What you need to know and what you can do Sunbeam Family Services provides help, hope and opportunity to people of all ages through EARLY CHILDHOOD, FOSTER CARE, COUNSELING and SENIOR SERVICES.

What is YOTC? YOTC is a grassroots coalition to push the priority of children’s issues with the public and the legislature. This is especially important in the 2018 election year and in light of current state funding issues.

Who is involved?

5 Objectives of the YOTC initiative: Number 1   Prioritize the issue of children (ages 0-18) as an issue during the 2018 political campaigns. Ask candidates for office “what is your plan for improving the lives of Oklahoma children?” Provide child centric questions to media to ask candidates and surveys to the candidates themselves.

Objective 2 Create and drive a legislative agenda that addresses critical issues affecting children. This may include creation of a children’s cabinet, creation of a “coordinated budget”, and making it “safe” to raise revenue to fund child related initiatives.

This document is discussed later in the presentation. OBJECTIVE 3   Promote “Oklahoma’s Expectations for Children” to the public, policy makers and encourage implementation of the goals. This document is discussed later in the presentation.

OBJECTIVE 4 Work to include children as a priority in the Oklahoma State Chamber of Commerce OK 2030 Initiative under the “Quality of Life” and “Workforce and Talent Development” foundation components. Five Foundations For a Forward Moving Economy Business Climate & Competitiveness Workforce & Talent Development Quality of Life Fiscal Stability & Governance Innovation & Growth

Objective 5 Lay the foundation for continuing to prioritize children after 2018 YOTC.  

Oklahoma’s Expectations for Children (2018YOTC) As a people and as a state we will work to insure every Oklahoma child is   : Safe—from abuse, neglect, abandonment and harm to their physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional well being; Secure—in their access to affordable housing and healthy food, and secure in their home, educational, neighborhood, and worship environments; Engaged—in positive activities physically, mentally, socially, spiritually, and emotionally both as individuals and within their communities; Encouraged—by a Champion, who might be their parent or a mentor, and by all Oklahomans, who will speak and act in ways that cheer them on in life; and Prepared—to reach their full potential in every area of life, especially in the areas of education and career, but also in life skills, so they may become a capable, positive, and contributing citizen of our state.  

Why is YOTC necessary?

Children are not a real priority in our state WHO is the champion of children in state government? WHO is speaking out about the unacceptable status of Oklahoma being 36th in the nation in overall child welfare? WHAT do our legislative spending patterns—and CUTS—say about prioritizing children?

2017 OVERALL RANK 1. New Hampshire 2. Massachusetts 3. Vermont 4 2017 OVERALL RANK 1. New Hampshire 2. Massachusetts 3. Vermont 4. Minnesota 5. Iowa 6. Connecticut 7. Utah 8. New Jersey 9. North Dakota 10. Virginia 11. Nebraska 12. Wisconsin 13. Maine 14. Washington 15. Kansas 16. Maryland 17. Hawaii 18. Pennsylvania 19. Illinois 20. Idaho 21. South Dakota 22. Colorado 23. Delaware 24. Ohio 25. Missouri 26. Montana 27. Wyoming 28. Indiana 29. Rhode Island 30. New York 31. Oregon 32. Michigan 33. North Carolina 34. Kentucky 35. Tennessee 36. Oklahoma 37. California 38. Alaska 39. South Carolina 40. Florida 41. Texas 42. Georgia 43. West Virginia 44. Alabama 45. Arkansas 46. Arizona 47. Nevada 48. Louisiana 49. New Mexico 50. Mississippi

The connection between such childhood stress and trauma and the quality of life in adulthood shows a bleak outlook for Oklahoma’s future growth and stability, unless we take innovative actions to reverse these outcomes.

For example, Oklahoma County’s highest risk zip codes (73108, 73111, 73117 and 73129-all located within Oklahoma City) have highest rates of child poverty, child abuse and neglect, domestic violence, substance abuse, teen births, low maternal education, single parent-households, and low 3rd grade reading scores.  

What can you do? Join the coalition and allow us to use your logo as a supporter. Contact your state representatives with a personal letter or personal visit or phone call telling them about the initiative and asking them for specifics about what they plan to do to prioritize children. Contact candidates and their campaigns and ask them the same questions. Promote “Oklahoma’s Expectations” by circulating them, posting them and talking about them

Let’s push it!! For more information contact Jim Priest or Joe Dorman