OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma has been ranked 46th in the nation in overall child well-being.
The Annie E. Casey Foundation’s annual Kids Count report ranks all 50 states with four categories: economic well-being, family and community, education and health. This report used data collected in 2022.
Oklahoma’s lowest ranking, coming in at 49th, was in education. The state was ranked 45th for health, 40th for family and community and 39th in economic well-being.
Only Nevada, Louisiana, Mississippi and New Mexico performed worse.
Joe Dorman, a former Oklahoma state representative and current CEO of the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy, said the ranking is upsetting.
“There are solutions out there, but it’s going to cost money, and it’s going to take a commitment,” Dorman said.
According to Dorman, the OICA worked to promote child care tax credit legislation with the State Chamber of Commerce this past session. Dorman’s group also worked to promote awareness of SoonerCare and its eligibility requirements to encourage higher enrollment.
Dorman said legislators need to do a better job of reviewing what’s working and finding solutions for the programs that are not performing. Doing so will help families afford child care and put kids in a place that gives them the opportunity to perform better in school, he said.
“We’ve got to see this commitment. I certainly don’t feel that commitment was there this legislative session to support children and families,” Dorman said. “We need lawmakers who will take this seriously and look at some of these solutions.”
Nationally, the report revealed that many negative trends between 2019 and 2021 during the pandemic era began recovering in 2022. But all four of the education indicators worsened in Oklahoma.
In Oklahoma, nearly 6 in 10 young children from ages 3 to 4 were not in school, and 20% of high school students did not graduate on time. Over 75% of fourth graders were not proficient in reading and 84% of eighth graders were not proficient in math. These figures exceed the national trend.
“These numbers confirm what has long been obvious — Oklahoma is not making the investment it should in the health and well-being of our children,” said Shiloh Kantz, executive director of Oklahoma Policy Institute. “For two decades, lawmakers have chosen revenue cuts over meaningful, sustained investments in the shared services that are proven to help our children thrive.”
Kantz said potential solutions include ensuring reliable internet, access to low-cost meals, investing in public schools and taking advantage of allocated pandemic relief funding.
Sen. Julia Kirt, DOklahoma City, said she’s concerned about the reported number of children living in unstable housing. According to the report, about 52% of children in lowincome households reported housing as a high cost burden – or at least 30% of the monthly income.
“Every Oklahoman deserves a safe place to call home, which makes the number of kids living in unstable housing very distressing,” Kirt said.
The report showed more families are living in homes they can’t afford.
“We need to work across the aisle on real solutions that address long term positive outcomes for all Oklahoma kids,” Kirt said.
Oklahoma Voice (oklahomavoice.com) is an affiliate of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization, supported by grants and donations. Oklahoma Voice provides nonpartisan reporting, and retains full editorial independence.
