POLICY & RESEARCH

Policies must be implemented that support families, communities and schools, enabling children to thrive and prosper.

Smart Start Oklahoma works to establish and improve public policies that build a system that works for young children and their families. We view policy work on both the state and local levels as analyzing and critiquing what already exists, and asking, "Does it work? Can it be better? How can it be more efficient?"

The research is clear: quality early childhood programs and services make a difference and the benefits are long-term and far reaching. Our policy and systems work is grounded in research and best practices, some of which we share here. We offer Smart Start Oklahoma publications as well as national publications and research we feel support our work and encourage you to share the information with others.

OKLAHOMA BY THE NUMBERS

Below are some statistics from around the state about our children.

62

62% of confirmed child abuse and neglect cases were children birth to age six (OKDHS, 2010)

53

53% of children in out-of-home placements were birth to age six (OKDHS, 2010)

1/12

1 out of every 12 (8%) babies born are classified as low-birth weight, under 5.5 pounds (OSDH, 2008)

1/8

1 out of every 8 (13%) children do not have health insurance (OHCA, 2009)

40

40% of children enrolled in SoonerCare are under age six (OHCA, 2010)

21

21% of children live in poverty (OICA, 2009)