Oklahoma Partnership For School Readiness Foundation Inc

TO IMPROVE SCHOOL READINESS OUTCOMES IN OKLAHOMA.

CHILD CARE RESOURCE AND REFERRAL IN ORDER TO INCREASE EFFICIENCY IN EARLY CHILDHOOD SYSTEMS, OPSR FOUNDATION ENTERED INTO NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE OKLAHOMA CHILD CARE RESOURCE AND REFERRAL ASSOCIATION WITH A GOAL OF MERGING AND ABSORBING ITS OPERATIONS. INCREASED COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE TWO ORGANIZATIONS WILL LEAD TO EFFICIENCIES IN REPORTING DATA RELATED TO SUPPLY AND DEMAND IN CHILD CARE SETTINGS AND INCREASE OPSR'S ABILITY TO ENGAGE COMMUNITY-LEVEL STAKEHOLDERS IN SUPPORT OF INCREASED EARLY CHILDHOOD OPPORTUNITIES. THIS PLANNED- RESTRUCTURING WAS APPROVED BY THE OPSRF AND OCCRRA BOARDS MARCH 10TH (OPSRF) AND MARCH 24 (OCCRRA) WITH AN EFFECTIVE DATE OF JUNE 30, 2022. OCCRRA'S MISSION IS THAT ALL OKLAHOMA FAMILIES HAVE ACCESS TO QUALITY CARE AND EDUCATION FOR THEIR CHILDREN THROUGH COMMUNITY-BASED RESOURCE AND REFERRAL SERVICES. THEY OFFER TAILORED REFERRALS FOR PARENTS NEEDING TO LOCATE QUALITY, LICENSED CHILD CARE, PROVIDE TRAINING, MENTORING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHILD CARE PROVIDERS AND CONNECTS COMMUNITIES ACROSS EIGHT REGIONS OF OKLAHOMA WITH RESOURCES AND SUPPORT FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES. IN SUPPORT OF THIS PROPOSAL TO MERGE AS WELL AS THE ADDITION OF THE OKLAHOMA CLEARINGHOUSE FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD SUCCESS TO OPSR'S PROGRAMMING, OPSR'S STATUTE WAS AMENDED, MEMORIALIZING THE WORK BEING DONE IN BOTH PROGRAMS AT OPSR. SENATE BILL 1408 WAS SIGNED INTO LAW BY GOVERNOR STITT ON 4/29/22.

DATA SYSTEMS: OPSRF CONTINUES TO ADVOCATE AND SEEK FUNDING TO CREATE AN EARLY CHILDHOOD INTEGRATED DATA SYSTEM. FUNDS HAVE SUPPORTED OBTAINING STAKEHOLDER FEEDBACK, WORKING WITH STATE AGENCY LEADERSHIP AND TECHNOLOGY EXPERTS, PARTICIPATING IN NATIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE OPPORTUNITIES, AND CONSULTING WITH OTHER STATES. OPSR COLLABORATES WITH LEADERS FROM HEALTH AND EDUCATION TO FOCUS ON INTEGRATION OF HOME VISITING SERVICES WITH OTHER EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAM DATA. EARLY LITERACY: THE FOUNDATION SUPPORTS A VARIETY OF EARLY LITERACY INITIATIVES, INCLUDING REACH OUT AND READ, A PROGRAM THAT PROVIDES DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE BOOKS AND INSTRUCTIONAL LITERACY STRATEGIES TO FAMILIES PARTICIPATING IN HOME-BASED PARENTING SUPPORT PROGRAMS. FUNDING FOR THESE PROGRAMS HAS BEEN MADE AVAILABLE THROUGH CONTRACTS WITH THE OKLAHOMA DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES AND GRANTS FROM PRIVATE FOUNDATIONS. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: OPSRF CONDUCTS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES TO STRENGTHEN OKLAHOMA'S EARLY CHILDHOOD SYSTEM. IN 2022, OPSRF HOSTED THE OKLAHOMA EARLY CHILDHOOD RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM. THE SYMPOSIUM BROUGHT TOGETHER RESEARCHERS, CLINICIANS, PROVIDERS, EDUCATORS, OKLAHOMA STATE AGENCY LEADERS, AND PUBLIC AND PRIVATE STAKEHOLDERS. OPSR INVITED 11 EARLY CHILDHOOD EXPERTS FROM OKLAHOMA TO PRESENT THEIR RESEARCH ON EVIDENCE-BASED STRATEGIES FOR THE CHILD CARE WORKFORCE. PRESENTATIONS INCLUDED CURRENT DATA AND INFORMATION ON OKLAHOMA'S INVESTMENTS IN THE EARLY CHILDHOOD FIELD. THE SYMPOSIUM, HELD VIRTUALLY, SPANNED THREE DAYS WITH 262 REGISTRANTS DISCOVERING INSIGHTS ABOUT THE EFFECTS OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON CHILDREN AND FAMILIES. THE PROGRAM INCLUDED NINE PRESENTATIONS, A PANEL DISCUSSION FEATURING EARLY CHILDHOOD ADVOCATES AND THIRTEEN POSTER PRESENTATIONS.

COMMUNITY MOBILIZATION AND SUPPORT: OPSRF SUPPORTS COMMUNITY MOBILIZATION BY ENGAGING COMMUNITY LEADERS TO DEVELOP STRONGER LOCAL EARLY CHILDHOOD SYSTEMS. OPSRF PARTNERS WITH THE OKLAHOMA DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES TO SEEK INPUT INTO SUPPORTING THE DISTINCT DEVELOPMENTAL NEEDS OF YOUNG CHILDREN IN THE CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM AND CREATED A PLAN TO SUPPORT GRASSROOTS ADVOCACY EFFORTS. OPSRF SUBMITTED A LIST OF RECOMMENDATIONS, COMPILED THROUGH CONVENING COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS, FOR SUGGESTED USE OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC RELIEF FUNDS. MANY OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUNDING WERE ADOPTED BY OKLAHOMA DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES AND HAVE HELPED TO STABILIZE OKLAHOMA'S CHILD CARE INDUSTRY. IN APRIL, 2022, OPSRF HOSTED ITS FIRST ANNUAL INK DAY (INVEST N KIDS), BRINGING TOGETHER 125 EARLY CHILDHOOD PROFESSIONALS FOR ADVOCACY TRAINING AND LEGISLATIVE VISITS AT THE OKLAHOMA STATE CAPITOL. PARTICIPANTS SHARED WITH LEGISLATORS THAT FOCUSED SUPPORT ON EARLY CHILDHOOD CAN CREATE JOBS, SUPPORT PARENTAL SELF-SUFFICIENCY AND IMPROVE OUTCOMES FOR OKLAHOMA'S CHILDREN.

SYSTEMS AND POLICY DEVELOPMENT: OPSRF IS SUPPORTED TO CONDUCT ACTIVITIES THAT STRENGTHEN OKLAHOMA'S EARLY CHILDHOOD SYSTEM, RECOMMEND POLICIES THAT CREATE EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE USE OF STATE FUNDING, AND ENSURE FAMILIES OF YOUNG CHILDREN HAVE ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE HIGH-QUALITY EARLY CHILDHOOD. LEGISLATIVE REPORTING RESPONSIBILITIES ARE MET BY SUBMITTING AN OPSR ANNUAL REPORT AND AN ANNUAL HOME VISITING OUTCOMES ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT TO THE GOVERNOR, STATE LEGISLATURE AND THE OKLAHOMA COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND YOUTH. THESE REPORTS PROVIDE A PERSPECTIVE ON THE STATUS OF THE EARLY CHILDHOOD SYSTEM AND PROVIDE POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS. MULTIPLE CROSS-SECTOR EARLY CHILDHOOD SYSTEMS AND POLICY WORKGROUPS ARE CONVENED BY OPSR. EQUITY IN EARLY CHILDHOOD POLICY IS BUILT THROUGH A STATE LEVEL EQUITY FOCUSED CROSS-SECTOR STATE STAKEHOLDER GROUP.