Letter from the Editor
M ay marks the end of the school year, unofficial start of summer, Mother’s Day and graduation celebrations — and it’s also National Foster Care Awareness Month. I have been reporting on the state of foster care in Oklahoma for nearly 10 years, and in that time I’ve learned, I’ve cried and I’ve gained so much empathy for all the parties involved — from the children in foster care and foster parents to the biological families and hard-working staff at Oklahoma Human Services. About the time I began reporting on foster care, Oklahoma Human Services enacted the Pinnacle Plan, which completely revamped the entire foster care system to streamline processes; engage nonprofit agencies in helping recruit, train and support foster families; and enact more preventative measures to support families proactively, safely reducing the need for child welfare services. The direction of forward-thinking leaders like current director Dr. Deb Shropshire and former director Justin Brown spearheaded these efforts, but that can-do attitude has been evident throughout the department amongst administrators, case workers and staff. And yet our state finds itself again in a crisis with more children in care than our current qualified foster homes can handle. Let me emphasize: this is clearly not for lack of ongoing hard work by Oklahoma Human Services and their staff. The number of children in care is smaller than it was 10 years ago. But the needs of those children are more acute. Of the just over 6,000 kids in care as of March 1, more than 520 children qualified for Enhanced Foster Care (EFC). As you’ll read about on page 16, EFC serves children who have experienced significant trauma and who have unique behavioral and mental health challenges. EFC also offers support to their foster families. In addition, in Oklahoma County, more than 48 percent of children in foster care were placed out of county as of March 1. More than 26 percent of those children were placed in a county that didn’t border their home county, making family time with their parents, siblings and other relatives extremely difficult. If we had more foster families in every community across the state, that would increase the possibility that children could be kept close to home and in the same foster home as their siblings. As of March 1, more than 100 siblings in Oklahoma County were separated. Finally, we have fewer families stepping up to provide respite, healing and hope. In the midst of this season’s chaos and family fun planning, will you consider whether becoming a foster family could be a fit for you? Or how you can directly support foster families? When we join together, we can create brighter futures for all our children.
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MetroFamily Magazine is published bimonthly. Copyright 2024 by MetroFamily HoldCo, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Articles and advertisements in MetroFamily do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the magazine or MetroFamily HoldCo, LLC. We do not assume responsibility for statements made by advertisers or editorial contributors. The acceptance of advertising by MetroFamily does not constitute an endorsement of the products, services, or information. We do not knowingly present any product or service which is fraudulent or misleading in nature. Publisher Sarah Taylor Editorial & Marketing Director Erin Page Digital Editor Lindsay Cuomo Art Director Stacy Noakes Assistant Editor Emiley Bainbridge Account Executive Dana Price Events Director Casey Shupe Operations Director Morgan Harris Content & Account Specialist Renee Filippo Advertising & Distribution Manager Kelli Newsome Contributing Writers Sasha Hughes Christina Mushi-Brunt Contributing Photographer Bridget Pipkin Contact us Mailing address: 6608 N. Western Ave., #458 Oklahoma City, OK 73116 Phone: 405-601-2081 tips@metrofamilymagazine.com metrofamilymagazine.com
With hope,
Erin Page Managing Editor Statistics provided by Oklahoma Human Services
Proud member of
Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce, Edmond Chamber of Commerce & Midwest City Chamber of Commerce
METROFAMILYMAGAZINE.COM / MAY-JUNE 2024 5
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