On Saturday, July 26, the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) held our annual Heroes Ball Gala at OKANA Water Park and Resort. The event drew nearly 500 people who support our mission of rais...

Last week, we posed a series of questions designed to make us think about a unique capacity common among human beings but nonexistent in the rest of the animal kingdom. That excellent characteristic i...

John J. Muth, American author and illustrator of children’s books, graphic novels and comic books, celebrates his birth date on July 28, 1960, in Cincinnati.His mother is an art teacher and John has b...

Shaun’s main goal in life is to never make a mistake. In fact, he will bend over backward in every area of his life to make certain that never happens. The fear of punishment from childhood is so engr...

Think estate planning is only for the wealthy or elderly? Think again. If you own anything - a home, a car, a savings account, even a pet - you already have an estate plan. The only question is: Did y...

The Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) Heroes Ball will be this Saturday, July 26, and we are excited about the honorees who have been selected this year.The 2025 awards, as chosen by our Bo...

Both waiting for 7+ months, neither have received a single application - but together, we can find their forever families.It’s been a while since our last Pet Pals column, and we’ve missed you!The lon...

In the age of social media, it’s easy to find advice on just about anything - including how to manage your money. Content creators known as “finfluencers” - short for financial influencers - use platf...

Now, back to the question, “How do you get from atoms to self-consciousness?” How do you get from the atomic chemistry in your brain to a mental thought - maybe even the thought about how fascinating ...

American author and illustrator of children’s books Felicia Bond celebrates her birth date as July 18, 1954, in Yokohama, Japan.Born to American parents, Felicia lived in Japan for two years before gr...

Are you one of those people who always staunchly defends the stand you have taken - no matter what? No backing up and reexamining your thoughts and motives? You never attempt to peek around the prover...

Many Oklahomans may have lost important items in the wildfires and straight-line winds that occurred March 14-21, including documents that may be needed when applying for disaster assistance.If vital ...

The Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) was formed with the primary mission of ensuring the voices of Oklahomans are heard when it comes to developing better policies which benefit the childr...

The 17th-century French philosopher René Descartes famously said, “I think, therefore I am.” What Descartes meant by that was that he knew he existed because he was conscious of himself, which is what...

Kathi Appelt, American writer of books for children and young adults, celebrates her birth date as July 6, 1954, in Fayetteville, N.C.Her dad was in the Army and a member of the 82nd Airborne. Kathi c...

There’s a quote about the importance of setting goals that says, “If you don’t know where you’re going, any path will take you there.” You probably have dreams about retirement, vacations, hobbies and...

The very thing that you dread and fear can keep you keep thinking about it. A lot, in fact. And that constant thinking can give way to obsessive anxiety. And then the obsessive anxiety and fear begin ...

Oklahoma’s eviction laws are among the most lenient in the nation.With the sixth-highest rate of evictions in the United States, Oklahoma evicts tenants at a significantly faster rate than most of the...

We at the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) extend our deepest condolences to families tragically impacted by the recent flooding in Texas.Flooding along the Guadalupe River early Friday ca...

Quote; “I have been accused of being too hard on my sons. I totally disagree. Undisciplined boys become undisciplined men. Undisciplined men are found in prisons, hospitals and graveyards.” - Steve Ha...