Pair of Youth Governor Programs Elect Student Leaders for 2026
Jay Paul Gumm • November 18, 2025
2026 Kid Governor Katelyn Talley (left) & 2026 Junior Governor Riley Braden
A pair of youth governor programs sponsored by the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) have elected their leaders for 2026.
The first is the Oklahoma Kid Governor® program, in conjunction with the Connecticut Democracy Center’s national program, designed to empower 5th graders to change the world.
This ground-breaking approach to civics education immerses students in a real election for each participating state’s Kid Governor®, a fellow 5th grader who will represent their home state during a one-year term of active leadership. In total, 1,187 students from across Oklahoma participated in the program this year.
- Oklahoma’s Kid Governor® for 2026 is Katelyn Talley, a 5th grader from Valliant in southeastern Oklahoma. Her platform is animal abuse prevention. In addition to the Kid Governor®, 5th graders in participating classrooms also elected a Kid Lieutenant Governor and Kid Secretary of State.
- The Kid Lieutenant Governor is Sophia Chavarria Rivera, a 5th grader from Bethany, and her platform is the prevention of bullying.
- The Kid Secretary of State is Daphne Tanequodle, a 5th grader from Lawton, who was elected with a platform of addressing homelessness.
The Kid Governor® was elected in a statewide election based upon a local classroom election. Each student candidate chose an issue on which to run, and the classroom voted for their favorite, a process which replicates voting in a Primary Election. The winners then recorded a two-minute campaign video which was submitted into the statewide competition where the students voted a second time from among the statewide candidates, simulating a General Election.
A panel comprised of Oklahoma’s former governors – David Walters, Frank Keating, Brad Henry, and Mary Fallin - and OICA board members narrowed the field to the finalists.
The campaign videos for the finalists were shared with each participating school from 37 classrooms from across the state. The students cast their votes on ballots that resemble the actual Oklahoma ballots, and the election was timed to coincide with Election Day in November.
The winning candidate serves a one-year term promoting leadership and advocacy, working with OICA to fulfill their campaign platform while mobilizing students to take action and make a difference on youth issues. The remaining finalists will serve as members of the Kid Cabinet, working with the Kid Governor to raise awareness on their platform issues. The cabinet will spend the year speaking to civic organizations and other such programs to promote their platforms and encourage civic engagement. OICA provides support to the families by providing mileage reimbursements for their official visits.
Toolkits consisting of free, custom-designed lesson plans reflecting Oklahoma guide classroom teachers through the program and teach students about state government in their state, the history and process of voting, and the importance of active participation in civic life. The program only educates about the process, and students choose their campaign issues on their own with guidance and support from the local teacher. OICA is underwriting the cost of the program through donations and fundraisers with the state’s former governors.
In addition to the Kid Governor® program, OICA co-sponsors with Oklahoma 4-H a “Junior Governor” program for 4th, 5th, and 6th graders. This program brought more than 40 interested 4-H students together for a conference in Stillwater at the State 4-H Office on Nov. 1, where they learned about state government and then elected the Junior Governor and Junior Cabinet. The winners of the 4-H Junior Governor elections, their schools, and platforms are:
- Junior Governor Riley Braden, from Brisco in Creek County. Riley is home schooled and ran on a platform to protect and promote the sanctity of life.
- Junior Lieutenant Governor is Whitlee Moser from Perkins in Payne County. Whitlee attends Perkins Tryon Intermediate School and ran on a platform of education.
- Junior Secretary of State is Riley Rudder from Fort Towson. Riley attends Rattan Elementary in Pushmataha County and ran on a platform of turtle conservation
- The first Junior Cabinet Member is Lizzie Marlin from Adair in Mayes County. Lizzie attends Bernita Hughes Elementary and ran on the platform of smoking prevention and education.
- The second Junior Cabinet Member is Victoria Justice from Depew in Creek County. Victoria is homeschooled and her platform is to prevent debt collectors from making spam calls.
The student leaders will be inaugurated during a ceremony at the State Capitol on February 2, 2026, the opening day of the Oklahoma Legislature’s session.
“The Kid Governor® program and the Junior Governor inspire students to be involved in the process and hopefully become lifelong agents of change for the better, maybe even running for Governor of Oklahoma someday,” Dorman said. “If young people are given an opportunity to learn these lessons at an early age, they will grow into the leaders that will shape our tomorrow.”
The outgoing Kid Cabinet members who served in 2025 are: Kid Governor® Emma Stephens from Ardmore; Kid Lt. Gov. Shawn Ferrell from Orlando; Kid Secretary of State Lawson Ream from Alva; and Kid Cabinet members Clayton Rohla from Roff, Ryan Young from Chickasha, Koda White from Vici, Alburto Harmon from Perry, and Harper Witt from Antlers.
OICA annually budgets costs for operating the programs and providing reimbursements for costs. For more information about how you can help support the Kid Governor® program with a donation, contact OICA at info@oica.org or call (405) 236-KIDS (5437).
The work done by the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA), while always rewarding, can sometimes be stressful, and occasionally downright depressing. The statistics and real-world conversations about the things which impact children often wear on our team as we work to improve children’s lives. Still, one of the best and brightest parts of our work offsets the gloominess is our work on the Kid Governor® and 4-H Junior Governor programs. Through these projects, we see the hope these young Oklahomans have for a better future; that reinvigorates us, knowing we truly are making a difference. OICA helped initiate the original concept in 2015 with the selection of a young person to serve in the role of Kid Governor in conjunction with another nonprofit organization. The program morphed into the current project with the selection of our sixth Kid Governor. We partnered with the Connecticut Democracy Project to provide lesson plans for 5th grade teachers to use to better educate their students about government, the need to better understand civics, and the importance of voting once they turn 18. Last year, teachers were concerned about the program and all the classrooms which had normally participated had chosen to withdraw from the program. OICA pivoted to partner with Oklahoma 4-H to continue this program through a one-day conference for 4th, 5th, and 6th graders enrolled in their organization, which yielded an impressive slate of young leaders to fulfill that role for 2025. I want to thank Kid Governor® Emma Stephens from Ardmore; Kid Lt. Gov. Shawn Ferrell from Orlando; Kid Secretary of State Lawson Ream from Alva; and Kid Cabinet members Clayton Rohla from Roff, Ryan Young from Chickasha, Koda White from Vici, Alburto Harmon from Perry, and Harper Witt from Antlers for their work this year. For 2026, OICA was able to continue this 4-H partnership and rebuild our classroom component, allowing us to operate two separate opportunities for youth. The 4-H Junior Governor conference with more than 40 students in attendance selected their leaders November 1; our classroom Kid Governor® program completed its election just last week, with 1,187 students going through the lesson plans. Oklahoma’s Kid Governor® for 2026 is Katelyn Talley, a 5th grader from Valliant in southeastern Oklahoma. Her platform is animal abuse prevention. The Kid Lieutenant Governor is Sophia Chavarria Rivera, a 5th grader from Bethany, and her platform is the prevention of bullying. The Kid Secretary of State is Daphne Tanequodle, a 5th grader from Lawton, who was elected with a platform of addressing homelessness. The winners of the 4-H Junior Governor elections, their schools, and platforms are: • Junior Governor Riley Braden, from Brisco in Creek County. Riley is home schooled and ran on a platform to protect and promote the sanctity of life. • Junior Lieutenant Governor is Whitlee Moser from Perkins in Payne County. Whitlee attends Perkins Tryon Intermediate School and ran on a platform of education. • Junior Secretary of State is Riley Rudder from Fort Towson. Riley attends Rattan Elementary in Pushmataha County and ran on a platform of turtle conservation • The first Junior Cabinet Member is Lizzie Marlin from Adair in Mayes County. Lizzie attends Bernita Hughes Elementary and ran on the platform of smoking prevention and education. • The second Junior Cabinet Member is Victoria Justice from Depew in Creek County. Victoria is homeschooled and her platform is to prevent debt collectors from making spam calls. The student leaders will be inaugurated during a ceremony at the State Capitol on February 2, 2026, the opening day of the Oklahoma Legislature’s session. For more information about how you can help support the Kid Governor® program with a donation that helps provide mileage reimbursement for the students and allow us to operate the program, contact OICA at info@oica.org or call (405) 236-KIDS (5437).
Advocates Focus on Economic Well-Being, Education, Health, and Family & Community
In October, the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) held our Fall Forum, a conference which annually assembles delegates for sharing ideas and brainstorming solutions for the many issues facing the children of our state. The theme this year tied in with the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s KIDS COUNT Report, a review of state statistics which uniformly look at how well states are performing on 16 different metrics under four different categories – Economic Well-being, Education, Health, and Family & Community assessments. Overall, Oklahoma ranks 46th out of the 50 states and the District of Columbia in child well-being. The delegates looked at ideas previously proposed by lawmakers, along with shaping creative solutions for problematic youth issues through policy. Experts presented on subjects associated with the four categories and shared their data about where the state is succeeding or falling short on addressing difficulties. In Economic Well-Being, the delegates suggested improvements for affordable housing policies to increase family stability and reduce homelessness and chronic absenteeism in school attendance, designed to improve educational outcomes. Another aspect was to support lawmakers’ efforts to expand paid family leave programs to help parents – those who are biological, foster, or adoptive – to better acclimate parents to the responsibilities in raising children. A third point was to enhance the child tax credit, allowing it to be refundable with reasonable income phase-outs. In the area of Education, a hotly debated category in recent years, advocates suggested the establishment and expansion of quality, affordable afterschool programs statewide for all grades. There was also the desire to require trauma-based education for future teachers and in continuing development requirements. Another conversation was to establish and adequately fund reading improvement programs to help ensure students are able to read at grade level and not be held back a grade. With Health, suggestions included that the state mandate child-safe laws to protect young Oklahomans by ensuring packaging and marketing of edible marijuana products is age-appropriate, and to provide access to prescription lockboxes for families at an affordable price. Further, advocates recommended expanding the “Food is Medicine Act” to support those with chronic diseases and other health concerns. They further promoted the adoption of a dental therapist program to help expand care throughout Oklahoma where there is limited access to care, with oversight provided by a dentist. The Family and Community category encouraged the creation of “Child Protection Courts” like the model in Texas, which would reduce the timeframe of issues in the courts involving children and also give judges specialized training and access to resources to help resolve concerns involving custody and other family-related cases. Another point suggested was to fund and sustain “family resource centers” which have been created to increase access to local supports such as referrals, transportation, and other vital services which are barriers to success. Other recommendations were for improving nutrition programs to increase access to fresh fruits and vegetables, accepting federal funds to provide summer feeding opportunities for youth directly, and to add further interventions for pre-arrest community programs for both youth and parents in partnership with local businesses and civic organizations. These items and the many others included can be found on our website at https://tinyurl.com/2026OICACLA . We will work with lawmakers to draft legislation and seek funding support for those which are taken up as bills or agency policies in the 2026 session. OICA will also assist other organizations to ensure that legislation seeking to enhance beneficial youth-based policies move through the state capitol successfully. Please follow along with our weekly Thursday newsletter, to which you can subscribe for free, at https://www.oica.org .
I want to start by saying “thank you” to the governor and Oklahoma’s legislative leaders for the commitment to allocate $1 million in state funds per week over the next seven weeks to the two major food banks to assist with food distribution during the suspension of SNAP benefits. This will help many Oklahoma families who are struggling. Now, as Paul Harvey used to say, let’s look at the rest of the story. The normal monthly allocation from the feds to Oklahoma for SNAP is more than $120 million per month for the 684,000 people in our state who receive benefits. At the level which the state will provide, that only equals to be $5.85 per person per month for every Oklahoman who is on SNAP. Additionally, the food banks cannot reach every person on SNAP, and there is no specific requirement this supplement will go only to SNAP recipients due to added demands with so many government employees furloughed. With their families in need, there will be increased demand upon our food banks, statewide and local. What they can do is leverage your donation for larger amounts of food, so this is a worthy effort. In some good news, two separate federal judges ordered the Trump Administration to use contingency funds designed to pay SNAP benefits when money is short. This is not a new thing; these funds have been used by every other administration to cover SNAP during government shutdowns. Leaders said they would not appeal the decisions, meaning SNAP could start being at least partially funded later this week. Even with this, please do what you can to help those in your community because people are likely to face even greater struggles with Thanksgiving and other holidays coming soon. This is not the only major concern right now for American families. Enhanced premium subsides for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) are slated to end, causing premium costs to skyrocket for many enrollees by approximately 26% in 2026. These tax credits, passed several years ago, and extended through 2025 by the Inflation Reduction Act, are set to expire. These credits lowered costs for many and made previously ineligible middle-income individuals eligible for insurance at a reduced cost. Those Americans with incomes over 400% of the federal poverty level will lose eligibility for the enhanced credits without congressional action, forcing these significant premium hikes. Many lower-income enrollees in ACA insurance also will endure an increase in their out-of-pocket costs, something they cannot afford. Without these tax credits, many will have to end health insurance coverage altogether due to higher costs, leading to more uninsured individuals seeking emergency care and potentially straining hospitals to the point of closure, as we have already seen in Oklahoma. This is a central point of debate in the federal government shutdown. Many Democrat officials are refusing to vote reopen the government unless negotiations on these subsides are continued. They believe this provides leverage for them to demand the continuation of these subsidies and to lower costs for those on ACA insurance. In contrast, many Republicans do not feel this is a role of government and should be left to the private sector to meet needs, with ACA and SNAP alike. Those wanting compromise are being drowned out by the fringe sides of both political ideologies seeking a “win” on these issues. Meanwhile, American families are facing cuts to food support, increased health insurance costs, and for government employees, a loss of their paycheck until the shutdown ends. Please reach out to your elected leaders and share your own story about how this is impacting you, as these officials depend upon your vote to continue in office and receive their own paychecks following next November’s elections.
The federal government entered a shutdown on Oct. 1 when Congress failed to pass the required 12 annual appropriations bills or agree on a short-term funding patch called a continuing resolution. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a part of this. SNAP helps nearly 42 million Americans purchase much needed food each month – more than one out every 10 citizens. Funds will expire Nov. 1 for most states, including Oklahoma. Benefits have continued because money for October was allocated to states before the shutdown began. In local terms, SNAP aids more than 684,000 Oklahomans according to Oklahoma Human Services, the state agency which maintains local oversight of this program. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) website reports, “USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) works to end hunger and promote nutrition through the administration of 15 federal nutrition assistance programs including Women Infants and Children (WIC), SNAP, and school meals. In partnership with State and Tribal governments, FNS programs serve one in four Americans during the course of a typical year.” While much has been covered regarding SNAP benefits lapsing, it is important to be aware that each of these programs will be impacted unless Congress acts to end the shutdown soon. WIC is currently being kept afloat by a $150 million contingency fund, but experts warn that it could halt soon without a budget agreement. The National WIC Association has indicated the program will run out of funding within one or two weeks if the shutdown continues. The same is true for school meal programs. If the shutdown continues, it could lead to significant disruptions in public schools’ ability to provide meals for students. While USDA’s reimbursements to schools (for breakfast and lunch programs) will continue for the short term due to use of carryover funds, many of USDA staff, whose jobs range from reviewing school meal reimbursements to issuing new grants (also temporarily halted), are now on unpaid furlough. Should the shutdown continue for much longer, reimbursements will slow down or stop, creating cash-flow problems for local school districts. A few states have already suspended their SNAP benefits programs. The only way for states to intervene and continue assistance would be for governors and state legislatures across the nation to call themselves into session and use available state funds to provide temporary relief to impacted state agencies and those they serve. Thus far, no state has even suggested that course of action, likely due to no federal commitment to replace those state allocations should they occur. As that deadline approaches, the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) recommends that those impacted use remaining SNAP benefits to purchase allowable items as you will not be able to access any currently available funds after Oct. 31. Use your benefits to purchase shelf-stable items such as pinto beans, rice, and other such products which can provide stability until the shutdown ends. Those in need may also seek support through local resources. To find a program which provides aid close to you, go to http://www.regionalfoodbank.org/ for western Oklahoma and https://www.okfoodbank.org/ for the eastern part of the state. Additionally, some restaurants have even offered free meals to families in need and who have lost their benefits; check local news to see if any restaurants in your community are participating. I will also add that while every nonprofit organization is currently facing budget woes, please consider donating to a food assistance program in your community. Churches and nonprofits are only able to provide food with what funds they have available, and support is critical for those who are struggling..
Just over one month ago, notice was issued that the federal government had paused the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC), an annual fundraising effort that has contributed billions of dollars to charitable organizations since it was established more than 60 years ago. This became a temporary halt to allow efforts to continue this year, but notice was served that significant change would be coming. Usually beginning in September, members of the federal sector — including employees, retirees, and contractors — select charitable organizations in which to donate money or volunteer their time to support nonprofit work. This provides a level of support for organizations to build budgets for the upcoming year’s work. In 1957, President Dwight D. Eisenhower established the “President’s Committee on Fund-Raising Within the Federal Service” to review and modify the fund-raising program. In 1961, President John F. Kennedy signed Executive Order 10927, which gave authority to the United States Civil Service Commission to organize nonprofit solicitations of federal government employees. Kennedy’s executive order was eventually replaced by President Ronald Reagan in 1982 when he created the modern Combined Federal Campaign under the United States Office of Personnel Management. Nonprofits must meet specific eligibility criteria set by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the CFC team. These criteria include the organization’s existence for at least three years, its ability to provide real services, and its commitment to engaging federal employees in philanthropy. Nonprofits must also apply through the CFC’s online application system and may need to apply annually. The CFC team manages the charity application process, ensuring that only eligible organizations can participate in the campaign. Around $9 billion has been given to approved charities since its inception, and CFC has allowed federal employees to donate to charities of their choice, peaking in 2009 with about $282 million in donations. The Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) has received modest sums in the past from supporters through our numbers (federal - 58911 and state - 8041) for campaigns. Many organizations with higher profiles receive substantial sums which could significantly diminish their mission if this funding stream were eliminated. We certainly understand concerns overseeing the program form CFC. In a statement issued by President Trump’s OPM Director Scott Kupor, donations have declined in recent years, and administrative costs have grown to oversee the program, which in turn sends fewer funds to nonprofits that also have administrative costs. They also indicated CFC made sense pre-internet – when donors lacked more automated and efficient ways to direct dollars to their favorite charities. While these concerns are certainly valid, we at OICA feel this is a program worthy of retention. CFC allows employees to learn more about different nonprofit organizations through workplace events. It is a simple task to itemize deductions on Schedule A of Form 1040 when dealing with your own taxes. The above-the-line deduction for cash donations to qualified charities reinstated in 2026 will make sense for giving. Charities that rely on regular funding from employees will likely benefit more from employee donations, thus providing a sustainable and stable source of income for the nonprofit’s work, thereby reducing fundraising expenses for the nonprofit. Organizations with a strong sense of community and employee involvement in charitable activities may find it beneficial to support their employees' charitable contributions through a matching dollar program. Offering matching gifts can incentivize employees to contribute more, which can be a win-win for both the charity and the employee. In a difficult time for charitable nonprofits, we strongly encourage those decision makers at the federal level to weigh the cost and the benefit of CFC. We hope they can find a way to continue support through this process in a streamlined manner that does not diminish the work done for children and other services through charitable giving.
With the federal government “shutdown” of services continuing, one likely outcome will be that Affordable Care Act (ACA), or Obamacare, subsidies will end or be reduced. Should this happen, the burden for health insurance coverage will fall to the states to decide. Fortunately, one opportunity exists in Oklahoma which provides a way for employers, employees, and state government to elevate health insurance coverage for those in the workforce. In April 2004, Senate Bill 1546, authored by Sen. Ben Robinson and Rep. M.C. Leist, authorized the Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA) to develop a program assisting employees of small businesses, 19 to 64 years of age with either (1) a portion of their private health plan premiums (Employer Sponsored Insurance), or (2) the purchase of a state sponsored health plan operated under the state Medicaid program (Individual Plan). The goal was to provide affordable health insurance for 50,000 low-wage Oklahomans in the workforce. The Oklahoma Health Care Authority administers the Insure Oklahoma program. The agency balances this fiscal responsibility with two equally important goals: 1) Assuring that state-purchased health care meets acceptable standards of care; and 2) Ensuring that citizens of Oklahoma who rely on state-purchased health care are served positively. The Affordable Care Act made a program like Insure Oklahoma redundant, but if the federal government rolls back provisions, this is a way in which health insurance can continue for those in the workforce For employer qualifications: · Have up to 250 (for profit) or 500 (non-profit) employees. · Be located in Oklahoma. · Offer a qualified benefit plan. · Contribute at least 25 percent of premiums for qualified employees. · Health insurance must be billed from the first of calendar month to the end of the calendar month (not mid-month). For the employee: · Be between the ages of 19 and 64. · Be an Oklahoma resident and meet citizenship guidelines. · Have an annual gross household income within the Employer-Sponsored Insurance income guidelines. · Not enrolled in Medicare or SoonerCare (Medicaid). · Contribute up to 15 percent of monthly premium cost for self, and up to 15 percent of premium cost for qualified dependents (not to exceed three percent of annual gross household income). While Democrats created this, Republican lawmakers saw the benefit of having healthy Oklahomans at work and modified several categories. In 2007, the program was expanded to include self-employed Oklahomans, certain unemployed individuals and working individuals with no access to small group health coverage. In 2009, this program was further expanded to include full-time college students within qualifying income guidelines who are ages 19-22, and increased the Employer Sponsored Insurance (ESI) to with up to 99 employees. Additional changes allowed coverage for dependent children for Insure Oklahoma members who fell between 186 to 200 percent of the federal poverty level, and the number of employees for a business was expanded to 250. Then the state authorized the ability to submit applications online. Expansion allowed non-profit organizations with more than 250 employees to be allowable. Current income thresholds provide a significant barrier. For a single person, the maximum annual income (MAI) is only $35,700 to qualify. For a household a two, the annual income cap is $48,228. For three, the MAI is $60,756; for four, $73,320; and for a family of five, $85,848. For this to apply to current income levels and keep workers insured, lawmakers would need to elevate the payroll threshold for coverage. I encourage our state leaders to look at this program or similar opportunities to do whatever is possible to help keep employed Oklahomans healthy and thriving. A healthier workforce means stability, productivity and allows parents to not deal with astronomical healthcare costs.
Each year, the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) holds our Fall Forum to look at trends in child health, safety, and well-being. We invite advocates from across the state to hear from experts about critical topics. The attendees then share thoughts and ideas regarding how to seek improvement, which is then adapted into the “Children’s Legislative Agenda” for the upcoming legislative session. This document is presented to state and federal lawmakers for their consideration. Through the years, many topics have moved forward and were enacted into law to improve conditions for youth. One of the foremost indexes of child wellbeing is The Annie E. Casey Foundation’s KIDS COUNT Report. This analysis uses 16 data points, four each in four categories: Economic Well-Being, Education, Health, and Family & Community. Published annually over the past 35 years, this highly respected and reliable report indicates children’s needs and status at national and state levels. Below are the four measurements within the four categories. Economic well-being : Children in poverty, children whose parents lack secure employment, children living in households with a high housing cost burden, and teens not in school and not working. Education : Young children (ages 3 and 4) not in school, fourth graders not proficient in reading, eighth graders not proficient in math, and high school students not graduating on time. Health : Low birth-weight babies, children without health insurance, child and teen deaths per 100,000, and children and teens (ages 10 to 17) who are overweight or obese. Family and community : Children in single-parent families, children in families where the household head lacks a high school diploma, children living in high-poverty areas, and teen births per 1,000. You can see the report at https://assets.aecf.org/m/databook/2025-KCDB-profile-OK.pdf with a comparison of where our state ranked against the overall United States and also a comparison to previous years, which some areas did show improvement. Our 2025 Fall Forum began on Monday with a virtual gathering of advocates, with speakers including Jill Mencke, the Oklahoma KIDS COUNT Director, discussing current state data points. Elizabeth Kaup with the Oklahoma Commission for Children and Youth updated attendees on preventable deaths of children and youth in Oklahoma. We also heard from Martin Munoz of Utah Voices for Children, who provided a better understanding of what other states are facing and policy changes they have sought. Advocates submitted ideas for conversation which will be more deeply discussed at our in-person gathering in Oklahoma City on October 15 and 16. If you are interested in joining us, you can register at https://www.oica.org to attend the conference in-person or by tuning in virtually on Zoom. We will hear from experts discussing domestic violence, child death trends, foster care concerns, custodial rights, and accessible and affordable insurance when we reconvene. We are especially thankful to hear from former Lieutenant Governor and Cameron University President Jari Askins as our keynote speaker at our awards luncheon on Wednesday. As we prepared for this important Fall Forum, I was heartened to see lawmakers already looking to ideas for consideration in the upcoming legislative session. Speaker Kyle Hilbert brought forth a conversation on Facebook assessing how Mississippi has improved their fourth grade reading levels and expressed a desire for Oklahoma to possibly replicate some of those innovations. Thank you to Speaker Hilbert and those other lawmakers who propose legislation which benefits our youth. I want to conclude this week by congratulating Lindel Fields on his appointment to fill the vacant position of Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction. I have known Superintendent Fields for years through his work in CareerTech. I look forward to seeing the positive changes he will bring forward for our system of education, which has already started under his watch.
There are some days when I wonder if the person who first said, “May you live in interesting times,” was applauded for this statement or condemned. The world has certainly become an interesting place with state, federal and international issues bombarding each of us through the news outlets and on social media. The resignation of Oklahoma’s Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters certainly topped that weekly list. Walters will be leaving this elected role prior to the conclusion of his first term to take on the role of chief executive officer of the Teacher Freedom Alliance, a newly formed national organization that is described as an anti-teacher-union organization. He has indicated that he will assume this role on October 1, so he will leave the vacancy up for appointment by Gov. Kevin Stitt for the remainder of the term, which concludes in January 2027 following next year’s elections. As things move forward, and a new public education leader is selected, the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) will continue to be a voice for improvements through school health and well-being policies. A key part of what OICA coordinates through schools is the Kid Governor® program for fifth grade classrooms. For this year, we have more than 1,000 students signed up to receive the lessons provided by their classroom teachers. Using award-winning materials we provide, these lessons educate about the importance of voting when they turn 18, the role of officials, and how citizens can engage with ideas. These students represent more than 25 schools participating across the state. OICA will also work with 4-H to hold a one-day conference for 4th-6th grade students in their program to learn these lessons. Both programs will hold elections and select new youths to hold the position of Governor. OICA will continue to work with the families who participate in both programs to provide support to them so they will be able to share their vision with civic organizations and at our own events. At the other side of the educational spectrum, OICA is holding a fundraiser around the annual OU/Texas football game. We are selling limited-edition collector T-shirts promoting Oklahoma to beat Texas, not just in football, but also in child well-being. Under KIDS COUNT data, our state ranks 46th in overall child well-being, compared to Texas, which ranks 41st. That is too low for both states. When you break down other categories, both states have significant statistical categories which do not reflect well on how our children are raised. We hope this t-shirt sheds light on ways we can improve, and the proceeds from these “Arch Rival” shirts go to support programs like Kid Governor® and the work we do for foster youth, homelessness, and education improvements. We are proud to partner with WWLS, The Sports Animal, with this shirt and will set up at the Bevo Bash on October 10 while they broadcast live. If you would like to directly make a difference in the work that OICA does through policy, our annual Fall Forum will be held in October. The conference will kick off with a virtual day on October 6 to look at the aforementioned KIDS COUNT data, where we will compare notes with what other states are doing successfully. Attendees will then gather in-person in Oklahoma City on October 15 & 16 to hear from presenters and share ideas. Jill Mencke with the Oklahoma Policy Institute will present about child well-being data, and then we will hear from our keynote speaker, former lieutenant governor and Cameron University President Jari Askins about the importance of being engaged positively in the lives of youth. If you are interested in supporting our work through purchasing a t-shirt or by attending Fall Forum, go to https://www.oica.org to learn more.
Recently, Rep. Danny Williams, R-Seminole, along with Reps. Colin Duel-R, Guthrie; Gabe Woolley, R-Broken Arrow; Molly Jenkins, R-Coyle; and Stacy Jo Adams, R-Duncan, hosted an interim study on a unified statewide family court system to help improve outcomes for Oklahoma children in deprived cases. The study brought together advocates and judges to discuss specialized courts which would allow for attorneys and judges to have an increased level of expertise in both laws and best practices in determining rulings that would ultimately best benefit the children involved in cases. Removing a child from a home is a very traumatizing event, both for the young one and the parents. Many families struggle to afford a legal defense in making the case for why they should be able to keep their child rather than being sent to foster care or another avenue. Efforts were made a few years ago to implement a standard for “high quality legal representation” (HQLR) to help attorneys be able to afford to take on cases which would help lead to quicker reunification for families. The Oklahoma Office of Family Representation (OFR) reported that just a few years into implementation, HQLR now covers about half the counties in the state and nearly two-thirds by year end. The goal, if funding is provided by the state, is to have this in all counties by the end of 2026. The study also allowed lawmakers to hear from three judges, two from Oklahoma and one from Texas, on disparities in Oklahoma’s family court system. Specialized courts, like those operating in Texas and other states, could better serve children and families in the state’s care. Among the models reviewed was the Texas Child Protection Courts (CPCs), which are dedicated solely to handling Child Protective Services cases. CPC judges undergo specialized training in foster care, youth trauma, and CPS procedures, allowing them to manage caseloads more effectively. This is like other court systems already in Oklahoma handling drug cases, veterans’ issues, and most recently, proposed business courts. Texas began with four CPCs funded through a federal grant; it now operates 31 courts managing more than half of the state’s CPS dockets and are funded by the Texas Legislature. CPC judges are appointed by regional presiding judges and serve as either associated judges or former judges. Their decisions are subject to appeal by elected judges, ensuring a fresh look at each case. While this has increased the number of judges practicing law in a specialized area, Texas has found this has significantly decreased costs associated with multiple hearings by judges who are not specialized in this area, along with reducing the human cost of dealing with long-term trauma for children who are forced into the foster care system for extended periods of time. “By having judges who specialize in family and child welfare cases, we can make sure these matters are heard by someone who truly understands the system and the trauma many of these children have faced,” said Representative Williams. “We owe it to these children to build a court system that works for them." Additionally, Reps. Mark Tedford, R-Jenks, and Erick Harris, R-Edmond, will hold a conversation about parental equity in divorce proceedings. We have equally high hopes this study will lead to a reduction in drawn-out, expensive divorce and custody lawsuits which cause disruption in the lives of children. This study will be held on October 21 and is open to the public. The Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) is very appreciative to the lawmakers for holding studies over this topic, along with OFR Director Gwendolyn Clegg, Associate District Judge Brett Butner, retired Associate District Judge Doris Fransein, and Texas Associate District Judge Robert Hofmann for presenting. Conversation about the issue is the first step in addressing the problems experienced in this area, and we believe this was a significant step forward.