By AJ Griffin, EdD, Potts Family Foundation CEO
Welcome to Know and Grow Oklahoma: Building Resilient Children, Families & Communities. This is an exciting project of the Potts Family Foundation (PFF) in partnership with the state, particularly the Oklahoma State Department of Health. It is funded by a portion of the Oklahoma Legislature’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars and today, we celebrate the launch of this great project.
As a private foundation with a focus on serving families of children ages 0-5, founders Pat and Ray Potts felt it was important for PFF to toss its hat in the ring and submit a proposal to the Legislature for ARPA funding. The purpose of the proposal would be to address recovery issues for the youngest of Oklahomans, those born during the pandemic: 2019 to May 2023. Research shows that some of these children are experiencing developmental delays as a result of the very different world they were born into.
This is a three-pronged project that includes the formation of an Early Relational Health Corps (ERHC), funding Family Resource Centers (FRC) and a Community Discovery project that laid the foundation for the work.
One of the many impacts of COVID-19 is that thousands of infants, toddlers and preschoolers born during this time are now showing signs of delays in developmental milestones. The pandemic impacted everyone, and the youngest among us were no exception. Now is the time to come together in community collaborations and learn how to support these children and families. PFF and communities across Oklahoma are doing just that.
Contracts were awarded to 15 communities in the fall of 2023 to conduct surveys to gauge not only how the children and their families are doing, but also to increase awareness among community leaders and early childhood professionals regarding what resources and supports families need and to create avenues for meeting those needs. A full report of what the communities will soon be available.
The second phase of Know and Grow Oklahoma (KNG), builds on the statewide education campaigns PFF is known for. Currently, we are in the early phases of bringing together an Early Relational Health Corps (ERHC). The Corps is open to anyone interested in creating a better Oklahoma for our children and families, especially those professionals and community members who touch the lives of infants and toddlers daily. ERHC members will educate Oklahomans about the importance of early relationships and experiences for a child’s healthy development.
The core goals of the ERHC are to implement family strengthening and support strategies that counter isolation, bring about a sense of connection and most importantly work upstream to partner with families for the wellbeing of their young children. Healthy relationships for infants and toddlers are powerful. They lead to quality development and learning to build a strong foundation for healthy adulthood. At its core, ERH is the state of emotional well-being that grows from the positive emotional connections between babies and toddlers and their parents/caregivers.
The third phase of the project is the recent award of $4.5 million to communities across the state to support the implementation of Family Resource Centers. PFF is pleased to partner with the Office of Child Abuse Prevention at OSDH to expand the Oklahoma Family Support Network and its established FRCs in Oklahoma, Tulsa and Cleveland counties. Soon, we will announce the Oklahoma communities that will receive funding to establish FRCs throughout the state.
This is a very exciting time for us and our partners passionate about improving the quality of life for Oklahoma’s children and families. I invite you to become a member of the ERHC, sign up to continue to receive this newsletter and follow us on social media to be part of the movement. After all, Early Relational Health is everyone’s business.