Children Thrive When Parents Are In Their Lives

Last week, journalist Connie Chung returned to Oklahoma City for an event at the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum. While she was welcomed by those in attendance this time, such was not the case 31 years ago. “Can you handle this? Can this fire department handle this? I know you’re doing a great job, but it’s extraordinarily difficult,” Chung asked my friend, Assistant OKC Fire Chief Jon Hansen. The question was met with anger by those who felt she had insulted our firefighters and first responders. She quickly issued an apology, but it was not well met, leading to her dismissal as a newscaster. The Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum invited her to speak at their “Better Conversations” series. The program fosters civil dialog on sensitive topics, using the 1995 bombing legacy of resilience to bridge community divides. This was the case with Ms. Chung, who said she felt forgiven and welcomed. This overall effort led the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) to honor the Memorial with our Organizational Advocate of the Year Award in 2025 as they involve young people in their many projects encouraging civility in our society. “The Oklahoma Standard” is an ideal grown in the aftermath of the bombing; we even watermark the term on our state’s driver license. The Memorial established a statewide initiative under this banner, preserving and promoting a culture of caring citizens by encouraging “Acts of Service, Honor, and Kindness.” Those running for office across Oklahoma should bear this in mind. We are less than two months from the Primary Election on June 16, and the candidates are putting on quite a show. Unfortunately, rhetoric is not corresponding with the ideals “The Oklahoma Standard” represents, especially for children. The so-called culture wars get more attention in primaries – especially closed primaries like we have in Oklahoma – than actual solutions to real challenges. For example, a recent report in Oklahoma Watch noted that “53% of likely Republican primary voters said cultural issues such as banning Sharia law and transgender surgeries for youth would be vital when deciding which candidate to support.” Of all Republicans polled, only 39% put day-to-day government functions ahead of culture war issues. Similarly, Democrats primary voters have their own culture war issues and, like Republican primary voters, tend to skew more extreme than General Election voters. Nationally, 48% of Democratic voters are either “progressive” (37%) or “woke” (11%), according to a study by the Manhattan Institute. Only 47% of the Democratic primary voters put more stock in a functioning government than culture issues and less than half of them have shown a willingness to vote for a candidate rather than a party. Primary voters who are frustrated that their candidate lost often do not return to the polls to vote in the November General Election, leading to low turnout, and Oklahoma was among the lowest turnout of any state in 2024. Unfortunately, if this year follows past elections, Oklahoma will rank last in voters showing up to the polls in November. With what people are hearing from candidates, can you really blame them? It might be too late to call upon candidates to run on ideas which will build the economy, increase opportunities for Oklahomans, and create a better state for our children, but I hope you will join me in elevating “The Oklahoma Standard” by voting based on those issues that truly matter. Will it be service, honor and kindness, or will voters instead gravitate towards propaganda that divides communities and instigates fear? For Oklahoma’s children, the issues that matter are the childcare crisis, children’s health insurance, hunger in general, and whether candidates support policies which reduce childhood trauma. I certainly hope we see candidates change their focus to issues which truly elevate The Oklahoma Standard.

While lawmakers addressed many children’s policy issues this year, one which still needs support is childcare services. Other states have taken this on as a top priority. Through an expansion of their Child Care Assistance program, New Mexico became the first state in the nation to offer no-cost Universal Child Care beginning November 1, 2025. In Oklahoma, we have conflicting reports about the closures of daycares across the state. In March, Oklahoma Human Services reported 166 childcare programs have closed statewide since November, but 78 new programs have opened during the same period. In contrast, News 9 reported in January that more than 400 childcare centers in Oklahoma have closed their doors since November. Oklahoma received national attention as The New York Times reported this week on the impact on families from the closure of one childcare center. Additionally, many workplace-operated care centers, provided as an incentive for employees, have closed as those businesses could not afford to maintain that important employee benefit. Worsening the problem, as of April 6, day care centers across the state lost COVID-19-era funding, according to the Licensed Child Care Association of Oklahoma, with providers seeing a reduction of about $5 per child per day. While this funding was never meant to be a permanent allocation for these businesses, and each was advised this would eventually be eliminated, the timing was certainly not good. Subsidized childcare depends on financial assistance for eligible low-income working families, paid directly to providers, often requiring co-payments based on income. Unsubsidized care is paid fully out-of-pocket by the family, often costing significantly more. In Oklahoma, federal and state early learning subsidized opportunities have served more than 80,169 children and families, or 27% of children ages 5 and under. What is the price tag? TOOTRiS, a nationwide childcare network, reports that the average cost for infants in a childcare center breaks down to $901 monthly, or $10,809 annually per child; for toddlers, which is $838 per month, or $10,060 annually. For four-year-olds, the cost dips to $785 monthly, or $9,415 annually, which is likely due to children also being in four-year-old public-school programs for a portion of the day. It is not just money impacting families. It’s been noted that many families have older children who stay home from school to watch their younger siblings while the parents are at work, which contributes to learning loss for both age groups. Young children benefit academically from childcare programs, and the older youth should not miss classroom time. Despite the bad news, Oklahoma has made strides to address the problem. House Bill 1847 was authored by Rep. Suzanne Schreiber, D-Tulsa, and Sen. Bill Coleman, R-Ponca City, and became law last year. The new law exempts at-home childcare centers from specific regulation, saving small home childcares those expenses. Other ideas have not advanced. House Bill 1849, also authored by Representative Schreiber and Sen. Todd Gollihare, R-Kellyville, would have allowed childcare providers at licensed facilities to exempt their household’s income from consideration when applying for the Child Care Subsidy Program as an attempt to incentivize new industry workers and retain current employees. While this bill remains in committee, it is not expected to move due to the $11 million estimated cost. HB 3552, authored by Rep. Cody Maynard and Sen. David Bullard, both Durant Republicans, would have allowed licensed childcare providers to charge parents receiving childcare subsidies the “differential” rate, the difference between the state subsidy reimbursement and the provider’s standard private tuition. Another, HB 4201, authored by Representative Schreiber and Sen. Kristen Thompson, R-Edmond, would set the master teacher ratio required for two-, three-, four-, and five-star centers be one full-time master teacher for every 60 children enrolled at the licensed childcare facility. With the remaining time left in the legislative session, I have hope that lawmakers will address this critical need in a way which helps provide families with much needed childcare resources. 

Gov. Kevin Stitt and Republican leaders from the state Legislature announced a budget agreement last week. The Fiscal Year 27 (FY27) budget proposal totals $12.8 billion, an increase of 1.52% or nearly $200 million over the current fiscal year's budget. This amount is a fraction of total spending, much of which comes from federal matching dollars and “off the top” funding that is dedicated to specific programs and not left up to lawmakers to allocate. No across-the-board cuts happened to state agencies, a fear many had this year. The Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy is especially pleased that an additional $5 million is going toward a plan to allow foster children to receive state benefits until the age of 21, raising that age from the current age of 18 years old. This is an effort we have long supported. Special thanks go to Senate President Pro Tempore Lonnie Paxton for leading this initiative. The state will see increased funding to the state Department of Education by $208.7 million, which includes almost $80 million for reading and math programs, and a $2,000 across-the-board teacher pay raise, totaling $85 million, along with $27.3 million to fund health insurance increases for teachers. Support personnel are not included in this pay raise; school districts would need to find the money if they choose to give raises to all school employees. Also, there is no additional funding budgeted to add days to the public-school year calendar, a proposal which might occur for the upcoming school year. There is also a $25 million increase to the Parental Choice Tax Credit, going from $250 million to $275 million, to pay private school tuition for those who qualify. For childcare teacher recruitment and retention, $4.56 million was included, but this still leaves a large gap for anticipated need. The state is faced with closures of private facilities due to unsubsidized coverage being too costly and the loss of federal subsidies starting this month will hurt many. I hope this can further be addressed prior to adjournment. The budget allocates $15 million to the Department of Commerce for the 2028 Olympics as Oklahoma City will host softball and canoe slalom and kayak events, making it the only city outside California to host events. Further, $6.75 million will fund an Oklahoma Highway Trooper Academy class; $200 million will go to the Taxpayer’s Endowment Fund Trust, reportedly to allow the state to invest in “unspecified future projects”; $12.5 million for “DREAM” savings accounts for Oklahoma children; and more than $3 million to expand Dolly Parton Imagination Libraries across the state and to implement the Just Right Readers phonics education program. Additionally, $3.7 million will be allocated to the Oklahoma Conservation Commission for “critical dam repairs” across the state, a life-saving move. Other increases in the proposed budget include $38.9 million to the Department of Human Services for its Advantage Waiver Program, and $25.5 million to Human Services for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs (SNAP). The budget increases funding for the Department of Mental Health, with $49 million coming to stabilize the current budget and an additional $49 million for FY27, along with $30.1 million to implement a court-ordered competency restoration agreement. The Oklahoma Healthcare Authority gets an additional $250 million support for increased Medicaid utilization. For state employees, lawmakers will allocate $15.2 million to increase longevity pay – a bonus provided based on years of service – in hopes of keeping up with competition with the private sector. Those enrolled in public pension systems would also receive cost of living adjustments ranging from 3% to 6% depending on a retiree’s time spent working, including teachers, firefighters, law enforcement personnel, and state employees. Retirees’ monthly payments would increase 3% if they have been retired between 10 and 19 years or 6 percent if they have been retired at least 20 years The complete budget proposal will be carried through the process by the two budget chairmen, Sen. Chuck Hall and Rep. Trey Caldwell this week. We will keep you posted regarding what happens.

New statewide polling released today by the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA), in partnership with independent pollsters Amber Integrated, shows overwhelming support among likely Republican primary voters for action to address the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) generated sexually explicit images involving minors. The Oklahoma survey – conducted March 6–8 among 603 likely Republican primary voters – found near-universal concern about the issue and strong backing for legislative and enforcement action. According to the poll, 93% of likely GOP voters say they are concerned about AI-generated sexually explicit images involving minors, including 81% who say they are “very concerned.” At the same time, 94% say it is important for state lawmakers and state attorneys general to take action to stop the creation and distribution of this material. Support for policy solutions is similarly strong. More than 9 in 10 voters (91%) support legislation that would give state attorneys general and individuals the authority to bring enforcement actions against companies that knowingly allow these tools to be used to create sexually explicit images involving minors. Notably, 81% of voters say they “strongly support” such legislation. Further, an additional national survey commissioned by Americans on AI Guardrails & Child Safety shows a majority of voters say risks of AI outweigh its benefits, with 77% of voters in both parties responding they prefer candidates who support AI safeguards for kids. In a recent national NBC News survey conducted Feb. 27-March 3, 57% of registered voters said they believe the risks of AI outweigh its benefits. The respondents also noted that both parties need to do more to protect against the rapidly advancing technology. A second national poll, this one commissioned by the Alliance for a Better Future and conducted by OnMessage Public Strategies, showed that more than 77% of voters in both political parties prefer candidates who support safeguards to protect the public and minors from harm from AI. “This data makes clear that Oklahoma voters see this as a serious public safety issue and expect action,” said Joe Dorman, OICA CEO. “There is broad agreement across the Republican electorate that these types of images, especially when they involve minors, should not be allowed to spread without consequences. “Beyond that, voters in both parties across the nation have grave concerns about the potential harm of AI.” The polls show consistent support across key demographic groups, and the Oklahoma poll shows particularly strong intensity among women and rural voters. Women voters report higher levels of concern and support across all measures, while small-town and rural voters, who make up a majority of the primary electorate, show especially strong backing for action. Importantly, even among moderate voters, strong majorities express concern and support legislative action, suggesting that lawmakers face little political risk in advancing solutions and incur risk by not seeking solutions. The findings come amid growing national attention on AI tools capable of generating realistic, non-consensual images using publicly available photos. Some platforms, including xAI’s Grok, have faced scrutiny for how easily this type of content can be produced and for the potential risks posed to minors. “Oklahoma families want to know that there are clear rules in place and that bad actors will be held accountable,” Dorman added. “This is an issue where the public is not divided – conservatives, liberals, Republicans, and Democrats – they are all aligned and ready for action.” Survey Methodology: The Oklahoma survey was conducted March 6–8, 2026, among 603 likely Republican primary voters in the state. The margin of error is ±3.99%.

There is no question that artificial intelligence (AI) is helping improve many areas of our lives. Researchers use it to analyze medical data, businesses rely on it to streamline logistics and operations, and educators are even beginning to explore how it might support learning in the classroom. However, as with any powerful technology, there are also risks, particularly when children are involved. Over the past several years, it has become clear that the digital world our children are growing up in is changing faster than many families can keep up. When social media first became widespread, many parents worried about screen time, online bullying, predators, and whether their child’s posts might affect future college or job prospects. Those dangers still exist today, but technology has continued to evolve, introducing entirely new threats. One of the newest developments involves AI, which can generate images, videos, and conversations almost instantly, often with no direct human involvement or controls in place. Recently, there has been a lot of attention in the news involving an AI tool called Grok, a part of the social media platform X. Users can interact with Grok directly on X or through the standalone app, making it accessible for even young children. Unfortunately, while the intentions behind the technology may have been well-meaning, reporting has shown that this technology is being used to create sexually explicit images of individuals without their consent, including child pornography. This intersects with a troubling trend that child safety advocates have been raising alarms about across the country – the rise of AI-generated deepfake pornography involving children and teenagers. A report from THORN in mid-2024 found that 1 in 10 minors have friends or classmates who have created deep-fake images of other children using generative AI tools. Nearly two years later, as AI tools have only expanded and become more accessible, that number has likely grown. In many cases, these deep-fake images can be created using ordinary photos pulled from social media accounts. A picture shared online can be manipulated by another user into something degrading in a matter of seconds. For families, this means that a child’s reputation can be damaged quickly if manipulated images begin circulating among classmates or online communities. Victims may face embarrassment, harassment, or even coercion from individuals who threaten to distribute the images further. Meanwhile, parents often find themselves in an impossible position, trying to track down and remove images that may already have spread across multiple platforms. Law enforcement agencies are also grappling with how to address this rapidly evolving technology. Many of our existing laws governing exploitation and harassment were written before artificial intelligence tools made it possible to generate this type of material at scale. That is why policymakers across the country, including here in Oklahoma, are beginning to consider how these technologies should be addressed. Laws have been passed to punish the action of creating AI pornography involving children, but little has been done to get to the root of the problem of preventing platforms from allowing the images of children to be used. While lawmakers may debate the best approach, the underlying concern is widely shared: our children should not be exposed to technologies that can easily be used to exploit or harm them. The Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) has long worked with policymakers to ensure that laws keep pace with the realities facing children and families in our state, including on recent Internet safety legislation. As technology continues to evolve, those conversations must continue and adapt with the times. While artificial intelligence will undoubtedly play a major role in shaping the future, the challenge before us is ensuring that innovation, and in turn legislation, move forward in a way that keeps children safe. While the digital world may look different than it once did, our responsibility to protect Oklahoma’s children remains the same. Parents, educators, lawmakers, and community leaders all have a role to play in this effort.

The old adage about knowing being half the battle is very true when it comes to policy advocacy. I am thankful for the partner organizations with which the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) works year-round to promote awareness in not only policy issues. Many programs seek to educate their membership about ways to fully engage through legal means to encourage the best for the children of Oklahoma. OICA offers training and briefing sessions on best practices for this understanding tied to our mission. OICA provides many tools to learn how to engage directly with policymakers, with most of our guides located at https://www.oica.org/advocacy-resources on our website. Here, anyone can download materials for use for classes, conversations, or independent study. I want to run through a few of these as they might help Oklahomans who want to engage in policy work. First, our team has put together both a PDF document and a PowerPoint presentation explaining how to be an effective advocate for shaping policy. This guide helps those who want to navigate communication with policymakers, ranging from initial contact and ways to maintain useful relationships with those who create the laws that govern the state. Phones calls, writing letters, and useful social media posts all can be effective, and we discuss the best ways to engage. Another set of tools for advocates to use is modeled after lessons we learned from School House Rock or in the classroom about how a bill becomes law but adapted to Oklahoma’s unique legislative process. We provide an overview of the current makeup of the Oklahoma Legislature, along with the Executive and Judicial branches for our state, as well as an understanding of the duties of each.. A third set of resources provides an outline of how to read legislation in Oklahoma. This resource also explains the components of a bill and how to better understand why legislation is written in the format which we see lawmakers use. It also describes the process of taking an idea from individuals and shepherding it to become law. The fourth set of documents helps guide the reader through a better understanding of the different levels of government and their responsibilities. Looking at local, state, and federal levels of government, we explain the different roles of each and what policies should start where. We also discuss the multiple variations of local government, including municipal, public school, and county operations. We at OICA take great pride in visiting civic organizations to show ways they can fully engage within their individual interest in policymaking. Thanks to the generosity of donors, we can travel across Oklahoma and present to local clubs about each of these presentations, along with the history of how and why our nonprofit was formed to serve as the voice for Oklahoma’s children. Still, these are not the only organizations that benefit from understanding how government works. We at OICA are preparing a program whereby for-profit organizations, businesses, and any others beyond the nonprofit world can contract with us for presentations on navigating these governmental systems. If you have an interest in having us visit your group, please reach out to us at info@oica.org or at (405) 236-5437, extension 4. In addition to all these resources, we also provide a link on our website to find who represents you directly at the state and federal level, along with sharing different items which can help the reader better understand what is currently happening through policy work. Finally, I want to highlight a document which OICA publishes annually: our Children’s Legislative Agenda, compiled through the work done by assembled advocates at our Fall Forum conference, this year held in October in Oklahoma City. Registration will open soon for this year’s event. I certainly encourage you to join us if you have an idea for a law to ensure Oklahoma better serves its children.

The Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) will conduct its annual Heroes Ball on Saturday, July 25, 2026. The event occurs at the end of each summer and is used to recognize those Oklahomans – heroes – who have worked to improve the quality of life for the state’s youngest residents. The event will be held at the historic Oklahoma City Farmers Public Market. Among the highlights of the evening is the presentation of the two Anne Roberts People’s Choice Awards. “The Anne Roberts People’s Choice Awards are given annually to an Oklahoma individual and an organization the public feels deserve special acknowledgment,” said Joe Dorman, OICA’s CEO. “The process begins with nominations made by the Oklahomans and culminates with voting for the winners.” The first step in that process, nominations for both the individual and organizational awards, is now open at https://qrco.de/26ARPCAHB . (NOTE: A QR Code to the address is attached to this press release.) A link to the nomination page is also available on OICA’s website at https://www.oica.org. The Anne Roberts People’s Choice Award is used to select an individual or organization with its sole mission directed at serving youth through their primary work, paid or volunteer. We would like to see nominations come in for people or programs that have demonstrated excellence in improving the lives of Oklahoma’s youth through their mission or job.  Nominations will close at 5 p.m., Friday, May 15. “From the nominations, the finalists are narrowed down by a committee of OICA board members,” Dorman said. “Then, the people will be able to vote to choose the winners in both the individual and organization categories.” Once finalists are selected, they will submit videos and biographical information that will be available for interested individuals to view on the OICA website and social media before they cast their votes, which also will occur online. People may vote for a finalist in each category. The Heroes Ball is an annual gala to recognize the state’s champions for children and raise funds for OICA’s ongoing mission of child advocacy. To learn more about how to purchase tickets, donate charity auction items, or become a sponsor of the Heroes Ball, please call (405) 236-KIDS (5437), Extension 5 or contact OICA Program Director Licia Walters at lwalters@oica.org .

Judges judging chili – Several members of the Oklahoma Judicial Branch took part in OICA’s Child Advocacy Day & Chili Cook-Off by serving as judges for the chili competition. Those who judged were (from left) State Supreme Court Justice Noma Gurich, District Judge Natalie Mai, state Supreme Court Vice Chief Justice Dana Kuehn, District Judge Thad Balkman, Special Judge Nichole Gillett and District Judge Sheila Stinson. (Courtesy Photo) On Tuesday, March 10, the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) held our annual advocacy day at the State Capitol. Each year, we invite youth-serving organizations to attend and use the opportunity to network with lawmakers and others who might be visiting the Capitol during one of the busiest days of the legislative session. The event provides an amazing chance for them to promote the work they each do to benefit children in our state. We also ask each program to make a pot of chili, and we have this also serve as a competition between the organizations, because one of the things I learned over my 31 years of working in and around that building is that people enjoy the opportunity for a meal if they are too busy to leave. I am pleased to report that we had 34 programs set up and that many chili entries for the competition. The competition was fierce, but Sunbeam Family Services won first place, the Cherokee Nation got second, and St. Francis Ministries placed third. The People’s Choice winner, determined by donations, was True Wireless. The best themed entry was the Oklahoma Primary Care Association, named through votes cast by lawmakers and their executive/legislative assistants. The best entry by a public servant went to Reps. John Waldron and Mickey Dollens with their team effort. This was the first year we were inside the Capitol for the cook-off; in past years, we held the event in the Capitol parking lot. The only hiccup we faced with moving the event inside was the overload to the electrical system. We feel confident we have a fix for next year’s event. We are very grateful to our chili judges, each of whom sampled each of the entries, which could not have been an easy task even with all of them being delicious. Each year, we ask members of the different courts in Oklahoma to do this over their lunch hour. We were honored to have Supreme Court Justices Noma Gurich and Dana Kuehn participate, along with Judges Thad Balkman, Nichole Gillett, Natalie Mai, and Sheila Stinson. Of course, in line with the fun, we had a purpose: to help the participants “break the ice” to meet lawmakers and those who make the process of the capitol operate smoothly. I heard from most of the folks in attendance how valuable the day was for them to promote all that they do for children, and we hope to continue growing this event in years to come. Additionally, we used this opportunity to invite folks to come to the Capitol and serve as citizen lobbyists to promote ideas that they would like to see become law from the multiple bills going through the process which would improve the lives of children, or in contrast, voice concerns over an issue which they feel might not feel are being addressed properly. Thank you to all who joined us! It was great seeing so many attend in support, including members of the OICA’s leadership program, Advocacy Boot Camp. I want to thank those organizations who registered and participated, which include the winners listed above, along with Conscious Community Strategies, DentaQuest / Liberty Dental Plan, OKCare, the Center for Children & Families, CREOKS Health Services, Peppers Ranch Foster Community, Southern Plains Tribal Health Board, Reach Out & Read, Pioneer Library System, the Oklahoma Education Association, the Oklahoma Office of Family Representation, the Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness, Count Me In 4 Kids, the Cherokee Nation, The PATH Children's Advocacy Center, the Oklahoma Indian Child Welfare Association, Mindful Resolutions, TRC - The Recovery Center, Kiwanis - Downtown OKC, the Oklahoma Commission on Children and Youth, Rococo on Western, New World Comic Super Hero School, Pivot, Birthright Living Legacy and Oklahoma Complete Health. If you have a youth-serving organization that would like to be a part of this next year, make plans now for mid-March in 2027 to join the fun, fellowship, and advocacy effort! 

As we discussed last week, the Oklahoma Legislature continues to move several potential laws forward for the 2026 session over the past month. Lawmakers have held committee meetings to initially consider the bills filed for 2026. The ones that survived committees will now be scheduled by the majority floor leaders – Rep. Josh West, R-Grove, in the House of Representatives, and Sen. Julie Daniels, R-Bartlesville, in the Senate – along with their teams who develop the House’s and Senate’s daily agendas. As I noted in last week’s column, if a bill would cost money, despite the value of the idea, the chance of it becoming law is slim. A good idea may pass with language stating, “if funds are available” and then not receive sufficient appropriations to function. House Bill 1016, by Rep. Michelle McCane, D-Tulsa, and Sen. Michael Bergstrom, R-Adair, would create protection for minors who appear in online content created by adults, including their parents. This legislation would require compensation, trust funds, and protections under the law included in monetized online content. Minors would be engaged in content creation work if they appear in at least 30 percent of a creator’s compensated video content within a 30-day period or if their participation generates more than $10,000 in revenue. HB 3288 by Rep. Cynthia Roe, R-Lindsay, and Senator Brian Logan, R-Paden, requires the State Board of Education to require, as a condition of accreditation, that public elementary schools provide physical education or exercise programs for students in full-day prekindergarten through grade 5. The amount of physical education or exercise must average at least 150 minutes each week, not including recess. This is an increase from the current 60 minutes required under law. HB 3636 by Rep. Emily Gise, R-OKC, and Sen. Kristen Thompson, R-Edmond, provides that beginning with the 2027 program year, the State of Oklahoma must participate in the federal Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer for Children program to provide supplemental nutrition assistance to eligible children when school is not in session. For those keeping up with this policy, Oklahoma’s executive branch has refused to participate in this program over the past three years, placing a tremendous strain on families across the state, along with churches and nonprofit organizations who work to fill the gaps in feeding the hungry. HB 4421 by Speaker Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, and Sen. Todd Gollihare, R-Kellyville, would require Oklahoma Human Services to include fentanyl and methamphetamine in drug screenings during child welfare investigations and before children are returned to parents or guardians. The legislation would require investigators to obtain a warrant for testing if parents refuse a drug test. This bill would make it a felony to knowingly expose a child to fentanyl. Senate Bill 1377 by Sen. Chuck Hall, R-Perry, and Rep. John Kane, R-Bartlesville, would require Oklahoma Human Services to provide foster children who lack a suitcase with a duffel bag or other adequate bag in which to pack personal belongings. Also, as funds allow, the department may include personal hygiene items or other personal supplies. For years, far too many children taken into foster care or moved from placement to placement have had their items placed in garbage bags for transport, so this bill would eliminate that practice. SB 1521 by Sen. Warren Hamilton, R-McCurtain, and Rep. Cody Maynard, R-Durant, would prohibit the design, development, or making available artificial intelligence human-like chatbots to minors, with a penalty of up to $100,000 for each violation. The measure would require reasonable age certification measures to keep the technology away from children. These and other bills will continue through the process, and the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) will continue to monitor and engage in promoting legislation which supports the best interests of the health, safety, and well-being of the youth of our state. Please sign up at oica.org to follow these and other bills through our weekly email newsletter.