In the most recent Annie E. Casey Foundation KIDS COUNT Report, Oklahoma ranks 46th in the nation for child well-being. The same number as our entry into the U.S. as a state, in case you need a memory tool to help remember that.
For as long as I can remember, we have ranked in the 30s or 40s.
Oklahoma’s 2025 Categorical Rankings for Children:
- Economic Well-Being: 40th
- Family & Community: 40th
- Health: 43rd
- Education: 48th (ranked near last in reading and math proficiency)
Each year, the Oklahoma Legislature convenes their annual session to pass a state budget––the only requirement they have under the Oklahoma Constitution––and to discuss and shape laws which impact our residents.
With the annual public filing deadline met last week, the team at the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) spent the weekend going through this year’s proposed bills. There were 1,578 bills submitted by state representatives and 996 filed by state senators. This is combined with the more than 2,500 pieces of legislation carried forward from last year, many of which deal directly with children and families.
Many bills submitted will try to address the above problems, but some of them will make the situation worse. It is not because the authors of the bills are bad people; their bills simply neglect a well-rounded perspective on the reality of child well-being in Oklahoma.
I share this with you as I truly believe that lawmaking is a process that requires citizen input. Policymakers simply do not know what they do not know, and must be willing to listen to trusted opinions on various topics.
In the nine years I have been at OICA, I have worked to ensure that our organization can be a trusted voice on children’s policy. Whether they see issues from the same political perspective or if a healthy dialogue can shed light on a different perspective that they might not have considered, I want them to know that they can rely on OICA to provide information that is data-driven and reliable.
Now, the challenging part is finding those people who are willing to step up, sharing their lived experiences, and help create well-rounded policy. Lawmakers need to see policy from all perspectives to decide what is the best pathway forward, even if the policy is not the end-all, be-all answer. Additionally, lawmakers should not only represent those who elected them. Rather, they should share knowledge with all of their constituents to keep them all better informed.
Now for the ask: I want you to find out who your state senator and state representative are and offer yourself as a resource expert in your profession or your lived experience. They are easy to find: go to oklegislature.gov, fill out the information to “Find my Legislator”, and then reach out via email. Or, simply stop by their office at the Oklahoma State Capitol.
Keep your introduction brief, but ensure your offer is compelling. They might not take you up on the offer, which is something to remember when elections come back around. If they are receptive, you have now made yourself an advocate. That is the first step in working to improve Oklahoma to a place better than 46th for children.
Joe Dorman serves as the Chief Executive Officer for OICA. He also served House District 65 as the state representative for 12 years, which included parts of Caddo, Comanche, Cotton, Grady, and Stephens Counties, and was a nominee for Governor of Oklahoma in 2014.
The Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy was established in 1983 by a group of citizens seeking to create a strong advocacy network that would provide a voice for the needs of children and youth in Oklahoma, particularly those in the state’s care and those growing up amid situations that put their lives and future at risk.
This article appears in Let the Games Begin and Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA).