July 30, 2019 Issue, Page 4 of 12

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Page 4 The Elk City News, Elk City, Oklahoma Tuesday, July 30, 2019 Opinion Page alg Hie “ElkCituNews Serving Western Oklahoma since 1901 Skip the Cram Session: Jan Barrick, CEO of Alpha Plus Slow Down and Read in Summer’s Last Days The fourth of July has come and gone, and while I personally love our most American of holidays, it also marks the beginning of the end of sum- mer. It just seems as if summer starts slipping away as the smoke from the fireworks drifts into the wind. JUST WANT For most families, the beginning of a new academ- ic year is now less than one month away. It’s time for ANOTHER back-to-school shopping, schedule juggling and activ- ity scheduling. Prep work for the school year can make BITE OF THE APPLE , a final summer hurrah feel like an insurmountable task. Can we go visit a theme park one more time? Can we take a short weekend trip? Is there a free weekend left for a sleepover, oracampoutora visitto grandma’ s?Makingsum- mermemoriesis fun, butitrequires timeand money, afterall. Unless it doesn’t. I would argue the best use of time shared be- tween parent and child during summer’s fi- nal, hurried breaths can be spent reading together. Only through reading can a family travel across the globe withouta passport. A good book can providea glimpse intoa culture,acommunityoraworldthat’s...well...aworldaway. Kids can find new interests by diving into books about things that were previously unknown to them. Parents can find a slower pace and quality time that costs nothing. There are roughly 15 days remaining before school begins. As a lifelong educator, I urge you to spend a part of each day reading with your child. If you read 20 pages a day, there’s still time to read 300 pag- es before the first bell rings. In those 300 pages, you just might find the last of the sweet memories you were hoping to make with your child this summer. Oklahoma House pursues studies By Oklahoma institute for Child Advocacy CEO Joe Giving a hand to foster care Dorman The Oklahoman, Okla- to serve as foster parents. A nities ...” Mays said, He is ents to an 8-month-old boy The Oklahoma House of Representatives has green-lit local church is making it a right about that -- the state 99 interim studies to be held over the summer months, homa City after learning about foster Oklahoma’s foster care priority to help in that area. cannot, on its own, tackle which means legislators will be back in Oklahoma City system has presented the The Oklahoman’s Carla such a monumental problem care through the church three for meetings soon. More information about each ap- state with major challeng- Hinton wrote recently about as foster care. Doing so re- years ago. For many, young- proved study can be found at OkHouse.Gov, along es for generations, driven Edmond-based Life.Church, quires the help of Oklaho- er children come immedi- with details of the 46 studies that were requested by primarily by the volume which began a major foster mans from border to border. ately to mind if the issue of members but rejected by the Speaker of the House. of children who need the care initiative in 2016 and Life.Church has made The Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) state’s services. According last weekend began a new a difference. In 2016, it foster care is broached, but suggested several areas for legislators to study and to the Department of Human initiative aimed at raising helped launch an interactive older children need homes, we are pleased with the number of studies which fo- cus directly on children’s policy. Among them are: Services, the number of chil- awareness about the need system that helps DHS staff- too -- Shropshire says dren in state custody stands for more foster care families. ers inform churches about 19-009 by Rep. Jadine Nollan - study- at roughly 8,000 today. The church is working the needs of foster families about 80 children sleep in ing education and discipline in the classroom; That’s an improvement along with DHS, Okla- and families trying to re- Oklahoma shelters on any 10-021 by Rep. Danny Sterling - a re- over four years ago, when homa Fosters, Project unify with their children. given day, and at least 90% view of childhood obesity and _ diabetes; the total was about 11,000. 111 and other agencies. The church also distributed of them are 13 and older. 19-037 by Reps. Carol Bush and Brian Hill — a re- However, according to Jon Mays, the church’s information to its members view of key issues in foster care in Oklahoma; We offer kudos and thanks the website ChildTrends. director of local mission explaining how to sup- 19-073 by Rep. Kevin West — addressing public con- org, 5.8 of every 1,000 partnerships, says the chief port the foster care system. to Life.Church, and to all cerns regarding vaccinations on various sides of the issue; 10-074 by Rep. Cyndi Munson, 10-106 by Rep. Jeff U.S. children were in fos- goal is to partner with orga- Deb Shropshire, director the churches and organiza- ter care in 2017 but in nizations that offer preven- of child welfare services for tions in Oklahoma that are Boatman and 10-123 by Reps. Jason Dunnington and Oklahoma, the figure was DHS, said the agency sub- tative services, to support Randy Randleman — analyzing various issues tied in with mental health of youth and forms of treatment and care; 9.7 per 1,000, the seventh- sequently saw a noticeable engaged in this important at-risk families. The church 19-096 by Rep. Mark Lawson-reviewing the Family First highest rate in the nation. also is urging its members increase in families signing work. Anyone interested in PreventionServices ActandOklahomaneedsforcompliance; As DHS strives to re- to consider opening their up to foster. “They are really becoming a foster parent or 19-109 by Rep. Danie Pae - an analy- duce the number of chil- homes to foster children. trying to build on what they adopting can contact DHS sis of the armed Income Tax Credit; dren in foster care, it also “We believe local church- started in 2016,” she said. 19-133 by Rep. John Waldron and Melissa Provenzano— looks constantly for more es can and should make a Hinton highlighted a cou- at (800) 376-9729 or visit areview of training for special education teachers for early people who may be willing difference in our commu- ple who became foster par- https://okfosters.org/.___ intervention issues regarding special needs assistance; and Compact dispute a test for 19-138 by Rep. Ajay Pittman - a look at Basic Life Skills | Education _ programs. Many of these studies deal with issues that OICA is directly involved in. We look forward to providing assis- tance and information to lawmakers as they seek to lay the groundwork for policy improvements and reform. As these studies progress, we will continue to pro- Oklahoma governor, tribes vide updates to the public. If you have an interest in Enid News & Eagle, As of last week, sometimes be a controver- purging voter rolls cer- one or more of these issues and want to be notified, Okla, 134,000 registered —_vot- sial subject. Some say it tainly is not draconian. please contact the office of the lawmaker requesting A great many Oklahomans ers had yet to respond. limits people’s right to vote. No one gets dropped for the issue and they will send you the relevant meeting could see themselves purged There are multiple rea- Oklahoma State Elec- missing one election. notice. You can contact House members at (405) 521- from the state voter rolls in sons why someone hasn’t tion Board Secretary Paul 2711 or look up their email addresses on OkHouse.gov. a few years if they don’t do voted. They could have died Ziriax sees it differently. We hope people who are The Senate deadline for interim studies was just last one of two things: either con- or moved out of state. They “As the state election in jeopardy of being purged week, so we do not know yet which issues had stud- firm their addresses or vote could have just not voted. board secretary, I want ev- will take the steps necessary ies filed for consideration. As that information is post- by the 2022 general election. Voters who do not respond ery eligible person to be reg- to remain eligible to vote. ed, we will provide those answers in a future column. Oklahoma State Election to the letters by Saturday istered to vote, and I want Finally, Iam pleased to announce OICA will be involved Too many people in Okla- Board has mailed more than will be declared inactive. every registered voter to in several upcoming major projects. Our Heroes Ball is on 181,000 address confirma- They'll still be eligible to vote,” he said. “However, homa -- and across the Unit- Friday, July 26, and we hope to see a large crowd of sup- tions to Oklahomans in an vote through the 2022 gen- T also have a legal respon- ed States -- don’t realize porters there to celebrate those who have done outstanding effort to confirm voting eli- eral election. However, if no sibility to maintain clean how lucky we all have it to work for children. Tickets are still available at OICA.org. gibility. The letters were sent voter activity occurs by then, voter rolls to protect against be able to vote in peaceful Additionally, we have begun making plans for the kick- to people who haven’t voted they'll be removed from the those who would attempt to elections. That’s not the case off of the 2019 Fall Forum and OK Foster Wishes, and we since the 2016 general elec- voter rolls, After that, they harm our democracy by us- will have some exciting news about these projects in the tion, or hold duplicate reg- will have to go through the ing outdated voter lists to in many parts of the world. very near future. Stay in the loop by following our up-to-the- istrations or no longer have registration process again. tamper with our elections.” If you are at risk, do what minute updates on our social media feeds and at OICA.org! an Oklahoma driver license. Purging voter rolls can Oklahoma’s system of you must to stay on the rolls.