< 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

Conscious Discipline’s adult-first, child-second approach equips educators with the mindset and skillsets needed to internalize and dramatically upgrade their own social and emotional aptitudes. < Back Conscious Discipline Date Submitted: 09/07/2021 Contact Information: Sarah England Grants Director 405-609-8994 SEngland@SunbeamFamilyServices.org Sunbeam Family Services, Inc. 1100 NW 14th Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73106 Rating Category: Well-Supported by Research Focus Area: Social Emotional Learning Focus Population: Children, Teachers, Owners, Caregivers, Guardians, Administrators, Parents Goals and Outcomes: Conscious Discipline is an evidence-based, trauma-responsive, adult-first approach to self-regulation. It integrates social and emotional learning, equitable school culture, theory and application, and research and brain-based discipline practices in a single methodology, providing a pathway to resiliency and creating systemic and sustainable change. For more than 25 years as an SEL leader, our company’s vision has been to create “an interconnected world of conscious adults capable of responding instead of reacting to conflict, creating safe homes, safe schools and a safe planet.” Conscious Discipline affects this change by requiring adults to examine their social-emotional aptitudes and mental models so they can address or acquire missing, ineffective or weak skillsets. With this upgraded SEL toolbox, adults are then able to teach healthy SEL skills to the children in their care through both lessons and day-to-day interactions. Conscious Discipline’s adult-first, child-second approach equips educators with the mindset and skillsets needed to internalize and dramatically upgrade their own social and emotional aptitudes. They then infuse SEL into all aspects of classroom management, instructional practices and school culture, and utilize everyday life and conflicts as their core SEL curriculum rather than relying on separate lessons. The social world of the school becomes the core curriculum. In most schools, the socialization process is unconscious— a “Do as I say, not as I do” approach. A common example of this is a school that verbally promotes inclusion while simultaneously relying on reward and punishment systems that inherently support an exclusionary, better than/less than culture. Another common example would be teaching a boxed lesson about respecting others while using a “green to red” card system that relies on fear and humiliation as a discipline strategy. The goal of Conscious Discipline is to make the cultural socialization of the school conscious, healthy, and in alignment with the vision and mission of the school’s stakeholders. In short, Conscious Discipline empowers teachers to create a conscious “Do as I do” environment in which children can experience the physical, social and emotional safety and connection necessary for them to learn, explore and grow to reach their fullest potential. Brief Summary of target population and issues/challenges: Throughout its 25 years as an SEL leader, Conscious Discipline has been rooted in neuroscience, trauma-responsive interventions and an inclusive culture of learning. It utilizes a hierarchical brain state model to increase understanding; is built on the metaphor of a healthy family instead of a factory; and creates an equitable lens and systems that ensure the optimal development and achievement of all. Conscious Discipline serves infant through elementary aged children. It is suited to any agency or individual that wants to create transformational change by integrating the following initiatives into one comprehensive program: Social and emotional learning (adults and children) Equitable school culture (adults and children) Brain-based discipline strategies embedded in neuroscience Trauma informed and trauma responsive care (adults and children) The goal of Conscious Discipline is for adults and children to become disciplined enough to set and achieve goals, conscious enough to know when they’re off track, and willing enough to return to a path of highest potential for themselves and others. To achieve this goal, adults must learn to regulate our thoughts, feelings and behaviors in order to model and teach this process for children. Most of us spend more time thinking about others’ thoughts, feels and actions than our own. We expend more energy trying to control others than we do regulating ourselves. By working with adults first and children second, the above four initiatives merge into one sustainable whole as we learn the fundamental skills and growth mindsets needed to create and maintain healthy relationships. One of the greatest challenges educators face is how to create healthy relationships with relationship-resistant or reluctant learners. Without a felt sense of safety and belonging, children will act out their inner pain on themselves or others. Disruptive and dangerous behaviors are common, while learning is impossible for them and impeded for others. The human brain is a social brain. Adults’ and children’s brain are always unconsciously asking, “Am I safe?” and/or “Am I loved (do I belong)?” Once we create a learning environment in which all members can answer “yes” to these questions, then and only then, can the brain consciously ask, “What can I learn?” Visit ConsciousDiscipline.com to learn more or to bring Conscious Discipline to your school or agency. 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< Back Child Care Director Training with the National Administrators Credential (NAC) Submission Type: Practice-Based Final Rating: Best Practice Date Submitted: Spring 2022 Focus Area: Child Development Focus Population: Teachers, Owners, Administrators Contact Information: Oklahoma Child Care Association Oklahoma Child Care Association | Professionals Serving Professionals P.O. Box 2485 Oklahoma City, OK 73102 Goals and Outcomes: OCCA aims to provide scholarships for the National Administrator Credential for early childhood education program directors and administrators in Oklahoma. The National Administrator Credential or NAC credential course was developed for center directors, emerging leaders and childcare professionals. NAC is a comprehensive, forty-five hour course conducted online, and is awarded for demonstrated mastery of child care administration skills. By promoting the NAC credential, we hope to increase quality in the delivery of care in all home and center settings. The NAC credential serves as an approved component to meet the Oklahoma Director’s Credential for those providers who are seeking to meet the requirements for director of a childcare center or home program as defined by OKDHS. NAC is also designated as a contributing element in the newly revised Quality Rating and Improvement System in OKDHS’ Reaching for the Stars program and can factor into a program’s ability to increase its OKDHS Star level. By providing scholarships for the NAC, we can alleviate some of the expense that is necessary for increasing a program’s Star rating, which in turn, increase the level of quality of the program. NAC scholarships will also provide much needed support to the workforce as more providers obtain their Oklahoma Director’s Credential. The objective of the OCCA is to train and support 100 childcare providers across the State of Oklahoma to obtain the National Administrator Credential over a 2 year period. The NAC course offers childcare and education directors and administrators forty-five (45) hours of high quality, relevant education. • Candidates complete real-world projects and relevant reading assignments. • Each candidate has 180 days (6 months) to complete this 45 hour program. The course is self paced, and the candidate may work through the course as speedily or leisurely as they wish. The course is designed with flexibility in mind, but cannot be completed within 10 days. • Assignments are graded by a live instructor who will work with you to ensure success. The instructor endeavors to have all assignments graded within 24 hours during the week. Brief Summary: Director qualifications are a vital part of every early childhood program. A director is responsible for all aspects of the daily activities their center or homes’ program which include the supervision and leadership of staff with the caring and teaching of children. Directors typically supervise and direct staff, prepare budgets, develop educational programs, and oversee regulatory requirements of their program. A director often assists staff in solving conflicts between children and helps them communicate with parents and other staff. A director ensures their center’s facilities are maintained, clean, and foster a welcoming and nurturing environment. Some programs receive state and federal funding and directors must ensure all state and federal guidelines are met. A childcare director should be skilled in business, communication, organizational, leadership, and have interpersonal skills. All of which translates to a higher quality early childhood setting that encourages healthy child development and growth. National Administrator Credential (NAC) is a national childcare administrator credential that aims to provide comprehensive management training for early childhood practitioners. The NAC is NECPA’s flagship director credential course with a long and rich history in the U.S. and beyond. It is recognized in all fifty states, by accrediting bodies and quality rating systems, and is accepted as a direct component for director credentials in the following states: Alaska, Arizona, Iowa, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, New Mexico, Michigan, Oklahoma, Utah, Texas, and Virginia. The NAC is recognized as a mark of excellence that designates professionals who have demonstrated the knowledge that is essential for managing a childcare program. Oklahoma National Administrator Credential - NECPA Previous Next

< Back Early Learning Matters – Curriculum Program for Early Childhood Classrooms Submission Type: Practice-Based Final Rating: Best Practice Date Submitted: Spring 2022 Focus Area: Child Development Focus Population: Children, Teachers, Owners, Caregivers Contact Information: Rachel Proper Board Member/Secretary Oklahoma Child Care Association (405) 942-0771 Oklahoma Child Care Association Oklahoma Child Care Association | Professionals Serving Professionals P.O. Box 2485 Oklahoma City, OK 73102 Goals and Outcomes: The purpose of this submission is to provide a high quality, research -based curriculum for early childhood providers in Oklahoma at little to no cost. Obtaining a research-based curriculum is difficult for many providers. Cost for quality curriculum is the primary barrier, followed by low access to technical support and training. Traditionally high turnover for staff also creates a barrier and disrupts implementation, which can lead to further costs. Most childcare providers resort to “home-grown” or “self-developed” lesson plans and curriculum. These lesson plans tend to draw from the knowledge and expertise of the provider but are not gauged on their impact or effectiveness. The ELM curriculum provides a solution to many of these challenges by providing the curriculum at no cost to the provider (yes…it is free!) along with the resource guides and training components needed to support implementation. The Oklahoma Child Care Association (OCCA) and Sunbeam Family Services, with support from Purdue University Department of Human Development and Family Studies, will promote the ELM curriculum to early childhood providers in Oklahoma and support implementation of the curriculum to any provider who would like to use ELM in their program. Included within the ELM Curriculum are classroom resources, family engagement resources, staff training resources and observations tools. Classroom Resources: Fully-developed, flexible activity plans support children’s engagement in learning across the entire year. Each activity plan includes: a model of high-quality use of the plan; scaffolding tips for providing extra support or enrichment to children; a related center (interest area) activity; and ways to adapt the plan in family childcare. Plans for infants and toddlers also include “What to Look For” guidance in responding to children’s experiences. In addition to comprehensive activity plans, ELM’s classroom resources include: planning forms for adapting activity plans and supporting individual children; printable classroom materials and lists of materials used in each set of activities; Guides for Observing and Individualizing that help staff observe and plan follow-up supports focused on foundation skills promoted by ELM; and an ELM Snapshot of Child Progress for summarizing observations and results of progress assessments. Family Engagement Resources: Supports for engaging families include: What Children Will Learn This Week (for preschool), a list of skills and classroom activities emphasized in a given week; Readiness Starts Early, a set of parenting tips that families can use to reinforce and extend their child’s classroom learning; and examples of portfolio entries that describe a child’s progress in important developmental areas. Staff Training Resources: User Guides for infant/toddler and preschool versions of the curriculum describe each of the developmental areas promoted by the curriculum; summarize research evidence on best practices used in the curriculum; include a chart of the sequence of foundation skills throughout the year; offer guidance on planning the daily schedule and using activity plans, including transition activities; and provide suggestions for promoting a developmental area beyond the activity plans. Staff also have access to six online training lessons focused on specific aspects of the curriculum, such as how to individualize children’s experiences. Three lessons are for training & curriculum specialists and managers, and three lessons are for direct care staff. The trainings span infant/toddler and preschool ages. Observation Checklists: ELM Activity Observation Checklists help trainers and managers identify strengths and opportunities for growth in a classroom’s use of ELM. There are separate checklists for infant/toddler and preschool classrooms. ELM's clear, easy to understand format makes it well designed for implementation across variety of early childhood settings. To implement, providers must: 1. Access the Early Learning Matters website 2. Review the “Getting Started” Video 3. Read the ELM Curriculum User Guide for desired age group a. Birth to 36mos b. 3-5 years 4. Review ELM Training Lessons (3 lessons for each group) a. Training for Curriculum Specialists and Managers b. Training for Direct Care Staff 5. Access Activity Plans and Resources 6. Begin Implementation OCCA and Sunbeam believe that promoting ELM Curriculum across the State will increase provider access to high-quality, research-based curriculum that fits their needs and is flexible enough to adapt as program parameters, such as staff turnover, change. ELM offers a well-balanced, economical way to directly improve the learning environments for many of Oklahoma’s children. A central, coordinated effort to promote ELM to interested providers would help providers in many ways. Our goals: • Coordinate Purdue “train the trainer” series to establish a network of ELM trainers in Oklahoma • Facilitate marketing campaign to inform, promote and recruit providers across the State. • Train and provide initial curriculum materials to participating programs • Provide supporting classroom materials and technical assistance for implementation • Survey participating programs to determine implementation progress • Provide implementation supports for a 2-year period Our intended outcomes: • Providers will gain access to Early Learning Matters Curriculum • Providers will be supported in implementation • Children in participating programs will participate in high quality, research-based curriculum • Parents will participate in children’s learning outside of the classroom • Providers will become self-sufficient and empowered to perform curriculum on an on-going basis Brief Summary: Curriculum in an early childhood setting is the content and concepts which children learn as they go about their day. It is vital to a child’s learning experience as it supports and strengthens their learning and development. As described by the National Association of the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), curriculum that draws on research, assists teachers in identifying important concepts and skills as well as effective methods for fostering children’s learning and development. When informed by teachers’ knowledge of individual children, a well-articulated curriculum guides teachers so they can plan learning experiences that promote children’s growth across a broad range of developmental and content areas. A curriculum also helps ensure that the teacher is intentional in planning a daily schedule that (a) maximizes children’s acquisition of desired knowledge and skills through the effective use of time and materials and (b) offers opportunities for children to learn through play and through structured activities, individually and in groups, according to their developmental needs and interests. The Early Learning Matters Curriculum, or ELM, is a comprehensive, evidence-informed program that supports optimal learning and development of children from birth to five years of age. The curriculum promotes skills linked to school readiness and life success with developmentally appropriate teaching strategies and a coordinated mix of staff-guided and child-initiated learning experiences. ELM was developed by a team of early childhood experts, led by Distinguished Professor Douglas Powell, at Purdue University’s Department of Human Development and Family Studies. ELM was created for the Department of Defense Child Development Program, as part of the DoD-USDA Partnership for Military Families. The ELM Curriculum is available for use by any program of early care and education. The curriculum is available free of charge at www.virtuallabschool.org/elm-curriculum . Previous Next

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

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< Back Outdoor Education at St. Luke's Children's Center (Downtown) Submission Type: Practice-Based Final Rating: Promising Practice Date Submitted: Spring 2022 Focus Area: Child Development Focus Population: Children, Teachers Contact Information: Mandi Coleman St. Luke’s Children’s Center Director (405) 232-2391 mcoleman@stlukesokc.org St. Luke’s Children’s Center 222 NW 15th St., Oklahoma City, OK 73103 Goals and Outcomes: The downtown St. Luke’s Children’s Center seeks to cultivate a fully functioning outdoor classroom for the organization’s three outdoor spaces; these areas would provide infants, toddlers, and children up to 10 years of age access to equipment that would be developmentally appropriate for all ages. Installed equipment would consist of an art area, dramatic play area, seating/gathering area, natural dirt exploration area, planting (rolling live garden), sensory exploration area, swings, gross motor climbing toys, storage areas and an added water source. These structures would provide outside education or environmental education extension that would enhance active play, loose parts play, encourage connection to nature and the environment, assist in the development of cause and effect thinking along with interpersonal activities, social emotional regulation, and support of holistic development for children and teachers. The downtown St. Luke’s Children’s Center playgrounds were replaced in 2015; at that time, the leadership team was intentional about modernizing the equipment, upgrading safety, and creating a fun and engaging play space. However, while the playground provides safe equipment that promotes active play, the next step is to improve upon what is already in place by adding more outdoor education components that encourage curiosity, reasoning, peer engagement and the use of motor skills. For instance, the installation of a garden will give our teachers the opportunity to engage children in the plant to produce process, giving young minds access to cause and effect thinking regarding the growing and cultivation process. The outdoor classroom will provide gross and fine motor skills development opportunities and provide a variety of culturally diverse foods; enabling our instructors to expand their curriculum. The proposed equipment would be added along with a curriculum aid, from Kaplan, Rainbow Fleet Resource and Referral and community partnership with Oklahoma City University professors that would aid teachers in acquiring and utilizing a broader spectrum of resources for holistic and child driven experiences. The goals for our outdoor environmental education classroom will be that children will engage in direct interaction with the outdoors after installation and construction. After installation and training, teachers will work to foster engagement in learning though difference environmental elements, promote active play and healthy lifestyle, stimulate gross and fine motor development during daily time spent in the proposed space. Teachers will utilize the garden within the first growing year, to expose children to new foods and produce process. Children will assist in leading group projects that use the outdoor environmental learning space. During these times teachers will introduce self-awareness and regulation strategies, along with selfconfidence boosting activities within the first year of use after installation. During the first three years, currently employed teachers will attend training both locally and online to support the use and development of these goals. Teachers that are newly hired will attend the training within 90 days of hire. Brief Summary: Outdoor play is critical to child development from birth. Connecting to the world outside is imperative to the development of motor skills, self-confidence and curiosity. Access to playground equipment to engages children helps spark creativity and increases dopamine in the brain through physical activity and imagination. An outdoor classroom will allow St. Luke's to offer more opportunities for children to explore the natural environment around them while learning key concepts about food sources through an outdoor rolling garden. Time spent outdoors and away from screens is key to early childhood development and sets young minds and bodies up for a healthier life from the beginning. The outdoor classroom is targeted at children enrolled in the children's center ages 1-10. Training and materials for utilizing the outdoor classroom equipment will be provided for teachers. It is our hope that by installing this equipment, we can provide additional tools for teachers that will help children use their energy in a constructive and healthy manner while adding opportunities for learning! St. Luke’s Children’s Center – St. Luke's Previous Next

The Clearinghouse focuses on all early childhood care and education services, no matter the setting. Our approach is inclusive and comprehensive to encompass center-based care, home-based care, family, friend and neighbor care, as well as programs like Head Start, Pre-K and school-aged care. Our Approach The Clearinghouse focuses on all early childhood care and education services, no matter the setting. Our comprehensive approach encompasses center-based care, home-based care, family, friend and neighbor care, as well as programs like Head Start, Pre-K and school-aged care. The approach allows the Clearinghouse to be positioned as an invaluable resource for identifying programs that can be advanced through Clearinghouse Implementation Grants and/or funding from other sources such as the Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five. By blending and braiding funding sources, OPSR has been able to extend the reach of previous Clearinghouse projects such as Reach Out & Read and Al's Pals training across the state to improve outcomes for even more children. Research Based Early childhood programs and services which include study outcomes published in peer-reviewed journals. LEARN MORE Practice Based Early childhood programs and services driven by industry wisdom, organizations, practice, or other consensus approaches that do not necessarily include systemic use of research evidence. LEARN MORE Innovative Ideas Novel early childhood ideas that describe a plan or possible course of action but have not been put into practice or backed by research. LEARN MORE STILL NOT SURE ABOUT US? FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Innovative Ideas Novel early childhood ideas that describe a plan or possible course of action but have not been put into practice or backed by research. Filter by Rating Category Select Rating Category Filter by Focus Area Select Focus Area Filter by Focus Population Select Focus Population Filter by Submission Year Select Submission Year Search by keyword Innovative Idea Community of Support for Early Childhood Communities The primary outcome for this submission is to increase support for early childhood communities in the area of autism and related disabilities by creating a statewide community of specially trained providers. The Autism Foundation of Oklahoma (AFO) will use the Training of Trainers Model to achieve this goal, recommended by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2019). Read More Innovative Idea Early Learning Works The goal of Next Gen Tulsa FCC is to increase access to quality home-based child care for young children in Tulsa. Read More Innovative Idea Children's Sanctuary at Palomar, Oklahoma City's Family Justice Center 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. Read More Innovative Idea Early Birds for Child Care Professionals, Smart Start Central Oklahoma 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. Read More Innovative Idea Deaf Mentor Program: Deaf Adult to Family Connection To increase visual language skills of young deaf children and their families, and establish meaningful relationships between families and Deaf adult role models across the state of Oklahoma. Read More Innovative Idea Rooted Together: A Cultural Guide for Families of Indigenous Children Rooted Together: A Cultural Guide for Families of Indigenous Children is a toolkit designed to help non-Native parents and caregivers raise Indigenous children in a culturally respectful and supportive environment. Read More Innovative Idea Early Birds Childcare Collaborations Twelve percent of Oklahoma children live with parents with less than a high school diploma, and Medicaid pays for nearly 60% of births. Read More Innovative Idea Air Quality and Filtration in Early Childhood Settings 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. Read More Innovative Idea OKAEYC – Respectful Caregiving 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. Read More Innovative Idea Early Childhood Social Emotional Support Coaches The target population will be children in the Early Childhood Center in Woodward Oklahoma who have been identified/referred from a teacher and observed/assessed by the Mental Health Consultant as needing extra help with social emotional skills. Read More Innovative Idea Respectful Caregiving - OKAEYC The proposed workshop series, a collaborative effort between the Oklahoma Association for the Education of Young Children and certified trainers, seeks to empower caregivers with vital insights into the paramount significance of this early phase. Read More Innovative Idea Air Quality in Oklahoma Early Childhood Settings The overall goals of this project are to investigate the efficacy, implementation, and cost effectiveness of using two air disinfection solutions in ECE classrooms: (1) indoor air purifier, and/or (2) upper air disinfection utilizing germicidal ultraviolet light (UV-C). Read More Innovative Idea Calm Waters Infant Mental Health Grief Support Program The C.A.P. Train the Trainer Program is designed to train teachers, childcare professionals, foster care professionals, and lead parents in communities throughout Oklahoma, who will then disseminate the training to their peers and those they serve. Read More Innovative Idea Emergency Child Care Waiver: Innovative Referral and Approval Process The target population is Oklahoma families with children (ages birth to 8 years old) that have been exposed to a traumatic event. Read More

Research Based Early childhood programs and services which include study outcomes published in peer-reviewed journals. Filter by Rating Category Select Rating Category Filter by Focus Area Select Focus Area Filter by Focus Population Select Focus Population Filter by Submission Year Select Submission Year Search by keyword Well Supported by Research Pyramid Model The overall goal of the proposed work is to improve the social emotional development of young children in Oklahoma in any licensed childcare program. Read More Promising Research Al’s Pals Kids Making Healthy Choices The goal of this project is to ensure the healthy development and social emotional well-being of young children ages 5 and below throughout Oklahoma through the promotion of the Reach Out and Read (ROR) intervention, designed to foster intentional skill-building in parents, resilience in families, and positive bonding between children and families, integrated into pediatric primary care. Read More Well Supported by Research Conscious Discipline Conscious Discipline’s adult-first, child-second approach equips educators with the mindset and skillsets needed to internalize and dramatically upgrade their own social and emotional aptitudes. Read More Well Supported by Research Reach Out and Read The goal of this project is to ensure the healthy development and social emotional well-being of young children ages 5 and below throughout Oklahoma through the promotion of the Reach Out and Read (ROR) intervention. Read More Additional Research Needed Supporting Data-driven Improvements in Early Education This proposal provides a framework to support continuous improvement for early education programs that utilizes classroom and child data to identify existing strengths and appropriate areas for coaching and development. Read More Well Supported by Research LENA – Building Brains Through Early Talk 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. Read More Promising Research Little Otter Health A New Model of Care: Little Otter has developed a platform and clinical model to provide virtual whole-family mental health care. Read More Well Supported by Research Second Step® Early Learning Second Step® Early Learning is designed specifically for multiple-age early learning environments with a focus on supporting children from low-income families. Read More Promising Research ELQA Starting Right – CECPD 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. Read More Well Supported by Research Learn the Signs Act Early: A Developmental Health Promotion Program This submission targets parents of young children, early educators and other professionals working in systems that support early childhood. Read More

All Programs Our Clearinghouse offers comprehensive support for early childhood care and education, covering a wide range of settings such as centers, homes, family and friend arrangements, and programs like Head Start and Pre-K. Filter by Program Type Select Program Type Filter by Rating Category Select Rating Category Filter by Focus Area Select Focus Area Filter by Focus Population Select Focus Population Filter by Submission Date Select Submission Date Search by keyword Promising Research ELQA Starting Right – CECPD Child Development 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. Children, Caregivers, Administrators, Teachers 2023 Read More Well Supported by Research LENA – Building Brains Through Early Talk Child Development LENA’s programs help caregivers across the globe tap into this power of conversational turns. Children, Owners, Teachers, Caregivers, Guardians, Parents, Administrators 2023 Read More Promising Practice Autism Foundation of Oklahoma – Training Oklahoma Childcare Providers to Support Children with Autism (TOCA) Social Emotional Well-Being 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. Caregivers, Children, Guardians, Owners, Parents, Teachers 2023 Read More Promising Practice TBRI and Trauma Informed Classrooms Social Emotional Well-Being Childcare providers can self-refer for a classroom consultation when they have an at-risk child who is struggling in their center. Caregivers, Children, Guardians, Teachers 2023 Read More Promising Practice Cognitive ToyBox, Inc. Child Development Cognitive ToyBox provides a unique, research-based approach to child assessment, enabling educators to use a combination of observation and game-based assessments. Children, Administrators, Parents, Teachers 2023 Read More Innovative Idea Air Quality in Oklahoma Early Childhood Settings Healthy Environment and Relationships The overall goals of this project are to investigate the efficacy, implementation, and cost effectiveness of using two air disinfection solutions in ECE classrooms: (1) indoor air purifier, and/or (2) upper air disinfection utilizing germicidal ultraviolet light (UV-C). Children, Teachers 2023 Read More Innovative Idea Respectful Caregiving - OKAEYC Child Development The proposed workshop series, a collaborative effort between the Oklahoma Association for the Education of Young Children and certified trainers, seeks to empower caregivers with vital insights into the paramount significance of this early phase. Children, Guardians, Parents, Teachers 2023 Read More Well Supported by Research Conscious Discipline Social and Emotional Learning Conscious Discipline’s adult-first, child-second approach equips educators with the mindset and skillsets needed to internalize and dramatically upgrade their own social and emotional aptitudes. Caregivers, Guardians, Administrators, Owners, Children, Teachers, Parents 2021 Read More Well Supported by Research Pyramid Model Social and Emotional Learning The overall goal of the proposed work is to improve the social emotional development of young children in Oklahoma in any licensed childcare program. Caregivers, Owners, Children, Teachers, Guardians, Administrators, Parents 2021 Read More Promising Research Al’s Pals Kids Making Healthy Choices Social and Emotional Learning The goal of this project is to ensure the healthy development and social emotional well-being of young children ages 5 and below throughout Oklahoma through the promotion of the Reach Out and Read (ROR) intervention, designed to foster intentional skill-building in parents, resilience in families, and positive bonding between children and families, integrated into pediatric primary care. Children, Teachers, Owners, Caregivers, Guardians, Administrators, Parents 2021 Read More Additional Research Needed Supporting Data-driven Improvements in Early Education Social and Emotional Learning This proposal provides a framework to support continuous improvement for early education programs that utilizes classroom and child data to identify existing strengths and appropriate areas for coaching and development. Children, Teachers, Caregivers 2021 Read More Well Supported by Research Reach Out and Read Social and Emotional Learning The goal of this project is to ensure the healthy development and social emotional well-being of young children ages 5 and below throughout Oklahoma through the promotion of the Reach Out and Read (ROR) intervention. Caregivers, Guardians, Children, Parents, Medical Providers 2021 Read More Promising Practice Developmental Monitoring Resources and Support for Early Care and Learning Providers Child Development 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. Teachers, Caregivers, Parents 2022 Read More Best Practice Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Program Expansion (I-ECMHC) Child Development 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. Children, Caregivers, Guardians, Parents, Owners, Administrators, Teachers 2022 Read More Best Practice Growing Like a Read Child Development With financial support, the Pioneer Library System’s GLAR program could be extended even further beyond the walls of the libraries to childcare providers in low-income areas of the PLS three-county service area. Children, Caregivers, Guardians, Parents 2022 Read More Emerging Practice Start Right – Finish Ahead Social Emotional Learning The goal of this this submission is to provide a 1-2 year program that has been tested for more than ten years in numbers of settings (homes, learning centers, schools, etc) for the EC age child. Children, Teachers, Owners, Caregivers, Guardians, Administrators, Parents 2021 Read More Innovative Idea Early Learning Works Child Development The goal of Next Gen Tulsa FCC is to increase access to quality home-based child care for young children in Tulsa. Children, Teachers, Owners, Caregivers, Guardians, Parents 2022 Read More Innovative Idea Community of Support for Early Childhood Communities Social Emotional Learning The primary outcome for this submission is to increase support for early childhood communities in the area of autism and related disabilities by creating a statewide community of specially trained providers. The Autism Foundation of Oklahoma (AFO) will use the Training of Trainers Model to achieve this goal, recommended by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2019). Children, Teachers, Owners, Caregivers, Guardians, Medical Providers, Administrators, Parents 2021 Read More Innovative Idea Children's Sanctuary at Palomar, Oklahoma City's Family Justice Center Social Emotional Learning 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. Children, Caregivers, Guardians, Parents 2021 Read More Innovative Idea Early Birds for Child Care Professionals, Smart Start Central Oklahoma Child Development 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. Children, Teachers, Owners, Caregivers, Guardians, Parents 2021 Read More Innovative Idea Deaf Mentor Program: Deaf Adult to Family Connection Child Development To increase visual language skills of young deaf children and their families, and establish meaningful relationships between families and Deaf adult role models across the state of Oklahoma. Caregivers, Guardians, Parents, Siblings, Family Members in the Home 2022 Read More