It has been an interesting first month of the legislative session at the Oklahoma State Capitol with the focus on committee work.

This year, the House of Representatives requires every bill to pass both a subcommittee and a parent committee. The Senate set extra time to consider legislation in committees. Several great ideas are moving forward.

House Bill 2030 by Rep. Nick Archer, R-Elk City, and Sen. Kristen Thompson, R- Edmond, would increase foster care reimbursement rates by $5, up from the current $17.72 per day. This rate has not increased in nearly a decade, making it impossible for many families to be foster families.

Representative Archer was recognized by Oklahoma Care, a non-profit 501(c)3 network of Oklahoma residential and foster care agencies, as their “Lawmaker of the Year” for his work on this issue. The bill passed the Appropriations Subcommittee on Human Services and is now before the full House Appropriations Committee.

Another bill OICA is tracking is House Bill 1848 by Rep. Suzanne Schreiber, D-Tulsa. HB 1848 grants a tax credit to employers that provides a childcare subsidy to its employees or operates a childcare facility for its employees.

The credit is equal to 30 percent of the subsidy amount or operating cost, limited to $30,000 per employer. The credit is for five years and is capped at $5 million in total claims each year. The bill was passed by both committees and will hopefully soon be scheduled for a vote by the House of Representatives.

A high priority bill for OICA has already passed the Senate and has moved to the House of Representatives. Senate Bill 364 by Sen. Dave Rader, R-Tulsa and House Speaker Pro Tempore Anthony Moore, R-Clinton, prohibits government employees in schools from striking children who are special needs students under Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The Senate passed the legislation by a vote of 30-16, and we await House action.

Oklahoma has some amazing leaders working for children. OICA has worked with many who see the benefit of building better opportunities for young people. I recently attended the memorial service for Gene Rainbolt, a philanthropist who helped many through his efforts, and it made me realize that OICA needs to do a better job of sharing our message and serve as a resource for those who want help to serve children.

Recently, not only did our state lose Rainbolt, but also former U.S. Sen. David Boren and former state Rep. Bobby Frame. At the local level close to me, Steve LaForge of Chickasha and Melvin Heath of Rush Springs also passed. Steve and Melvin proved you can make a positive difference for children without holding an elective office. There must be others, and OICA needs to do a better job of working with advocates across the state.

We at OICA want to hear from you about those doing good work for young people so we can connect with them. You can help us find those who are doing significant work for children by going to https://tinyurl.com/OICAThoughtLeader and submit up to five youth-serving leaders with whom we can connect. Submit more by simply filling out the survey again.

OICA recognizes individuals and organizations for their effort when we learn of them, but I also want to start conversations on how we can work together to turn around many of the negative statistics that face the children of our state. Most importantly, we need to build up these conversations so the local leaders might elevate their own work to new levels. Please help us build a strong network of those who want to improve our state.

- The Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy was established in 1983 by a group of citizens seeking to create a strong advocacy network that would provide a voice for the needs of children and youth in Oklahoma, particularly those in the state’s care and those growing up amid poverty, violence, abuse and neglect, disparities, or other situations that put their lives and future at risk. Our mission statement: “Creating awareness, taking action and changing policy to improve the health, safety, and well-being of Oklahoma’s children.