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ELQA: Starting Right proposes to implement the ELQA and professional support in at least 20 classrooms in ten rural Oklahoma public elementary schools and selected childcare centers, Head Starts, and public preschool/pre-k programs that feed into each school. < Back ELQA Starting Right – CECPD Submission Type: Research-Based Final Rating: Promising Research Date Submitted: Fall 2023 Focus Area: Child Development Focus Population: Children, Teachers, Caregivers, Administrators Contact Information: Center for Early Childhood Professional Development (CECPD) (405) 799-6383 cecpd@ou.edu 1801 N. Moore Ave., Moore, OK 73160 Goals and Outcomes: The goal of ELQA: Starting Right is to improve access to and use of high-quality early literacy and numeracy measurements and scientifically based strategies for differentiated instruction in preschools and childcare centers. Regular use of valid, reliable, yet quickly administered measures can help identify children at-risk, organize groups for most appropriate learning activities, and monitor ongoing progress effectively. Consistent implementation of proven instructional strategies has been shown to close achievement gaps and support a diverse population of learners. ELQA: Starting Right proposes to increase:  • the number of children in preschool who are accurately identified as being “at-risk” for academic difficulties, • the academic content to which preschool children are exposed, • the time spent in instructional domains of literacy/language and numeracy, and • the number of teacher professional development opportunities that focus on literacy and numeracy strategies for young children (ages 3-5). According to Joyce and Showers (2002), effective professional development must include four components: initial instruction, 2) demonstration, 3) practice and feedback, and 4) coaching and follow-up. ELQA: Starting Right will provide: • effective teacher professional development in assessment implementation and research-based teaching strategies to ensure children are learning necessary cognitive skills, • ongoing expert instructional coaching (on-site and virtual), • support for children and teachers/caregivers during the transition to kindergarten, and • communities of practice for participating teachers/caregivers to share ideas and reflect on early learning best practices to ensure the sustainability of the initial project. CHILD OUTCOMES Children will develop important literacy/numeracy prerequisite skills and understandings including: Early literacy concepts • oral language (vocabulary development, expressive language, and listening) • phonological awareness • concepts about print • alphabetic knowledge Early numeracy concepts • number recognition • numbers and operations • displaying and analyzing data • geometry • algebraic thinking By learning these concepts, children will enter kindergarten with the prerequisite literacy/numeracy skills to be successful throughout their educational careers. TEACHER OUTCOMES Classroom teachers, teacher assistants, and administrators will: • increase their knowledge of children’s literacy and numeracy development, assessment and instructional planning, and children’s diverse literacy/numeracy needs; • deliver appropriate early literacy/numeracy instruction in oral language, phonological awareness, concepts about print, and alphabetic principle, number recognition, numbers and operations, displaying and analyzing data, geometry, algebraic thinking, and measurement and data; • administer appropriate literacy/numeracy assessments, interpret assessment results, use assessment results to identify children at risk for reading failure, and use assessment results to plan instruction for all children to meet pre-K literacy/numeracy standards. Brief Summary: ELQA: Starting Right proposes to implement the ELQA and professional support in at least 20 classrooms in ten rural Oklahoma public elementary schools and selected childcare centers, Head Starts, and public preschool/pre-k programs that feed into each school. The children, teachers, and ECE professionals in the selected rural schools are the focus for implementation of the ELQA measurement and professional development related to increasing early literacy and numeracy skills. In rural Oklahoma, high-quality early education and childcare is more difficult to find for many economically disadvantaged families. Center for Childhood Professional Development (CECPD) > Home Previous Next

Smart Start Central Oklahoma’s primary goal is to build a supportive and involved community that works to ensure children are safe, healthy, eager to learn, and ready to succeed by the time they enter school. < Back Early Birds for Child Care Professionals, Smart Start Central Oklahoma Date Submitted: 09/08/2021 Contact Information: Sandy Cotton Executive Director 405-286-2734 scotton@smartstartokc.org Smart Start Central Oklahoma PO Box 21505 Oklahoma City, OK 73156 Rating Category: Innovative Idea Focus Area: Child Development Focus Population: Children, Teachers, Owners, Caregivers, Guardians, Parents Goals and Outcomes: Smart Start Central Oklahoma’s primary goal is to build a supportive and involved community that works to ensure children are safe, healthy, eager to learn, and ready to succeed by the time they enter school. We work to advance this goal through our mission to equip parents and caregivers to serve as a child’s first and most influential teacher. The focus of our programming is to boost school-readiness skills of children under five. Our clearinghouse submission has three intended outcomes. First, we will get more quality learning materials in the hands of more children. Kids learn by doing, and the quality of toys available to them matter. Second, we will enhance the quality of childcare available to families by training providers in our Early Birds educational program. Third, we will improve the school readiness of children under 5 in the state of Oklahoma. Smart Start’s Early Birds program effectively prepares children for school. In fact, 93% of children enrolled in Oklahoma City Public Schools that had a parent attend just one Early Birds class achieved kindergarten benchmarks compared with peers that did not have a parent enrolled in Early Birds. We believe our program can boost the school readiness of children throughout our state. Brief Summary: There is a strong connection between early childhood experiences and the level of success that the child achieves later in life. A child who enters school without a strong foundation runs a significant risk of starting and staying behind. Investment in the early years saves money in the future and strengthens our community’s future economic position. When kids enter school ready to learn, it reduces remediation costs, teen pregnancy, and job training costs, public assistance, and crime rates. In contrast, school readiness increases graduation rates, workforce readiness, job productivity, community engagement, and lifetime income. This grant will provide Early Birds training and learning materials for child care providers, who can then opt to provide the program to the families in their centers. Early Birds builds on parents and caregivers’ existing strengths and arms them with the knowledge and resources they need to ensure their children start school prepared to succeed. Although the majority of Smart Start families are low-income, we do not have program eligibility requirements. We have seen that programs work best when caregivers from diverse backgrounds can come together and share their experiences. This grant provides an opportunity to strengthen the partnership between the childcare providers and the parents and families of the children in their care to help both feel supported and well equipped to support the child’s development. Previous Next

Established in 2020 by the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, the Clearinghouse was transferred to Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness in 2021. Get To Know Us Established in 2020 by the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, the Clearinghouse was transferred to Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness in 2021. EXPLORE THE REGISTRY LET'S GO Executive Council Jeffrey Cartmell Jeffrey Cartmell Jeffrey Cartmell currently serves as the Executive Director of the Office of Juvenile Affairs. Prior to his appointment, he most recently served as Counsel to Secretary of State Brian Bingman and as a Senior Advisor to Governor Kevin Stitt. In these roles he provided strategic legal, policy, and ethical counsel to the Governor, Secretary Bingman, and other senior level administration officials. Before assuming his role as Counsel to the Secretary in 2021, Cartmell served as Deputy General Counsel under Governor Stitt for two years. Between 2017 and 2019, Cartmell worked in the private sector as an associate attorney at Lytle Soule & Curlee after serving two years as a division director within the Office of Management and Enterprise Services. Cartmell was a Deputy General Counsel to former Governor Mary Fallin from 2012 to 2014. Cartmell earned a Bachelor of Arts in English Writing and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Oklahoma in 2009 and 2012, respectively. Cartmell became an adjunct professor of law at his alma mater in 2021, teaching a seminar course on government law. Bob Ross Bob Ross Robert J. Ross currently serves as Chairman and CEO of Inasmuch Foundation. The Foundation was founded by Edith Kinney Gaylord in 1982. He previously was employed as an Attorney with the Oklahoma City law firm McAfee & Taft. He is a graduate of Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School and Washington and Lee University, where he received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. He received his J.D. from the University of Oklahoma. Ross was appointed to the Board of Regents for The University of Oklahoma by Governor Kevin Stitt in March 2022 and is a member of the following Board of Directors: Freedom Center of Oklahoma City Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce Oklahoma City Airport Trust Oklahoma Hall of Fame Oklahoma City Museum of Art Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum Oklahoma State Fair Bob has received the following awards: 2011 Plaza District Association’s Urban Pioneer Award 2012 OKC Beautiful Mayor’s Award for Distinguished Service 2013 Oklahoma Center for Non-Profits’ Visionary Impact Award 2015 United Way of Central Oklahoma’s John Rex Community Builder Award 2018 YMCA Service to the Youth Award 2019 OKC Friday’s OKCityan of the Year 2023 Boys and Girls Clubs of Oklahoma County Aubrey K. McClendon Lifetime Achievement Award 2023 E.C. Joullian Distinguished Citizen award Bob is married to Heather Ross and has a daughter, Lilly, and a son, Frank. Sarah Roberts Sarah Roberts Sarah Roberts currently serves as Vice President of Programs at Inasmuch Foundation. The Foundation was founded by Edith Kinney Gaylord in 1982 and makes grants in Oklahoma and Colorado Springs in these broad categories: education, human services, community and journalism. Sarah has been employed at Inasmuch Foundation for over 17 years. Inasmuch Foundation has placed emphasis on forging public/private partnerships to fund evidence-based interventions for vulnerable children and families as well as attracting much needed federal investments to Oklahoma City. Examples of a few successful public/private partnerships are: Pivot, Oklahoma City Educare, ReMerge, Metafund, Community CARES Partners, and Smart Start Central Oklahoma. Sarah previously served as Chairman of the Board of ReMerge and co-chaired the ReMerge capital campaign. Sarah is currently Chair of Sunbeam Family Services and Vice Chair of Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness Board of Directors. Additionally, Sarah serves on the Board of Directors for: The Foundation for Oklahoma City Public Schools, Oklahoma City Police Athletic League (PAL) and Community Action Agency of Oklahoma County. Sarah previously served on the following Board of Directors: Integris Center for Mind, Body & Spirit, Oklahoma City Metro Literacy Coalition, ReMerge and Wes Welker Foundation. Sarah is a 2016 graduate of SALLT, Class 8 (Salt and Light Leadership Training) and a 2019 graduate of Leadership Oklahoma, Class 32. In 2008, Sarah was recognized by OKCBusiness as a recipient of the Forty under 40 Award. In 2020, Sarah was recognized by Pivot as their Advocate of the Year for building collaborative efforts to address youth homelessness in Oklahoma City. Sarah was previously an instructor with the Clarksville Montgomery County School System in Tennessee where she taught 5th grade. Sarah is a graduate of Bishop McGuinness High School (1992) in Oklahoma City and Sweet Briar College (1996) in Virginia where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Government with a teaching certificate. Sarah has been married to Hayden Roberts for more than 21 years. Hayden works for Oklahoma State University. They live in Oklahoma City and have two sons, Jackson who is 17 years old and Owen who is 11 years old. Ginny Bass Carl Ginny Bass Carl Ginny Bass Carl is a lawyer 3 times over, fundraiser, donor, and a planned giver herself. She has two kids, Collin and Rachael, a husband, Peter, and dog, Kenzie. She's a trustee, executor, member of various boards of directors, and an avid volunteer. A self- described governance junkie, voracious reader and foodie, Ginny has a serious case of wanderlust and a desire to change the world one planned gift at a time. Ginny is licensed to practice in Hawaii, Texas and Oklahoma and is a fifth-generation Oklahoman. She has honed her skills working for and serving on the boards of small and large nonprofits, local and statewide, in multiple sectors from education and health to social services and religion. Paula Gates Paula Gates With over 24 years of experience in early childhood, Paula currently leads the Early Childhood Services program at Sunbeam Family Services as Chief Program Officer. Her broad range of experiences working in the field gives her a unique advantage in overseeing Educare Oklahoma City and a complex range of multi-faceted partnerships serving at-risk children and families under the Office of Head Start Child Care Partnership program. After years of owning her own child care center in NE Oklahoma, and then to directing non-profit early childhood centers, she became an integral component of the team that designed and implemented the Educare OKC model. With the opportunity to advance her knowledge base and share her insight with Early Head Start and Head Start grantees statewide, Paula joined the Office of Head Start Training and Technical Assistance Network in 2010. Returning to Sunbeam in 2015 to implement new partnerships between Office of Head Start and Office of Child Care, Paula has created a dynamic team that leads one of the state’s premier early childhood care and education programs. Paula holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of Oklahoma, and has happily raised four children in Norman with her husband and partner, Galen Miller. Annie VanHanken Annie VanHanken Annie Van Hanken oversees George Kaiser Family Foundation’s (GKFF) early childhood education and common education initiatives. Before joining the GKFF in 2002, Annie worked in inner-city Los Angeles at a community-based youth development center. She serves as board president for Tulsa Educare and a board member for Tulsa Legacy Charter School. Annie is also a gubernatorial appointee on the Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness Board. She has a master’s degree in education, with an emphasis on learning disabilities, from the University of Texas at Austin and a dual bachelor’s degree in English and history, with a minor in classics, from Tulane University. Lana Beasley, PhD Lana Beasley Dr. Lana Beasley is a licensed Clinical Child Psychologist and is currently an Associate Professor of Human Development and Family Science at Oklahoma State University. Dr. Beasley’s research has included working on randomized clinical trials and program evaluation all in the area of supporting high risk children and families. She holds expertise in qualitative research and has been a co-investigator on many grants involving a program of research developing, implementing, evaluating, and expanding evidence-based home visiting programs serving high-risk populations. Dr. Beasley also conducts mixed-methods research in the area of adaptation of treatments for diverse populations and examining engagement and attrition of high-risk families. Carrie Williams Carrie Williams Carrie Williams has served as executive director of the Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness Foundation since May of 2021. During her tenure, she has overseen Oklahoma’s Early Childhood Advisory Council and facilitated streamlining of programs and services on behalf of Oklahoma’s children and families. She leads the Oklahoma Clearinghouse for Early Childhood Success, which has funded implementation of more than $8 million in projects to improve outcomes for children and families through public/private partnerships. Carrie’s work includes a collaborative effort between OPSR and Oklahoma Human Services to secure $36 million from the Administration for Children and Families to improve Oklahoma’s early childhood system. Prior to joining OPSR, Carrie served as executive director of Rainbow Fleet from 2014-2021. During her time there, she led efforts to allocate spaces and create opportunities for students entering the early childhood field to practice what they learn in the classroom. Carrie serves on Oklahoma City Public School’s Early Childhood Task Force with the goal of expanding early childhood programs in Oklahoma City. She serves on Rose State College’s Family Services and Child Development Advisory Committee and OSU-OKC’s Early Care Advisory Committee. She is also a founding member Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Advisory Board in Oklahoma under the Oklahoma State Department of Education. Carrie is a member of Leadership Oklahoma City Class 38, Rotary Club of Oklahoma City and was awarded the Journal Record’s Achievers Under 40. She received recognition from the Oklahoma Bar Association for her work as secretary of the Oklahoma Justice Commission. A native of Marlow, Okla., Williams is a graduate of the University of Central Oklahoma where she studied Journalism. Carrie lives in Oklahoma City with her husband, Brian Williams, and their two sons, Noah, age 12, and Benjamin, age 7. Charlotte Hollarn, M.Ed. Charlotte Hollarn Charlotte Hollarn, M.Ed. has been teaching and training in the early childhood education field for over 30 years. She attained her college education at the University of Oklahoma achieving a Bachelors Degree in Early Childhood Education and a Masters Degree in Adult/Community Education as well as Administration. Although the formal education is highly valued, her greatest learning moments have been while working with children and the adults in their lives. She has a never-ending passion for children and families and has served in many capacities in the area of early childhood education, professional development and teaching. Amy Emerson, MD Charlotte Hollarn . Tyler Tokarczyk Tyler Tokarczyk Tyler Tokarczyk is a senior program officer for Inasmuch Foundation. His work primarily focuses on journalism, education, and workforce development. Tyler serves on the board of directors for ReMerge of Oklahoma County, Oklahoma Public School Resource Center, The Verge OKC, and Oklahoma Media Center. Outside of the office, Tyler enjoys traveling with his wife and young daughter, and aspires to visit every Major League Baseball stadium. Born and raised in Buffalo, New York (Go Bills!) he majored in journalism at Washington and Lee University and earned his MBA at the University of Oklahoma. Outcome and Research Committee Purpose: To prioritize outcomes and recommend research-informed practices and practice-informed research that meet the needs of the early childhood system. Stacy Dykstra Stacy Dykstra Stacy Dykstra, Ph.D., CEO of the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma. Stacy Dykstra joined the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma as its CEO in October 2020. She is the third CEO since the organization was founded in 1980. Prior to joining the Regional Food Bank, Stacy served as the executive director of Smart Start Central Oklahoma, an early childhood education nonprofit, since 2006. In her role with Smart Start, Dykstra participated in more than 100 community meetings in which she presented, facilitated, and/or served as the coordinator. Using a variety of teaching styles, she has trained hundreds of professionals serving young children and their families and taught various college courses focused on family support. Stacy holds a Ph.D. from the University of Oklahoma in Instructional Leadership and Academic Curriculum. Dykstra’s prior work experience includes serving as co-director of the Lower School at Westminster School, project director for the Early Childhood Collaborative of Oklahoma and as a pre-K and kindergarten teacher for Oklahoma City Public Schools. Her graduate work in instructional leadership as well as her experience with project management contribute to her ability to listen, appreciate multiple perspectives and facilitate constructive conversation and consensus-building. Stacy and her husband, Chris, have two daughters. Erin Maher, PhD Erin Maher Dr. Maher is an Associate Professor of Sociology and Associate Director of OU’s Data Institute for Societal Challenges. Her research focuses on the intersection of poverty and child maltreatment, child well-being, and family functioning. She works with state agencies to evaluate social programs in these areas. She brings an applied focus to her scholarship and an emphasis on using and communicating research results in policy and practice. Prior to coming to OU, she served as Director of Research for a large national foundation conducting large scale program evaluations in child welfare. She has published extensively in journals reflecting a variety of academic disciplines. Lana Beasley, PhD Lana Beasley Dr. Lana Beasley is a licensed Clinical Child Psychologist and is currently an Associate Professor of Human Development and Family Science at Oklahoma State University. Dr. Beasley’s research has included working on randomized clinical trials and program evaluation all in the area of supporting high risk children and families. She holds expertise in qualitative research and has been a co-investigator on many grants involving a program of research developing, implementing, evaluating, and expanding evidence-based home visiting programs serving priority populations. Dr. Beasley also conducts mixed-methods research in the area of adaptation of treatments for intersectional populations and examining engagement and attrition of families facing challenging circumstances. Marny Dunlap, MD Marny Dunlap Marianne “Marny” Dunlap, M.D., a pediatrician at The Children’s Hospital, was named the 2019 Gretchen Hunsberger Medical Champion for her efforts in fighting illiteracy. Dunlap has established herself as a champion for early literacy, which led to the founding of the Reach Out and Read program at The Children’s Hospital. For two generations, the program has promoted the benefits of early reading, not only in enhanced learning and academic performance, but the parent-child bonds that are built through reading together. Reach Out and Read partners with healthcare providers to offer free books to patients at their well-child visits with pediatricians. More than 85,000 books are distributed each year. Bonnie McBride, PhD Bonnie McBride Marianne “Marny” Dunlap, M.D., a pediatrician at The Children’s Hospital, was named the 2019 Gretchen Hunsberger Medical Champion for her efforts in fighting illiteracy. Dunlap has established herself as a champion for early literacy, which led to the founding of the Reach Out and Read program at The Children’s Hospital. For two generations, the program has promoted the benefits of early reading, not only in enhanced learning and academic performance, but the parent-child bonds that are built through reading together. Reach Out and Read partners with healthcare providers to offer free books to patients at their well-child visits with pediatricians. More than 85,000 books are distributed each year. LaDonna Atkins LaDonna Atkins LaDonna Atkins, Ed.D., is a professor in the Family Life Education- Child Development program at The University of Central Oklahoma. Dr. Atkins also serves as the administrator for the University of Central Oklahoma’s Child Study Center. Dr. Atkins is a past president of the Early Childhood Association of Oklahoma. She currently serves as the past president of International Play Association (IPA) United States Board, where she advocates for children’s right to play. Dr. Atkins has also served on the International Play Association World Council. Research interests include: play, infant/child development, and early childhood curriculum development. Jennifer Stepp Jennifer Stepp I am a Teaching Assistant Professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Science at Oklahoma State University and Assistant Program Coordinator for Early Childhood Education. I earned a PhD in 2014 from the University of Oklahoma in Instructional Leadership and Academic Curriculum. I joined the OSU-HDFS department in 2016 after holding an Assistant Professor position at Texas A&M San Antonio. In 2016, I was recognized as a Teaching Fellow with Association of Teacher Educators (ATE). I am passionate about the development of future early childhood educators, and their ability to grow as novice teacher. Brittany Zaring-Hinkle PhD Brittany Zaring-Hinkle Dr. Brittany Zaring-Hinkle, PhD, joined the Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness as the Director of Research in April 2024. She received her doctorate in psychology in 2022 from the University of Texas at San Antonio and has more than five years of experience serving on evaluation teams for several federally funded grants. She has extensive experience in grant writing, data dissemination, conducting literature reviews, assisting with the design of proposed programs, evaluating appropriate local assessments for data collection and procedures, as well as conducting statistical analyses. Kate Gallagher Information coming soon! Lucia Ciciolla, PhD Information coming soon! Elizabeth Bard, PhD Information coming soon! Process and Implementation Committee Purpose: To determine a process and workflow for evaluating & implementing research-informed practice and practice-informed research that meet the needs of the early childhood system. Paula Gates Paula Gates With more than 24 years of experience in early childhood, Paula currently leads the Early Childhood Services program at Sunbeam Family Services as Chief Program Officer. Her broad range of experiences working in the field gives her a unique advantage in overseeing Educare Oklahoma City and a complex range of multi-faceted partnerships serving children and families under the Office of Head Start Child Care Partnership program. After years of owning her own child care center in NE Oklahoma, and then to directing non-profit early childhood centers, she became an integral component of the team that designed and implemented the Educare OKC model. With the opportunity to advance her knowledge base and share her insight with Early Head Start and Head Start grantees statewide, Paula joined the Office of Head Start Training and Technical Assistance Network in 2010. Returning to Sunbeam in 2015 to implement new partnerships between Office of Head Start and Office of Child Care, Paula has created a dynamic team that leads one of the state’s premier early childhood care and education programs. Paula holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of Oklahoma, and has happily raised four children in Norman with her husband and partner, Galen Miller. Charlotte Hollarn, M. Ed Charlotte Hollarn Charlotte Hollarn, M.Ed. has been teaching and training in the early childhood education field for over 30 years. She attained her college education at the University of Oklahoma achieving a Bachelors Degree in Early Childhood Education and a Masters Degree in Adult/Community Education as well as Administration. Although the formal education is highly valued, her greatest learning moments have been while working with children and the adults in their lives. She has a never-ending passion for children and families and has served in many capacities in the area of early childhood education, professional development and teaching. Nancy vonBargen, MC Nancy vonBargen Charlotte Hollarn, M.Ed. has been teaching and training in the early childhood education field for over 30 years. She attained her college education at the University of Oklahoma achieving a Bachelors Degree in Early Childhood Education and a Masters Degree in Adult/Community Education as well as Administration. Although the formal education is highly valued, her greatest learning moments have been while working with children and the adults in their lives. She has a never-ending passion for children and families and has served in many capacities in the area of early childhood education, professional development and teaching. Paula Brown, MAEd Paula Brown Paula A. Brown, MAEd, has 36 years of combined experience in Early Childhood and supporting individuals with varying needs. She continues her role as a Manager for United Community Action Head Start and is a PhD student at Oklahoma State University in Human Development and Family Sciences through the Institute for Building Early Relationships (IBEaR). Amber Cuyler Amber Cuyler took on the role of Director of Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R) at Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness in July of 2023. Amber has worked as an advocate for children, families and child care professionals in a career with CCR&R that spans 20 years. Having held a position at each level from Consultant and Regional Director to state CCR&R Director, she is most proud of her reputation for bringing creative solutions, leveraging collective strengths and creating strong connections through relationship building at each level. When families in her rural school district were desperately seeking child care, she built a partnership with school administrators and local business owners to open a licensed Child Care program, Wild & Wonder, where she remains Executive Director. Amber earned a bachelor’s degree in communication from the University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma and her Master of Education degree from the University of Oklahoma. She received the 2022 Anne Roberts People’s Choice Award for Child Advocacy from OICA in recognition of her advocacy efforts on behalf of Oklahoma’s children, families and the ECE workforce. Amber serves on Child Care Aware of America’s Joint Leadership Council, is a Co-facilitator of Oklahoma’s State Leadership Team for Pyramid Model Implementation, is a Conscious Discipline Endorsed Facilitator and an American Heart Association First Aid/CPR Instructor. Amber and wife Deedra live on the border of the Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge in southwest Oklahoma with their teenaged son Jaxson and twin daughters Baylee and Carlee. Anthony Stafford Anthony Stafford Anthony Stafford is the Senior Program Director for Early Childhood Services at Sunbeam Family Services. He joined Sunbeam in 2021 and has dedicated his career to working with Head Start programs. His personal experience with Head Start fuels his commitment to building brighter futures for children and families. Anthony holds a degree from the University of Oklahoma. In his role, he oversees early childhood education initiatives, emphasizing the importance of early brain development and creating supportive learning environments. Prior to joining Sunbeam, Mr. Stafford was employed as the Division Director of Early Childhood Education for Big Five Community Services, Inc. based in Durant, Oklahoma. In that capacity Mr. Stafford served on the agency’s leadership team and was responsible for the administration and implementation of early childhood instruction, primarily those involving Early Head Start services to children six months to three years of age and Head Start services to children three and four years of age. Mr. Stafford has more than 25 years of administrative experience working with non-profit organizations particularly in the areas of preschool and adolescent children. He has served on numerous boards and committees over the course of his career and currently serves as a member of the Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness, the Region VI Head Start Association Boards and the Oklahoma Head Start Association. “It gives me great pleasure to serve as part of the implementation committee for the Oklahoma Clearinghouse for Early Childhood Success,” Stafford said. “I look forward to my role in this very important and worthwhile endeavor for children across the State of Oklahoma." Rachel Proper Rachel Proper Rachel is the President of Child Care, Inc. and the current President of the Oklahoma Child Care Association. As a second-generation child care owner and operator in central Oklahoma, she continues her family’s legacy of providing high-quality early childhood education. Under her leadership, Child Care, Inc. has been serving Oklahoma families for over 40 years, fostering a commitment to excellence in child care and early learning. Gabrielle Moon Gabrielle Moon Gabrielle Moon serves as the Executive Director of St. Luke’s Children’s Center, which provides full-day, five-day-a-week programs in a nurturing, safe, and supportive environment. In her role, Gabrielle oversees the operations and management of three children’s centers located in Oklahoma City and Edmond. With 20 years of dedicated service at St. Luke’s, she brings extensive experience and a deep commitment to early childhood education, ensuring high-quality care and learning opportunities for young children. Deborah Smith Deborah Smith Deborah Smith has been with the Oklahoma Human Services for nearly her entire career since 1998, starting as a Child Welfare Specialist in McIntosh and McClain Counties. Over the years, she held various roles, including Program Administrator and Program Director, before being named Director of Child Welfare in 2010—a position she held for five years. Following her tenure as Child Welfare Director, she served for five years as the Regional Program Manager with the U.S. Children’s Bureau, Administration for Children and Families, in Kansas City. She returned to Oklahoma Human Services in 2019, where she has since held multiple leadership positions, ultimately rising to her current role as Deputy Director. Still unsure about us? Learn more: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Second Step® Early Learning is designed specifically for multiple-age early learning environments with a focus on supporting children from low-income families. < Back Second Step® Early Learning Submission Type: Research-Based Final Rating: Well-Supported by Research Date Submitted: Fall 2022 Focus Area: Healthy Environments and Relationships Focus Population: Children Contact Information: Sherri Widen Research Scientist and Manager (857) 234-1721 swiden@cfchildren.org Committee for Children 2815 2nd Ave, Suite 400, Seatle, Washington 98121 Goals and Outcomes: The goal of this program is to help children in preschool develop the social and emotional skills that support positive social interactions and academic success. Second Step® Early Learning is a universal social-emotional learning program designed for use in preschool programs. Social-emotional skills support children’s positive relationships with adults and peers, executive function skills, early academic skills, and kindergarten readiness. They also reduce problem behaviors and behavioral referrals. Brief Summary: Second Step® Early Learning is designed specifically for multiple-age early learning environments with a focus on supporting children from low-income families. It is a SAFE program: the lessons are Sequenced, learning is Active, Focused on developing children’s social-emotional skills, and provides Explicit instruction in social-emotional skills. The program is taught through five units (listed and described below) across 28 Weekly Themes that include five- to seven-minute activities to be taught throughout the week. Activities, Brain Builder games, and small-group work keep children engaged and help them practice their skills. The Boy and Girl hand puppets encourage participation. The easy-to-use online teaching resources include instructions for teaching and reinforcing the Weekly Theme activities and provide video examples from real classrooms ( https://www.secondstep.org/purchase/product/second-step-early learningclassroom-kit/) Unit 1: Skills for Learning (6 weeks). Learn skills that support academic learning (listening, focusing attention, self-talk) Unit 2: Empathy (6 weeks). Learn to identify emotions in others, identifying accidents, being kind and helpful Unit 3: Emotion Management (5 weeks). Identifying own and others' emotions, sharing emotions with a grown-up, managing frustration, calming down Unit 4: Friendship Skills and Problem Solving. Learn ways to ask to play, invite others to play, identifying a problem, solutioning Unit 5: Transitioning to Kindergarten (3 weeks). Plan to use skills learned in Second Step Early Learning when they are in kindergarten Second Step® K-12 Programs Strengthen Human Skills | Second Step® Previous Next

< Back Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds Submission Type: Practice-Based Final Rating: Best Practice Date Submitted: Fall 2022 Focus Area: Healthy Environments and Relationships Focus Population: Children, Teachers, Owners, Caregivers, Guardians, Parents Contact Information: Quisha Beardsley Executive Director 405-525-3111 Rainbow Fleet Child Care Resource & Referral 1105 NW 45th St, Oklahoma City, OK 73118 HOME - Rainbow Fleet Child Care Resource and Referral Goals and Outcomes: Rainbow Fleet Family Child Care Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds program intends to improve the quality of life, especially for children receiving childcare subsidies. Through our intention to serve families, our goal is to partner with providers, parents and children to remove barriers so that every child has a greater understanding of nutrition and physical activity. By enhancing access to nutritional foods and comprehensive training we expect obesity and tobacco use rates to decline. We will serve a total of 216 Family Child Care Homes, with a direct impact on approximately 1,712 children, not to mention the residual impact of additional family members. We will collect pre-program data and post-program data from each participating location and have scores to compare for each site. We will also have a selfassessment/evaluation for each program to complete at the end of their participation. This will allow us to measure and track the impact of increased physical activity, nutritious foods, self-regulation and coping, and the number of children attending well child visits with a trusted Pediatrician. We seek to increase the number of tobacco-free childcare homes by providing training and education to providers and parents. This will be accomplished by enhancing the nutrition of the foods served, prepared, and grown at the child-care home. Tobacco-free environments are important to eliminate secondhand smoke, e-cigarette aerosol, and reduce thirdhand smoke for children. Additionally, it reduces tobacco related disease and death and motivates smokers to quit. This has a profound opportunity to reduce tobacco use initiation among youth. In modeling our approach after Tobacco Free Wichita and their success through “Clean Air, Child Care” we intend to partner with the City of Oklahoma City to launch this initiative. Providing opportunities for public recognition of the childcare homes committed to the long-term health of our community will aide in garnering support and participation in the program. Brief Summary: Our target audience is Family Child Care Homes (FCCH) in Oklahoma county, with particular attention to zip code 73111. According to the Oklahoma State Department of Healthy Vital Records from 2013-2015, there’s an 18-year gap in life expectancy across different city zip codes. We strongly believe that by addressing access, training, and services to nutrition and physical activity in childcare homes, we can begin to address the 18-year gap in life expectancy. Rainbow Fleet will recruit 72 FCCH’s to participate in the program annually for a period of three years. With a starting point in zip code area 73111, we will branch out to all surrounding areas in Oklahoma County until we reach a total of 216 Family Child Care Homes at the conclusion of three years. There are currently 301 family childcare homes in Oklahoma County. This 3-year program would impact approximately 1,712 children and 216 providers, not to mention the residual impact of additional family members. Health issues facing the targeted demographics are chronic lower respiratory disease, heart disease, obesity, adverse childhood experiences, increased levels of smoking among high schoolers, lack of physical activity, and an absence of routine checkups with a primary care physician. (Oklahoma State Department of Health, State of the State’s Health Report, 2/26/2019) Through our targeted efforts we will be able to provide resources and intensive training to address increased physical activity, nutritious meals, and attempt to connect them with a local pediatrician for routine well-care visits. Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds: Nutrition Workshops for Teachers | SNAP-Ed Previous Next

The goal of Next Gen Tulsa FCC is to increase access to quality home-based child care for young children in Tulsa. < Back Early Learning Works Date Submitted: 04/2022 Contact Information: Director, Early Learning Works by Tulsa Educare Maria Carlota Palacios, LCSW 918-77906005 Mariap@tulsaeducare.org Tulsa Educare, 3120 E. Seminole Street, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74110 Rating Category: Innovative Idea Focus Area: Child Development Focus Population: Children, Teachers, Owners, Caregivers, Guardians, Parents Goals and Outcomes: The goal of Next Gen Tulsa FCC is to increase access to quality home-based child care for young children in Tulsa. The population of Tulsa County increased nearly 8% from 2010 to 2021 to 651,552. This growth rate exceeded that of the United States and it was mainly due to growth in the Hispanic community. The Hispanic population is one that characterizes itself for having young families with very young children. According to the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, there is only one ONE-Star licensed Hispanic (or Spanish speaking) child care home in Tulsa County. Child care plays a vital role in ensuring that parents/caretakers can work, children can learn and the economy can thrive. There are national trends well reflected in the state and local numbers in Oklahoma and Tulsa County. With fewer child care facilities available, it is harder for families to find and afford child care. According to the National Center on Early Childhood Quality Assurance, more than 97,000 child care homes closed in the United States from 2005 to 2017 (Information from an unpublished analysis by the National Center on Early Childhood Quality Assurance of data collected from the 2005 and 2017 National Association for Regulatory Administration Child Care Licensing Programs and Policies Surveys conducted in October 2019). That is a 48% decline only on family child care facilities. This trend continues nationally, and made worse since the global COVID pandemic that started in 2020. And in Tulsa County, in the midst of population growth, there has been a decrease in child care capacity of more than 2,500 seats between 2015 and 2020. Brief Summary: Building the Next Generation of Tulsa’s Quality Family Child Care (Next Gen) is an innovative program designed to increase the number of family child care programs in Tulsa. Providing comprehensive, intensive, and ongoing supports to participants, Next Gen will ensure both pedagogical quality and business sustainability. Early Learning Works (ELW) will identify caregivers, guardians and parents or other members of the community interested in pursuing FCC licensure. ELW will determine applicant eligibility for licensure; provide intensive cohort-based training; visit participant homes to support compliance with physical facilities requirements; provide individualized coaching to ensure progress in meeting licensing milestones; offer grants to support minor renovations needed to meet licensing requirements and to purchase play materials, furnishings and other supplies needed to open a new program; and, provide ongoing individualized coaching to ensure participant progress in enrolling children, meeting quality and accreditation standards, completing credentialing and educational degree attainment goals, and tracking and reporting financial information. Cohort-based training will be provided in English and Spanish in two separate trainings, and include child development, culturally appropriate practices, child assessment, and other aspects of pedagogy; parent engagement and communication, resource and referral to health and social services, and other aspects of family partnership; mandated reporter training, nutrition, and other aspects of health and safety; automation, marketing, invoicing and fee collection, budgeting, tax preparation and fiscal reporting, and other aspects of effective business practices; licensing regulation, quality and accreditation standards, pathways to credentials and education degrees, and other aspects of quality programming. Ongoing coaching and training will be provided using evidence-based programs that are available in both Spanish and English: LENA Grow for Family Child Care and ParentChild+ Home-Based Child Care Model (possible resources to access). LENA Grow offers in person or virtual coaching focused on boosting positive interactions within existing daily care routines. ParentChild+ is a 24-week program in which FCC providers receive 48 home visits and acquire a library of 12 high quality books and educational materials. ELW will provide age-appropriate educational materials. Previous Next

< Back TBRI and Trauma Informed Classrooms Submission Type: Practice-Based Final Rating: Promising Practice Date Submitted: Spring 2023 Focus Area: Social Emotional Well-Being Focus Population: Children, Teachers, Owners, Caregivers, Guardians, Administrators, Parents Contact Information: Holly Towers Executive Director (405) 216-5240 htowers@lilyfield.org Lilyfield 501 E 15th Street Ste 400A, Edmond, OK 73013 Goals and Outcomes: Lilyfield’s goals and outcomes for this project are to increase knowledge and skills within the early childcare setting for providing trauma-informed care to support social emotional wellbeing for children who are involved or at risk of involvement with the child welfare system. The long term intended outcome is to stabilize and improve the childcare experience for foster children and their foster parents and improve social emotional wellbeing for children who are enrolled in licensed childcare centers or home daycares. Childcare staff can self-refer to Lilyfield’s program through an online process. Once a referral is received, Lilyfield’s Director of Child Care Programs will confirm eligibility based on child qualifications (must have a qualified child in the referred classroom) and then set a site visit based on availability, with the goal of conducting a site visit within one month. Because this is operating as a pilot program, we recognize that the need may outpace our capacity with the current funding. Our team will develop a rating matrix for use if applications outpace capacity and prioritize classrooms who are identified as having the most critical need while putting others on the waiting list. Lilyfield consultants will provide provisional feedback at the time of the site visit and assist the childcare staff in implementing some recommendations immediately. Also, at the completion of the site visit, the center will receive their first incentive resource bag which will provide tangible resources to support implementation of TBRI in the classroom. Following the site visit, the consultant will provide a more formal set of recommendations which are tailored to the needs of the specific classroom, appropriate for the needs of the qualified child, and reasonable for the center to implement. The consultant and childcare center will develop a plan for ongoing consultation support with a goal to serve centers with at least 5 follow up consultation visits, either virtual or in person. The plan will include more structured training on implementing TBRI in the classroom. While the program includes as much in person contact as possible, Lilyfield has built in the capacity to provide the majority of consultation and training virtually for centers located in rural areas that may present a challenge for our staff to visit regularly. Centers who participate in the ongoing consultation for at least 5 additional sessions will receive a follow up incentive resource bag with more tangible classroom resources. Brief Summary: Lilyfield proposes to bring the Trust Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) Trauma Informed Classrooms to licensed childcare centers that serve foster children ages 0-8 years old throughout the state. The TBRI for classrooms training is designed to equip educators to help children from backgrounds of abuse, neglect, and/or trauma by disarming fear, optimizing learning, and facilitating healing for vulnerable children in the classroom. The project would bring a combination of training, consultation, and implementation support to any licensed center or home day care that provides care to children who are currently in state custody, are in a safety plan through Family Centered Services, or have been reunified with a biological parent within the past 12 months and are currently experiencing behavioral difficulty in the center. Lilyfield has many years of experience working with foster parents and children, and we know the challenges that children in the child welfare system can face in the childcare setting. Lilyfield also operates a licensed childcare center in South Oklahoma City, and we have firsthand experience with creating environments where children with complex developmental trauma can thrive. Providing adequate resources and support is vital to ensuring that foster parents can access reliable childcare, and for ensuring that children get the unique support they need in the childcare setting. Lilyfield has 8 TBRI Practitioners on staff who can support the project. Lilyfield proposes to provide virtual or on-site assessment, consultation, training, and implementation support for childcare centers or home day cares that have a qualified child enrolled who is struggling to be maintained. Following receipt of a request for support, Lilyfield staff will determine eligibility and provide a classroom assessment designed to provide recommendations to teachers and providers on ways to implement the TBRI for classrooms program to support the success of the qualified child. Centers can request ongoing consultation, but Lilyfield will recommend participation in at least 5 consultations following the assessment. Childcare staff can also participate in a more structured training program, receiving the entire TBRI and Trauma Informed Classrooms training through this project. Lilyfield Previous Next

This project will involve two groups: Teachers and the children enrolled in their ECE classrooms. Although child outcomes are ultimately our interest, the successful use of air filters to improve ECE classroom air quality is dependent on the teachers who run those classrooms. < Back Air Quality and Filtration in Early Childhood Settings Submission Type: Innovative Ideas Final Rating: Innovative Idea Date Submitted: Fall 2022 Focus Area: Healthy Environments and Relationships Focus Population: Children, Teachers Contact Information: Early Childhood Education Institute (ECEI) at OU-Tulsa Barbara Fuhrman is a Ph.D. Epidemiologist Changjie Cai is Assistant Professor, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health ecei@ou.edu (918) 660-3907 4502 E 41st St. , Tulsa, OK 74135 Goals and Outcomes: The overall goals of this project are to investigate the feasibility of using inexpensive air filters in ECE classrooms and if the reliable use of air filters improves the classroom air quality and results in positive impacts on children’s health and behavior. We view this as a test of the potential for a low-cost and lowburden intervention (air filters) to have a significant impact on children’s health which provides the foundation for children to engage and benefit from all the ECE classroom has to offer in supporting their growth, development, and learning. The goals of this pilot project are to answer these questions: • Can affordable air filters be reliably and accurately used in ECE settings serving children birth through age 4? • With proper use, can affordable air filters make a measurable and meaningful difference in the indoor air quality in ECE classrooms? • What are teachers’ experiences and perceptions of their use and value of air filters in ECE classrooms? • Is an improvement in indoor air quality of ECE classrooms associated with relevant health and developmental child outcomes including absenteeism, frequency of respiratory illnesses, and behavior? Pilot Study Design: The following design will be used to answer these questions-- This pilot study will be a 12-month project so that air quality can be assessed during all seasons because past research has documented seasonal variations. The study design will be a cross-over study – this means that all involved classrooms will use the air filters at some time during the study. This ensures any potential benefits will be experienced by all classrooms. To reduce the costs of the most expensive equipment (the air quality measurement devices), OU research staff will move the equipment as needed to follow the study design (shown in the appendix). ECEI staff will collect teacher and child data monthly. We will purchase 24 air filters and 12 instruments for measurement of air quality. Air filters will be used in 24 classrooms at 6 schools. Filters will be run for a total of 6 weeks in each classroom and season. Timing of filter use will be assigned by classroom, to schedule A or B, and timing of measurements will be assigned by school, to schedule 1 or 2. We will also purchase spirometers for testing lung capacity of the oldest children in this sample—this is to see if the children can do this test (will be described as blowing up a balloon). This design will require moving measurement devices between schools on an approximately monthly basis. Because we anticipate there may be higher electricity costs due to the use of the filters, we plan to award each program welcoming this project into their classrooms a $50 stipend per participating classroom. We will compare energy costs during the study period to costs during the previous year, in order to estimate the costs in terms of energy used, and billed amounts. We will try to measure lung capacity on some 4-year-olds with their parents’ consent. This is to test is children this young can complete the test—which involves exhaling until all air is pushed out of the lungs. We want to do this to inform future study design. We plan to use the results of this pilot to inform future grant applications submitted to federal funders to do more extensive studies. In essence, this project will be a proof of concept project. At the end of this pilot, we would disseminate the resulting preliminary results to various audiences in Oklahoma, including first sharing with the participating ECE programs. We also plan to use the findings and our “lessons learned” to propose a larger study to generate more robust results. At that point, we would disseminate the results more widely with the rationale for using air filters and recommendations about improving air quality in ECE settings. The results of our work would provide information about what is necessary for teachers and ECE centers to use the air filters successfully, the anticipated impact in terms of measured air quality, and associated child outcomes in a number of developmental areas including health outcomes. Brief Summary: This project will involve two groups: Teachers and the children enrolled in their ECE classrooms. Although child outcomes are ultimately our interest, the successful use of air filters to improve ECE classroom air quality is dependent on the teachers who run those classrooms. Thus, an important first step is to study the teachers’ implementation of air filters in real ECE classrooms. As a pilot, our focus will be on a few, key child outcomes related to absenteeism, reports of respiratory illnesses and behavior, and a measure of lung capacity (only for 4-year-olds). For children to profit from the promise of ECE classrooms, they need to be present and healthy to engage in the planned curriculum. We propose to conduct a mixed-methods (using both qualitative and quantitative approaches) quasiexperimental (using naturally-occurring groupings meaning classrooms in ECE settings) pilot study. We summarize the main components of our proposed study below. A more detailed descriptions of our methods (including study design and analyses) is in the appendix. Teacher Data: • Quantitative data will be collected via a teacher survey to get information about teachers’ experiences introducing and using air filters in their ECE classrooms. • Qualitative focus groups will be conducted with all teachers to gather additional information not easily captured in a survey. For example, their perceptions and beliefs about the efficacy of air filters. We will also ask about their feedback for project improvement and use in future studies. Child Data: The main purpose of this pilot project is to test IF air filters can be successfully introduced and used in ECE classrooms, and IF measurable and meaningful differences in air quality can be achieved. Thus, we will focus on only a few key child outcomes in this initial study. Child measures, collected via teacher surveys, will include child absences, reported respiratory illnesses, and behavior. The measurement of child lung capacity will tried with 4 -ear-olds whose parents consent given this technology has not been used with children this young. Classroom Data: Numerous indoor air pollutants have been recognized and we will measure several, including nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SO2), ozone (O3), carbon monoxide (CO), volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds (VOCs), particulate matter (PM), and microorganisms. Two common microorganism samples will be collected periodically, mold and endotoxin. Early Childhood Education Institute Previous Next

A New Model of Care: Little Otter has developed a platform and clinical model to provide virtual whole-family mental health care. < Back Little Otter Health Submission Type: Research-Based Final Rating : Promising Research Focus Area : Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Focus Population : Children, Caregivers, Guardians, Medical Providers, Parents, and Other Date Submitted : Fall 2024 Contact Information: Rebecca Egger hello@littleotterhealth.com 415-449-2813 333 SE 2nd Ave Ste 2000, Miami, Florida 33131 Goals and Outcomes : Goal 1: To give the young children and families of Oklahoma access to Little Otter’s whole-family measurement-based and evidence-based model of telehealth care. By being able to provide comprehensive services to young children and their families in Oklahoma, our goals would be to • Increase access to evidence-based, developmentally-sensitive, high-quality mental health services to the children and families of Oklahoma. • Improve mental health outcomes for the children, parents, and families of Oklahoma through the implementation of Little Otter’s evidence-based, virtual whole-family mental health care. Since we collect data at every stage of our care journey, we are accountable not only for access to care but also for clinical quality as measured by clinical outcomes. Goal 1 Outcomes: Access and Utilization Metrics • Time from referral to speaking with a licensed mental health provider, time to a fulldiagnostic assessment, and rates of ongoing engagement. Current Metrics: At Little Otter, our families are connected with a licensed mental health provider in less than 24 hours. On average, less than 7 days pass from referral to a full diagnostic assessment. 95% of our families continue after the first session. Our average number of sessions is 12-18. Goal 1 Outcomes: Developmentally-Sensitive Clinical Quality Metrics • Session level measures Symptom Severity and Improvement of Child: Severity of illness at baseline and at the session level (CGI-S), Clinical Improvement (CGI-I), and session-level domain-specific measures specific to the patient’s presentation. Measures are chosen based on the patient’s age and developmental stage. Symptom Severity and Improvement of Parent: When providing direct mental health care to parents, we use the outcome measure listed above. Brief/Executive summary of program : A New Model of Care: Little Otter has developed a platform and clinical model to provide virtual whole-family mental health care. This new model is grounded in science, best clinical practices, and the philosophy that mental health care should address the family ecosystem, not just individual family members. This approach is designed to meet the comprehensive needs of children, parents, and families, aiming to change lives through improved mental health care and strengthened family relationships. • Measurement at every stage of the journey: Our care starts with the Little Otter Child & Family Mental Health Check-up, our proprietary developmentally-sensitive screening tool developed from reliable and valid measures that ensures that we understand the unique needs and strengths of both the individual family members and the entire family system. Based on the results of the Check-up, we administer developmentally-appropriate subspecialty measures to support diagnostic and clinical decision-making and conduct a structured diagnostic assessment to link the family with the appropriate evidence-based clinical care pathways. We then craft measurable treatment goals for care, which include at least one family-focused goal, and collect data at every session to track progress and clinical outcomes. Results guide data-driven decision-making and are shared with parents as collaborators. Our approach to measurement-based care allows us to provide populationlevel data to our partners as well, giving them a better sense of the needs of their population. • Comprehensive, evidence-based care pathways: We provide developmentally-sensitive, evidencebased therapy and psychiatric care for the full range of mental health disorders facing children birth to 18, including dyadic, parent-child interventions for infants and young children. Additionally, we provide evidence-based individual therapy and psychiatric care for parents facing anxiety, depression, ADHD, and traumatic stress, as well as parent coaching to support caregivers in responding to the mental health needs of their children and to support co-parenting and parental alignment. We have a specialized, research-backed perinatal mental health program for birthing and non-birthing parents that focuses on the mental health needs of the parent, infant, and emerging parent-child relationship. Finally, we also offer couples counseling and family therapy services. Little Otter | Mental Health Services for the Whole Family Previous Next

< Back Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) Course Submission Type: Practice-Based Final Rating: Promising Practice Date Submitted: Fall 2021 Focus Area: Social Emotional Learning Focus Population: Children, Caregivers, Parents, Guardians Contact Information: La’Chanda K. Stephens-Totimeh Community Manager 405-317-4021 Lachanda-totimeh@ouhsc.edu OUHSC Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics; Center on Child Abuse & Neglect 1000 NE 13th St. 4th FL Nicholson Twr 4200, Oklahoma City, OK 13104 Goals and Outcomes: The primary goals of this submission are to (1) promote a state-wide training program in developing and maintaining effective Parent Advisory Committees and (2) to secure funding to support this training program. The intended outcomes are to launch Parent Advisory Committees (PACs) for child and family serving organizations and programs across the state of Oklahoma and provide continued training and support for these PACs to ensure their effectiveness and sustainable implementation over time. More specifically, building off our established history of successfully developing and maintaining an effective Parent Advisory Committee, the Oklahoma Health Sciences Center’s SafeCare© Parent Partnership Advisory Committee (SC PPAC) plans to facilitate a training for outside agencies to develop and maintain their Parent Advisory Committees (PACs). We plan to offer several options for this training including a comprehensive course on the development of PACs, which is designed for professionals without experience designing or maintaining a PAC or parenting board. This course consists of 2 all-day trainings (8 hours each) and 10 monthly 1.5-hour calls on select topics (e.g., diversity and inclusion, implementation, progress reports from trainees). Agencies across the state are eligible to participate as trainings will be held virtually. Brief Summary: Research studies, such as the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) study, support the premise that early adversity impairs children’s development and health. Further, inequities at the individual, family, and systems level must be addressed to truly enhance the well-being of children. Other research has indicated there is a continuum of services, including home-based parenting programs (also called “home-visiting), that positively impact caregivers’ ability to provide nurturing, stable relationships. These services have been found to enhance protective factors, mitigate the impact of early adversity, and potentially prevent the occurrence of ACEs. Importantly, to improve the continuum of services addressing and preventing ACEs, parent outreach is needed to help bolster family protective factors and community voice is needed to inform policy and funding decisions. Community voice is essential for combating inequities through providing more congruent, relevant services. Further, an understanding of the barriers of high-risk families in accessing needed services is needed when making policy and funding decisions. Over the past ten years, the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center’s SafeCare© Parent Partnership Advisory Committee has provided parent voice to educate and support legislators and key stakeholders in making policy and funding decisions based on key areas including: a) parenting and support programs to support high-risk families (home-based parenting, community mental health, etc.), b) high quality physical and mental health care and emotion socialization for children and their caregivers, c) affordable and safe housing for high-risk children and families, d) high quality early childhood education programs, e) high-quality, nutritious food, and f) employment and educational opportunities for caregivers. Our proposal is targeted to all family-serving agencies in Oklahoma that wish to start up their own parent partnership advisory committee. We propose to train these agencies on the creation and sustainable implementation of parent partnership advisory committees and will provide year-long technical assistance to all participating agencies. Previous Next

< Back Developmental Monitoring Resources and Support for Early Care and Learning Providers Submission Type: Practice-Based Final Rating: Promising Practice Date Submitted: Spring 2022 Focus Area: Child Development Focus Population: Teachers, Caregivers, Parents Contact Information: Kathryn Moore P.hD. Assistant Professor, Pediatrics (405) 842-9995 Kathryn-Moore@ouhsc.edu Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center/Oklahoma Autism Center 3901 NW 67th St., Suite 100, Oklahoma City, OK 73116 Goals and Outcomes: The primary goal of this proposal is to ensure that providers in childcare settings are knowledgeable about the importance of monitoring a child’s development and have the tools needed to do this easily. This ensures that developmental milestones are tracked, families are more engaged in monitoring their child’s development, and children with potential developmental delays are more quickly identified and referred for appropriate services. To accomplish this goal, we will utilize “Learn the Signs. Act Early.” (LTSAE) campaign materials developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The materials and resources are available free to the public and accessible to diverse audiences (e.g., available in Spanish and several other languages). Another important goal is to help support childcare providers so that they are better able to meet the needs of a diverse group of children including children with developmental delays. Using “Provider Cafes,” information will be provided related to how to support development including a wide range of child needs such as children with language or communication delays, autism, ADHD or other developmental concerns. Lastly, by providing regular opportunities for peer-to-peer discussion with a facilitator, “Provider Cafés” will promote provider resiliency and empowerment through opportunities for peer discussion and technical and material assistance. The ultimate desired outcome of this project is to identify children with potential delays as early as possible and ensure that they are connected to available resources and fully included and supported in childcare settings. Brief Summary: This submission aims to improve outcomes for children by facilitating awareness, training and support in developmental monitoring for early care providers (e.g. childcare centers, in-home providers). Our aim is to increase provider awareness and knowledge regarding the importance of developmental monitoring as well as what to do if concerns are identified. This will be accomplished with a dual-level approach of a broad informational campaign to promote knowledge and awareness as well as provide targeted support and technical assistance to providers. The first phase of this project will focus on the dissemination of developmental monitoring resources, both as ready-to-use tools and materials for providers and through short informational/training videos on topics pertinent to developmental monitoring and support in an early-childhood environment. These materials and resources will be distributed via social media and existing provider networks to promote awareness and knowledge about monitoring development and to secure interest in the secondary phase of interactive training activities. This campaign will utilize existing materials and resources drawn from the CDC’s “Learn the Signs. Act Early.” developmental monitoring campaign, including their series of “Watch Me!” online training modules for early childhood providers. Additional information about resources and next steps for families will be included. The second phase of activities will focus on providing engaged support for early care and learning partners identified in the first stage. We will implement a Provider Café model where providers participate in interactive virtual sessions hosted by a mediator and professional support experts. The goal of these sessions will be to provide in-depth discussion and support regarding early childhood development and the importance of identifying potential delays early. Building on the topics and resources shared in the first step of this proposal, the Provider Cafés will include provider-directed conversations about the role of developmental monitoring in promoting family resiliency as well as specific topics highlighted in each Café related to discussing concerns with families and strategies to support children with developmental delays in childcare settings. This will give early care providers the opportunity to voice their own experiences and needs, benefit from peer-to-peer discussion/support and receive expertise from experienced facilitators. Oklahoma Autism Center Previous Next

Palomar has a tremendous goal: to unify all possible services a victim and their children may need and make them easily accessible by housing them in one convenient location. < Back Children's Sanctuary at Palomar, Oklahoma City's Family Justice Center Date Submitted: 09/08/2021 Contact Information: Kim Garrett-Funk CVO 405-552-1004 Kim.garrett@palomarokc.org Palomar: Oklahoma City's Family Justice Center, Inc. 1140 North Hudson Ave., Oklahoma City, OK 73103 Rating Category: Innovative Idea Focus Area: Social Emotional Learning Focus Population: Children, Caregivers, Guardians, Parents Goals and Outcomes: Palomar has a tremendous goal: to unify all possible services a victim and their children may need and make them easily accessible by housing them in one convenient location. In domestic violence, this coordinated response can make the difference between life and death for victims and their children. Our model is literally saving lives and interrupting the generational cycle of violence. Due to COVID-19, the Children in Oklahoma City have experienced additional and significant trauma. Palomar’s Children’s Sanctuary staff are highly trained to assess the needs of children who have experienced trauma. The Children’s Sanctuary provides free drop-in care for children in violent homes and aims to interrupt this cycle and lead kids to healing. Palomar is requesting funding to support its Children’s Sanctuary by providing two additional staff members, therefore dramatically increasing the Children’s Sanctuary’s capacity and allowing staff members to have more time to thoroughly address each child’s social and emotional needs. In an effort to mitigate trauma and help the children in our Community heal, Palomar has been in discussions with the University of Oklahoma Health Science Center to create the OUHSC Palomar Children’s Behavioral Health Program. This program would include developmental and mental health screening and assessment, evidence-based mental health treatment, case management, and advocacy through multidisciplinary team participation. This adds an innovative layer of protections for Oklahoma’s most vulnerable children. By adding a dedicated therapist and support staff for the Behavioral Health Program, Palomar will be able to provide comprehensive social and emotional mental health care to our children and lead them to a path of healing. Palomar’s Children’s Sanctuary serves Palomar client’s children of all ages, learning level, cognitive functioning and their families. Violence and adversity have a profound impact on shaping Oklahoma City. There is a direct correlation between adverse childhood exposure and chronic disease, mental illness, substance abuse and violence (CDC). Unmitigated trauma and adversity have been directly correlated with many issues that negatively impact Oklahoma City. By providing comprehensive wraparound services to children, as well as adult clients, in the Children’s Sanctuary, Palomar aims to mitigate our children’s Adverse Childhood Experiences and lead them to healing. Brief Summary: COVID created isolation for families, instability, loss of jobs and resources, and lack of connection which combined created a toxic environment for domestic violence and child abuse to thrive. In OKC, police calls related to domestic violence, and the severity of injury, have increased. Violence directly impacts our public safety, public health, education system, economy and overall quality of life. Palomar is designing and developing innovative solutions and opportunities for social impact that will be felt for generations to come. In OKC, we estimate there are over 36,000 children who are exposed to domestic violence and abuse. Providing a safe trauma-informed space for children and families is critical to ensure they get the help they need to heal and break the generational cycle of violence. The Children’s Sanctuary provides free trauma-informed childcare and is available for children of all ages while clients receive support services at Palomar. The Children’s Sanctuary staff builds rapport with children and their families, assesses and identifies needs, solves problems, safety plans, supports and empowers children. The Children’s Sanctuary reduces barriers that keep clients from getting timely services throughout the system by coordinating wraparound care for emotional, financial, administrative or cultural support. While in the Children’s Sanctuary, children can also receive services, including: Emotional Support; Crisis Intervention; On-Site Childcare; Service Coordination; Extensive follow-up and coordination with ongoing therapeutic programming; Referrals to Other Agencies; and, Emergency Assistance such as food, clothing, personal care or hygiene items. The Children’s Sanctuary allows Palomar to reduce barriers for clients while providing wraparound services for the entire family. As Palomar’s client numbers continue to grow, Palomar anticipates that the number of children will also increase. In 2020, Palomar’s Children’s Sanctuary, despite the COVID-19 Pandemic, served 664 Children who visited the Sanctuary 909 times. In 2021, our numbers have only continued to grow exponentially, creating limitations with capacity and staffing. In June 2021, Palomar served 219 children, with 137 visits, an increase of 119% visits and 80% increase in kids from just the previous month! At-risk families in Oklahoma City need a safe trauma-informed service that can enhance children, and their parents, social and emotional well-being. Previous Next

This submission targets parents of young children, early educators and other professionals working in systems that support early childhood. < Back Learn the Signs Act Early: A Developmental Health Promotion Program Submission Type: Research-Based Final Rating: Well-Supported by Research Date Submitted: Spring 2022 Focus Area: Child Development Focus Population: Teachers, Caregivers, Guardians, Parents Contact Information: Bonnie McBride, Ph.D. Associate Professor/Oklahoma’s Act Early Ambassador (405) 842-9995 Bonnie-mcbride@ouhsc.edu University of Oklahoma Health Science Center/Oklahoma Autism Center 3901 NW 63rd St., Ste 100, Oklahoma City, OK 73116 Goals and Outcomes: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported that 1 in 6 children under the age of 5 years in the USA is at risk for a developmental delay or disability. Developmental monitoring, to track children's achievement of developmental milestones and identify potential delays, is a crucial tool for insuring that all children can receive the supports and services they need to reach important milestones and mitigate possible developmental delays. “Learn the Signs. Act Early.” (LTSAE), a developmental health promotion program developed by the CDC, provides materials and resources for parents and early childhood professionals to easily track a child’s development with the goal of ensuring that children are referred and receive early intervention in a timely manner. Children who receive early intervention have better outcomes and success in school. The goal of LTSAE is to bring attention to the fact that monitoring a child’s developmental health is as important as monitoring their physical health. Despite guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) for universal developmental monitoring and screening in primary care settings only about a third of children 9 months to 35 months receive developmental screening from a health care provider, and only 37% receive developmental monitoring (Hirai et al., 2018). This low rate of developmental monitoring and screening in health care settings emphasizes the importance of engaging a broader set of professionals in early detection efforts. LTSAE program provides information and free materials targeted specifically for early childhood professionals (e.g., Head Start, Early Head Start, home visitation, and childcare) and parents to regularly monitor a child’s development. The importance of ensuring that children are meeting important milestones and are ready to enter school prepared to learn has never been more critical. The pandemic has heightened the need for resources to track development and connect families to needed supports to address the increased rate of socioeconomic, behavioral, and emotional stress being seen in young children and their families. So, by highlighting LTSAE program in the Clearinghouse for Early Childhood Success it has the potential to increase access and knowledge in the early childhood community of this important resource. An added advantage to the LTSAE program is that it provides information about early childhood development and how to promote development at each age. Brief Summary: This submission targets parents of young children, early educators and other professionals working in systems that support early childhood. The CDC’s “Learn the Signs. Act Early.” program was developed to promote awareness of the importance of early identification of developmental delay or disability. This was in response to the fact that many children were not being identified until entering school resulting missed opportunity and negative long-term outcomes. The campaign has developed extensive resources and training materials that assist parents and professionals with tracking developmental milestones and determining when referral to needed services is warranted. Early educators are in a unique role to help identify children who may need services and supports. Regular and frequent developmental monitoring is critical to ensure children are meeting important developmental milestones and to identify possible delays or disabilities, ensuring they are connected to needed services as soon as possible and prepared to enter school. Community-based professionals who work with families of young children can play an important role in the early identification and referral of children at risk for delay or possible developmental disability. The CDC’s “Learn the Signs. Act Early.” program provides the information and resources for early educators and caregivers to increase their knowledge of development and incorporate regular developmental monitoring. Oklahoma Autism Center Previous Next

< Back Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Program Expansion (I-ECMHC) Date Submitted: 04/2022 Contact Information: Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Wellness Specialist/OK Warmline Program Coordinator, OSDH Melissa Griffin 405-426-8057 melissag@healthok.gov Oklahoma State Department of Health, 123 Robert S. Kerr Ave., OKC, OK 73102 Rating Category: Best Practice Focus Area: Child Development Focus Population: Children, Caregivers, Guardians, Parents, Owners, Administrators, Teachers Goals and Outcomes: As a Prevention strategy, the goal of Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health is to support the development of infants and young children through strengthening the responsive capacity of their caregivers and promoting safe, stable, nurturing environments. The project includes measures of both systems level and program level outcomes to include the following: Systems Outcomes: Increase the number of children who receive preventative mental health care in Early Care and Education Programs (Healthy People 2030) The Consultant Mentors will provide mental health promotion and prevention supports to 120 programs annually, affecting a potential 6,000 children in rural/suburban Oklahoma Communities who will receive mental health supports in their educational settings. The regional mentor consultants hired through the project will support 30 fee for service mental health consultants in their training and implementation of IECMHC annually expanding the reach of consultation to an additional 300 Early Care and Education programs and approximately 15,000 additional children who will receive mental health supports in an educational setting. Increase the number of trained mental health consultants participating in the Oklahoma I-ECMHC Network -The I-ECMHC will increase capacity by 90% of current I-ECMHC network capacity. Increase accessibility of I-ECMHC within rural regions of Oklahoma Improve supports for children at high risk for developmental delay (ex: Children in Child Welfare) through provision of I-ECMC to their Early Care and Education Programs Increase the use of developmental screening within Early Care and Education Settings *75% of added capacity in the I-ECMHC network will be in rural and suburban regions of Oklahoma Program Outcomes: Increase the use of developmental screening within Early Care and Education Settings 80% of programs receiving I-ECMHC report use of developmental screening in their setting Decrease the use of expulsion practices by Early Care and Education programs in Oklahoma Measured by report of retention of identified children within request for I-ECMHC Improve the mental health climate of ECE programs who access I-ECMHC that supports optimal child development Measured by mental health climate assessment tools administered pre and post service. Increase use of trauma informed practices by Early Care and Education Programs Increase change in knowledge and practice measured by administration of director survey pre and post service Brief Summary: I-ECMHC is grounded in a theory of change that is emphasizes a systems approach that includes multiple levels of influence on a child’s development and well-being. Working with Directors, teachers, and families are essential to the I-ECMHC approach. The emotional climate of a classroom is a function of how well the teachers are able to work together, their own interaction styles and their emotional availability; this in turn has a direct impact on the capacity of young children to learn and develop in their classroom. This project proposes to expand accessibility of I-ECMHC to licensed ECE programs in Oklahoma and provide much-needed infrastructure to support program fidelity to achieve expected outcomes around program quality, teacher confidence, teacher burnout, child development, and reduction of the use of more punitive discipline practices including expulsion. There is a body of research that demonstrates that suspensions and expulsions are not only ineffective, but also harmful for our youngest students (OSSE, 2013). Furthermore, the pattern of out-of-school punishments demonstrates a clear and unacceptable gender and racial disparity, with young boys of color suspended and expelled at vastly disproportionate rates (OCR, 2014). In addition, children who have a disability or a developmental delay are often subject to exclusionary practices and harsh discipline, undermining the program’s goal of supporting development. I-ECMHC includes work around equity and inclusion to examine biases and support providers in changing practice ( www.iecmhc.org ). This project proposes expanding I-ECMHC through a blend of full-time regional consultants and a fee-for-service service delivery structure that is tied to centralized training hubs to assure Oklahoma meets training requirements of consultants outlined by the Center for Excellence in I-ECMHC and implements the program model in a consistent and effective way. The full-time regional positions will serve as mentors and anchors for the program in the area stabilizing accessibility to ECE programs who have struggled to access the service in the past. These positions will support fee-for-service consultants in community settings who provide consultation part-time as one of the duties of their job. The program Network will coordinate through the Oklahoma Warmline who will serve as the access point for licensed child care programs to request I-ECMHC in their classrooms. Previous Next

This submission seeks funding for a series of workshops titled "Respectful Caregiving.” In these workshops, our instructors will introduce caregivers to the principles of respectful caregiving, an essential philosophy and approach that fosters secure and respectful relationships between caregivers and children. < Back OKAEYC – Respectful Caregiving Submission Type: Innovative Ideas Final Rating: Innovative Idea Date Submitted: Fall 2023 Focus Area: Child Development Focus Population: Children, Teachers, Guardians, Parents Contact Information: Oklahoma Association for the Education of Young Children (okaeyc) (405) 949-1495 admin@okaeyc.org 605 Centennial Blvd., Edmond, OK 73013 Goals and Outcomes: Our primary objective is to promote secure and respectful relationships between caregivers and children. Our workshops aim to empower caregivers with the necessary tools to establish a strong foundation for children’s future success. The anticipated outcomes of our program include increased caregiving confidence and a sense of security in their ability to nurture children’s natural abilities and development. We project our reach to encompass twenty participants per round, with two rounds planned, ultimately reaching a total of forty caregivers. Childcare providers will receive formal training credit for hours spent in workshops. To measure the impact of our workshops, we will employ a survey-based approach, conducting both pre- and postworkshop surveys to assess participants' understanding and confidence. Brief Summary: This submission seeks funding for a series of workshops titled "Respectful Caregiving.” In these workshops, our instructors will introduce caregivers to the principles of respectful caregiving, an essential philosophy and approach that fosters secure and respectful relationships between caregivers and children. Built on the foundations of connection, communication, and environment, these workshops empower caregivers to trust themselves and harness children’s innate potential for well-being and development. Our workshops will draw from the teachings of Magda Gerber, the founder of Resources for Infant Educarers (RIE). The RIE Principles are the starting point for establishing a healthy and supportive relationship with children from birth. RIE empowers parents and caregivers with the tools and perspective to understand each child, their unique relationship, and find balance in the individual situation or setting. RIE isn’t a list of prescribed rules to which one must adhere without fail. Rather, it is a framework for understanding a child, their needs, and competencies, assessing one’s own values and needs, and putting those together in an intentional way. These one-hour workshops will be conducted both in-person and at designated training locations as well as virtually, with recordings available within forty-eight hours for those unable to attend live. Additionally, oneon-one coaching will be offered to participating caregivers, using SMART goal centered action planning based on RIE principals. Our goal is to reach forty participants in one year through two rounds of six-monthly training sessions, with a total of twenty participants in each round. All sessions will be held monthly at a designated training site, targeting caregivers with children from zero to eight years old. The course will be inclusive of all demographics and ethnicities. OKAEYC Oklahoma Association for the Education of Young Children |605 Centennial Blvd. Edmond OK, 73013 Previous Next

< Back Addressing Developmental Needs of Children through Expansion of Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation to Early Care and Education Submission Type: Practice-Based Final Rating: Best Practice Date Submitted: Spring 2022 Focus Area: Child Development Focus Population: Children, Teachers, Owners, Caregivers, Guardians, Administrators, Parents Contact Information: Oklahoma State Department of Health/Oklahoma Warmline 123 Robert S. Kerr Ave., Suite 1702 Oklahoma City, OK 73102-6406 Oklahoma State Department of Health (340) Goals and Outcomes: As a Prevention strategy, the goal of Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health is to support the development of infants and young children through strengthening the responsive capacity of their caregivers and promoting safe, stable, nurturing environments. The project includes measures of both systems level and program level outcomes to include the following: Systems Outcomes: Increase the number of children who receive preventative mental health care in Early Care and Education Programs (Healthy People 2030) The Consultant Mentors will provide mental health promotion and prevention supports to 120 programs annually, affecting a potential 6,000 children in rural/suburban Oklahoma Communities who will receive mental health supports in their educational settings. The regional mentor consultants hired through the project will support 30 fee for service mental health consultants in their training and implementation of IECMHC annually expanding the reach of consultation to an additional 300 Early Care and Education programs and approximately 15,000 additional children who will receive mental health supports in an educational setting. Increase the number of trained mental health consultants participating in the Oklahoma I-ECMHC Network The I-ECMHC will increase capacity by 90% of current I-ECMHC network capacity. Increase accessibility of I-ECMHC within rural regions of Oklahoma 75% of added capacity in the I-ECMHC network will be in rural and suburban regions of Oklahoma Improve supports for children at high risk for developmental delay (ex: Children in Child Welfare) through provision of I-ECMC to their Early Care and Education Programs Program Outcomes: Increase the use of developmental screening within Early Care and Education Settings 80% of programs receiving I-ECMHC report use of developmental screening in their setting Decrease the use of expulsion practices by Early Care and Education programs in Oklahoma Measured by report of retention of identified children within request for I-ECMHC Improve the mental health climate of ECE programs who access I-ECMHC that supports optimal child development Measured by mental health climate assessment tools administered pre and post service. Increase use of trauma informed practices by Early Care and Education Programs Increase change in knowledge and practice measured by administration of director survey pre and post service Provider Outcomes: Improve provider knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors that align with best practices that foster child wellbeing The program will provide outreach and training on supporting children who have experienced ACES to 200 Early Care and Education providers/teachers annually in Oklahoma by offering monthly trainings events to support use of trauma informed care. Increase caregiver competence in addressing classroom challenges using developmentally appropriate strategies while decreasing the use of harsh or punitive discipline practices Change measured by Provider survey and consultant observation of provider practices pre and post service Reduce provider report of burn-out Change measured by provider self-report post service survey Child Outcomes: Increase the proportion of children with developmental delays who get intervention services by age four (Healthy People 2030) 100% of Children in programs receiving I-ECMHC Identified with potential developmental delay receive a referral to Soonerstart Child Find efforts through I-ECMHC will increase the percentage of children in Oklahoma receiving Early Intervention Part B and C services (Soonerstart and Special Education Part B annual Report Data) Improve child developmental outcomes by increasing social emotional competence of children enrolled in Early Care and Education Programs Change measured by implementation of developmental screening/assessments of child-specific I-ECMHC referrals Brief Summary: I-ECMHC is grounded in a theory of change that is emphasizes a systems approach that includes multiple levels of influence on a child’s development and well-being. Working with Directors, teachers, and families are essential to the I-ECMHC approach. The emotional climate of a classroom is a function of how well the teachers are able to work together, their own interaction styles and their emotional availability; this in turn has a direct impact on the capacity of young children to learn and develop in their classroom. This project proposes to expand accessibility of I-ECMHC to licensed ECE programs in Oklahoma and provide much-needed infrastructure to support program fidelity to achieve expected outcomes around program quality, teacher confidence, teacher burnout, child development, and reduction of the use of more punitive discipline practices including expulsion. There is a body of research that demonstrates that suspensions and expulsions are not only ineffective, but also harmful for our youngest students (OSSE, 2013). Furthermore, the pattern of out-of-school punishments demonstrates a clear and unacceptable gender and racial disparity, with young boys of color suspended and expelled at vastly disproportionate rates (OCR, 2014). In addition, children who have a disability or a developmental delay are often subject to exclusionary practices and harsh discipline, undermining the program’s goal of supporting development. IECMHC includes work around equity and inclusion to examine biases and support providers in changing practice ( www.iecmhc.org ). This project proposes expanding I-ECMHC through a blend of full-time regional consultants and a fee-for-service service delivery structure that is tied to centralized training hubs to assure Oklahoma meets training requirements of consultants outlined by the Center for Excellence in IECMHC and implements the program model in a consistent and effective way. The full-time regional positions will serve as mentors and anchors for the program in the area stabilizing accessibility to ECE programs who have struggled to access the service in the past. These positions will support fee-forservice consultants in community settings who provide consultation part-time as one of the duties of their job. The program Network will coordinate through the Oklahoma Warmline who will serve as the access point for licensed child care programs to request I-ECMHC in their classrooms. OK Warmline Previous Next

< Back Rainbow Fleet Quality Enhancement Initiative Submission Type: Practice-Based Final Rating: Promising Practice Date Submitted: Fall 2021 Focus Area: Social Emotional Learning Focus Population: Children, Teachers, Owners, Caregivers, Guardians, Administrators, Parents Contact Information: Quisha Beardsley Executive Director 405-525-3111 Rainbow Fleet Child Care Resource & Referral 1105 NW 45th St, Oklahoma City, OK 73118 Goals and Outcomes: The Rainbow Fleet Family Child Care Quality Enhancement Initiative (QEI) is a comprehensive training and technical assistance initiative that seeks to improve the quality of early care and education in Family Child Care Homes (FCCH) in Oklahoma County. This goal aligns with our mission to enhance the quality of life for children, families, and child care providers. Oklahoma currently has a quality driven initiative referred to as Reaching for the Stars and child care providers have the opportunity to be categorized in one of four star levels of quality based on specific criteria. A 1-star facility meets the basic licensing requirements. A 1-star+ facility is working on the criteria to be awarded a 2-star rating. A 2-star facility offers: teachers who have received formal education and additional training in child development; arranges space for a variety of activities including block building, dramatic play, art areas, and ready to children; weekly lesson plans, which promotes cognitive, social and emotional development for each child interaction with parents through planned activities; and program evaluation and goal setting. A 3-star facility is nationally accredited in addition to meeting 2-star quality requirements. Therefore, providing hands-on training, practical application and mentoring to move facilities to a high stars ranking benefits the children, families, and child care providers themselves. To quote an anecdote from a study entitled the Cost, Quality and Outcomes study of Child Care Centers (Family Child Care Homes), "Children attending high quality child care perform better in math and language, and get along better with other children. These advantages continue in school." The intended outcome for the QEI and the programs we will support is to increase the "best practices" among FCCHs. The way this is achieved is through the process of improving their stars level and/or their accreditation. Achievement of either scenario requires the program to self-reflect and make effective changes accordingly, with much consideration given to the needs of the children, their families and the FCCH provider themselves. Within achieving accreditation, the benefit affects everyone. The children are better cared for and have developmentally appropriate settings and materials with a provider who now has a greater understanding of meeting the needs of children of all ages. Brief Summary: The FCCH provider is expected to and should know and understand their children and families and the impact they have on a child's social-emotional and cognitive well-being. As such, QEI will support the child care provider to be well-trained and encouraged to achieve additional education. These best practices will hold the provider accountable for short and long term goals, with the expectation that a "team" approach will prepare children and families for future successes. A QEI Specialist will provide and/or facilitate the FCCHs' intensive, on-going support that includes training, technical assistance, and funds/resources to improve and maintain the quality of care and education that young children and families receive. Previous Next

< Back Autism Foundation of Oklahoma – Training Oklahoma Childcare Providers to Support Children with Autism (TOCA) Date Submitted: Summer 2023 Contact information: Emily Scott, info@autismfoundationok.org Focus population: Children, teachers, owners, caregivers, guardians, parents Goals and outcomes: The TOCA initiative aims to achieve three primary objectives. Firstly, it seeks to enhance knowledge and awareness of autism among childcare providers. Secondly, it aims to establish a comprehensive training program for childcare coaches in Oklahoma, specializing in supporting providers caring for children with autism. Lastly, TOCA aims to provide personalized coaching to childcare providers, catering to the unique needs of each child or classroom, to enhance the availability and quality of childcare services statewide, fostering inclusivity for children with autism. Providing comprehensive training to consultants and childcare providers improves the quality of care for children with autism, offering tailored support to address their unique needs. This project fosters an environment where all children feel accepted and valued, thus promoting inclusivity. The training enhances the professional development of consultants and childcare providers, leading to a more competent and confident workforce. Moreover, it strengthens the support system for children with autism and their families through collaborative networks and family empowerment. Promoting cultural sensitivity and awareness creates a more inclusive and compassionate childcare community. Overall, this project leaves a lasting legacy of inclusivity and support, benefiting children with autism and their families for years to come. Previous Next

LENA has conducted research showing significant variability in how much adults talk with children and that those who talk the least tend to overestimate how much they talk the most. < Back LENA – Building Brains Through Early Talk Submission Type: Research-Based Final Rating: Well-Supported by Research Date Submitted: Fall 2023 Focus Area: Child Development Focus Population: Children, Teachers, Owners, Caregivers, Guardians, Administrators, Parents Contact Information: Dr. Steve Hannon President and CEO (303) 441-9085 info@lena.org LENA 361 Centennial Parkway Suite 100, Louisville, CO 80027 Goals and Outcomes: LENA has conducted research showing significant variability in how much adults talk with children and that those who talk the least tend to overestimate how much they talk the most. LENA technology provides actionable data through clear reporting, indicating how much talk is happening. LENA Grow then delivers a single, straightforward, proven solution to boosting language development, supporting social-emotional development, increasing teacher satisfaction, and focusing on family engagement. It provides early childhood educators the tools to improve language environments equitably and connect with every child in their care. In just five weeks of LENA Grow curriculum and coaching, educators renew the energy, dedication, and pride with which they approach the profession, appreciating more than ever just how critical a role they play in children’s lives. The coaching and feedback loop increases interaction and a heightened sense of connectedness with the children. The children gain all the short- and long-term benefits of increased conversational turns. That’s according to a rapidly growing body of peer-reviewed research and independent evaluations. The main goal or proxy for measuring programmatic success is increased conversational turns measured by the LENA device. Educators participating in LENA Grow measurably increase conversational turns with the children in their care. On average, children who started out experiencing less talk than their peers in their classroom had an average increase of 40%. Children who started out experiencing less talk than the national median of 15 turns per hour had an average increase of 56%. LENA has worked to maintain these outcomes across all programs and partners since the program’s inception in 2018. Conversational turns are also a direct proxy for measuring the quality of an early childhood classroom environment. LENA has been shown to help teachers increase interaction, individualize their communication with each child, and build responsive caregiving skills, leading to improved teaching practice and measurable increases in scores on independent classroom- and child-level assessments. All these outcomes can ‘crosswalk’ with quality measurements of various quality rating and improvement tools used by early childhood systems across the country. LENA continues to see alignment with quality in the early childhood ecosystem as a primary goal or strategy for increasing LENA Grows impact and scale. We expect the following direct outcomes, measured by LENA: 1. At least a 40 percentile gain in conversational turns for children in the bottom third of the room. 2. At least a 56 percentile gain in conversational turns for children experiencing low talk. A 10-year study by LENA researchers confirms that the amount of talk with adults that children experience in the first three years of life is related to their verbal abilities and IQ in adolescence. The adult words and especially the conversations the children experienced between 18 and 24 months correlated 10 years later with their IQ, verbal comprehension, vocabulary, and other language skills. While we do not expect to measure the cohort participating in this grant 10 years later, we think it is worth noting the evidence-based outcomes that can arise from LENA intervention. Brief Summary: LENA is a national nonprofit on a mission to transform children's futures through early talk technology and data-driven programs. To do this, we care deeply about conversational turns. The more conversational turns, or early talk, a child has, the better their outcomes will be. LENA technology, the only validated measure of conversational turns globally, powers the research discoveries proving conversational turns' importance. Increases in conversational turns in the first years of a child's life are directly linked to brain growth and function, reading skills, IQ scores, social emotional development, language and reasoning, and vocabulary skills. LENA’s programs help caregivers across the globe tap into this power of conversational turns. LENA pairs our industry-leading ‘talk pedometer’, which measures a child’s language environment and generates easy-toready data reports, with personalized, actionable feedback crafted through research-based strategies, with the ultimate outcome being increasing the quantity of early talk in both home and classroom settings. To accelerate the increase of conversational turns, we work in partnership with trusted community organizations and support replicating the conditions we know are best for children’s engagement with adults. Over the last 8 years of program implementation, we have worked with over 400 partners to serve over 35,000 children in classrooms and over 20,000 families through home settings. Our vision is a world where every child benefits from positive relationships and responsive interactions through increased early talk, and we hope to bring LENA to more children aged 0 -5 and their providers across the State of Oklahoma. More specifically, we hope to expand the impact of LENA Grow, our childcare job-embedded professional development program for early childhood teachers that aims to increase this early talk in the classroom. Early childhood educators play a vital role in children’s development, yet often lack training to interact and engage with infants and toddlers to stimulate their language development and brain growth. LENA Grow is a research and evidence-based solution that empowers these providers to talk more through data, support, and coaching. LENA: Building Brains Through Early Talk Previous Next

< Back Providing Hope and Opportunity in Outdoor Learning Environments at Child Care Centers and Family Child Care Homes Submission Type: Practice-Based Final Rating: Promising Practice Date Submitted: Spring 2022 Focus Area: Child Development Focus Population: Children, Teachers, Owners, Caregivers, Guardians, Administrators Contact Information: Mary Tepera-Jones Architect (918) 832-5544 mary@goodfieldwork.com Good Fieldwork 124 N. Peoria, Tulsa, OK 74120 Goals and Outcomes: This submission is ideal for child care providers who understand that natural, outdoor learning classrooms help children develop a sense of wonder, foster creativity, imagination, and discovery for optimal brain development and child outcomes. It will also help those providers that need to enhance their outside space to improve quality and increase their capacity and rating on the state’s quality rating system. The majority of the work is the design and construction. This is a detailed process that requires surveys, certifications, planning meetings and multiple trips to and from the child care location. To begin the process, the architect from GOOD FIELDWORK, consultant from EARLY EXPERTISE, and the construction manager from JONESPLAN meet with the individual providers’ to understand their needs and desires for their outdoor learning environment. At a minimum, the GOOD FIELDWORK team plans to meet with: Leadership of the program. A larger group to discuss cultural implications, ideas and receive input on draft design. This group will be determined by the program, but may include teachers, parents, neighbors, community leaders, etc. Once the playground is surveyed and the programmatic goals have been finalized, the outdoor classroom is designed. A construction team then works with the program to schedule commencement of construction. Construction time will vary, but is estimated at approximately 10 days/nights for completion of a family child care home outdoor learning environment and 13 days/nights for completion of a child care center outdoor learning environment. The budget includes their travel expenses, such as mileage, hotel and meals. The budget includes all required equipment, construction materials, installation, clean-up and a final walkthrough. This is a long, but enjoyable process for the designer, consultant and construction team. The children love to safely watch the “workers” from afar, as they remove old equipment (if needed) and build and install new pieces. Many teachers have followed the lead of the children and adapted their lesson plans to “construct and create” or “building structures”. Each Outdoor Learning Design will include the following nine elements: 1. Mud Kitchen: To include kitchen furniture. Area will inspire children to develop a sense of self, learn decision making and problem-solving skills, empathy towards others, self-discipline, and initiative as they play and role model with their peers. (for simplicity of this proposal, mud kitchen excludes plumbing work.) 2. Nature Art: To include fixed art equipment, such as easels or chalking areas. Area will inspire children to indicate their needs and wants, demonstrate fine-motor strength and coordination, and express themselves through their creative mind. 3. Gardening: To include raised gardening opportunities. Area will allow children to experience, try things out, think on their own, and form opinions based on their observations. 4. Climb/Balance: To include fixed climbing equipment made from natural materials. Area will help children develop physical skill performance with balance and coordination. They will discover concentration, body awareness, and hand/eye coordination. 5. Sensory Path: To include a natural pathway. Area will inspire children to explore the five sensessee, hear, touch, taste and smell. 6. Performance & Shaded Flex Space: To include raised stage & shade structure (as needed). Area will facilitate group time and performances and can be set up as a learning center for literacy, science, math, manipulatives, or gross motor that aligns with the curriculum, standards and goals of the program. This also helps children enhance their motor skills, including coordination, balance and agility as the younger children climb on and off the stage. 7. Music & Movement: To include fixed music instrumentation. Area will help children develop skills such as cognitive growth, problem-solving, self-expression, and social development. 8. Reading: To include comfortable seating. Area will allow children to focus on literacy and language which is essential to developing a strong sense of well-being and a healthier sense of self-image. It helps children develop the skills to communicate and to develop a love for lifelong reading. 9. Safe Space: To include a fixed hiding space made from natural materials (i.e. playhouse or similar). Area will enable a child to hide or have alone time for reflection with nature or to self-regulate. During the construction of this project, providers and children will be encouraged to be involved. Because children love to watch things being constructed, the proposal includes a book for the children to look at that will show them the playground map and what the project will look like upon completion Brief Summary: This submission is an innovative idea to design new and/or renovate existing playgrounds at eight diverse early education programs across the State of Oklahoma into natural outdoor learning classrooms which will help promote the health and well-being of Oklahoma children and early childhood staff. Outdoor learning environments are important spaces for all children, and in the days of a global pandemic and endless connection to digital devices and the indoors, they become even more critical. This submission focuses on the developmental needs of children ages birth through twelve and the creation of age-appropriate natural outdoor classrooms to help meet those needs. GOOD FIELDWORK has designed four outdoor learning classrooms at Tulsa Educare 4-Celia Clinton from the ground up and renovated the outdoor learning environments at the other Tulsa Educare schools. Tulsa Educare focuses on the most vulnerable children and has data that shows the improvements that the children have made in the program. The data is not specifically focused on outdoor learning environments but is focused on learning environments, teacher interactions and intentional teaching practices. These outdoor learning environments, along with training and technical assistance can bring stronger child outcomes to the most "at risk" children. The challenges that we anticipate exist but are solvable. The first is selecting the eight providers that would receive this outdoor learning classroom because the ultimate goal is to provide the greatest benefit to the children they serve. The solution to this would be to develop a rubric that is measurable and those that are interested in applying would need to meet the highest criteria level. The best plan would be to ensure that these providers are spread out over the state, serve the neediest children and in child care desert areas or areas with a very few high quality providers. The second is adapting the overall programmatic goals to each of the eight providers' unique physical sites. While it is true that each site will vary, and each provider's needs will be different, every effort will be made to maintain the overall budget and programmatic goals of creating an outdoor learning environment that is appropriate for each provider's space. Outdoor Classroom Design and Construction Previous Next