Day, remember what counts
Over 230 years ago, the authors of the American constitution understood the importance of the Census. The Census is no less important today. [More...]
Federal funding increases are making quality child care more affordable for Oklahoma families
A new report from Oklahoma Policy Institute finds that new federal grant funding is making affordable child care a reality for more Oklahomans. [More...]