[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6521684,"mediaKeyId","5083929-c3ae03ac097ca58ec108f6a0696d08ff","parentId",5083929,"title","Commission reelects chair and vice chair, approves secretary pending acceptance","audioSeconds",61,"startMs",3272000,"endMs",3333000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5083929-c3ae03ac097ca58ec108f6a0696d08ff&start=3272&end=3333","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5083929-c3ae03ac097ca58ec108f6a0696d08ff/thumbnail_3272000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6521684/Oklahoma/Commission-reelects-chair-and-vice-chair-approves-secretary-pending-acceptance","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6521684-142192914821c9974fe6ad963cc202c3/orig.mp4?Expires=1770627341&Signature=S-RP7i9x0HqNifpspCyM9t5m8m7C0TMxJ8drbKJ-6wbDZpfLnAUm~DdnfEJ8QsGbm4mIJwaOq~wWxb~Mus24Yi4utbyfv5EobyUQgMU6CInv-mQ-HccqUnix-~GneAhh3Sq5DX5ZVExHpyz1VO6w4JH3tX628iJkI1yI96fYotXfIqGRqAcoe5C0SmQF7y-nATuSHZdOWPSxaHpbAvKvLRbliawDiep6x1qEEK1GSj4ExsxdhNJG8SeF2ghEtyB9gDRjYgCBlGdgLea4JT141LbwTgxKvfnlo1YriVDzNY~9HP8Aa~ITuKUxV5e30YR7RtJyCa1nKEgMfhosElji7w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Oklahoma Commission on Children and Youth","date","2025-06-26T21:21:04Z","article","The commission voted to elect officers for the coming term during its June 25 meeting. John Schneider was nominated and voted to continue as chair; Kaylee Kurt was nominated and voted to continue as vice chair. Both votes passed by roll call with affirmative votes from commissioners present.

Commissioners also voted to approve Jonathan Hall as secretary pending his acceptance when he returns; the motion passed with the caveat that the appointment would be finalized once Hall confirmed he would serve.

Why it matters: Officer elections set the commission's internal leadership for agenda planning and committee coordination.

Ending: The commission moved on after the appointments to its legislative and director reports.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","OCCY Commission Meeting - June 20, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Oklahoma Commission on Children and Youth reappointed John Schneider as chair and Kaylee Kurt as vice chair; the commission voted to approve Jonathan Hall as secretary pending his acceptance.","taxTitle","Oklahoma Commission on Children and Youth, Executive, Oklahoma","taxId",27359,"location","Oklahoma","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6521689,"Parent partnership member urges caution on cuts, credits statewide supports for reunification",318,170000,488000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5083929-c3ae03ac097ca58ec108f6a0696d08ff&start=170&end=488","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5083929-c3ae03ac097ca58ec108f6a0696d08ff/thumbnail_170000.jpg","/articles/6521689/Oklahoma/Parent-partnership-member-urges-caution-on-cuts-credits-statewide-supports-for-reunification","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6521689-f5c4b83188141aa70239427ee9e3e56c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770627341&Signature=FB3f0HpITnHTKWcOYYNKmPFW0Vfpm-MeGoMH3mDwQL6ZlNgTipsvUVAEkNTe2~28V11DShNZTg2apWFhs3QTcoUHiqaau7MQXKfkiFuVzicfCyKhSwmpsoGD5S4JZ22wTW5pjLwymt97RIZv8bhtlzqYZEv1EcE~ZIpDR9qhV61vtKfcCxUu2VEH3eTHaKSGXL4h1o5tCiEnLWfGvNDMeE3qVeZiL0j3BTPd45tolFAQU4mJwRgINOGdo8LMYM8au7aiLBptFUGdUaUUUMkNyzD8pKF-kA7uODoVdRmQ5XZ490uu6zLRcGtAV1RO3lawcxhbl5xlMygcfgTsdzJZfw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Alice Jeffrey, a member of the OCCY Parent Partnership Board, told the commission about her personal experience with homelessness, recovery and reunification during the meeting's presentation segment.

Jeffrey recounted giving birth in February 2022 while unhoused and uninsured and without prenatal care; her daughter was placed into foster care. She described a sequence of supports she said allowed reunification: family treatment court, supervised visitations at Hope for the Future, outpatient treatment provided through Catalyst, identity document assistance from Homeless Alliance, and housing through Hope Community Services. \"Hope Community Services, that would be the center of my wheel of supports because I still use them today,\" she said.

Jeffrey urged commissioners to consider the \"real cost\" of cutting services and said some families remain reliant on long‑term supports before they can be independent. \"When we do cuts, some of these setbacks that we can cause families can build mistrust between ourselves and the families that we are trying to help,\" she said. She thanked Director Cartmell for engaging the parent partnership board and encouraged commissioners and staff to continue using the board as a parent voice.

Why it matters: Jeffrey's testimony emphasized that several discrete supports combined to make reunification possible and that short‑term or one‑time assistance may be insufficient for families with complex needs.

Ending: Commissioners thanked Jeffrey for sharing her experience and encouraged continued engagement with the parent partnership board.

","A parent partnership board member told commissioners her experience with homelessness, treatment courts and supportive services helped reunify her with her daughter and urged the commission to consider long-term impacts when trimming programs.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6521694,"Commission approves two full juvenile competency evaluators and names provisional candidates after training",299,2793000,3092000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5083929-c3ae03ac097ca58ec108f6a0696d08ff&start=2793&end=3092","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5083929-c3ae03ac097ca58ec108f6a0696d08ff/thumbnail_2793000.jpg","/articles/6521694/Oklahoma/Commission-approves-two-full-juvenile-competency-evaluators-and-names-provisional-candidates-after-training","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6521694-e6045303fb84758834dc4146da7d8c91/orig.mp4?Expires=1770627341&Signature=RWihgGiKnfAA9ZT4z7NeXx0b8E0IZU4MZ9nZipDpmfFcIuSdW217wRHPef6LUzFAmeEkivHiJ9XR6nmBNmJbpbhfpfNI67awcVlgs1ZFvJP-IyIefTUyjNKAB4aV92wrtWXkhMEL9l46k~JjHb3tC7oDC7OfxEBtniBdlpfednmqYCwung7tNfDTN-sWB5rEUD-bBC2wt00m558z-llAW7a6W~5iaDEXLS4aKPhby4wbQqXs8-sNziARlpFfdmL0ToGgykT42Bovr93fuuDGzAE-hzkJiKafOCpmyu1SE7JyoQlw5VKMf64p3oF0fOscCOZyiDKYsAzQ5cGgA-b9Nw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Oklahoma Commission on Children and Youth approved credentialing actions on juvenile competency evaluators on June 25, moving two provisional evaluators to full credentialed status and approving additional provisional candidates after a training and assessment process.

Richard Yohola told commissioners the two provisional candidates who had completed a supervised provisional evaluation and were recommended by the Juvenile Competency Evaluation Professional Committee are Dr. Yemi Adeyiga and Dr. Jennifer Lancaster. The commission voted to grant full credentials to both.

Richard also reported two candidates who completed a training on May 30 at the University of Tulsa College of Law and passed post‑training assessments: Dr. Sonny Cornwell (listed in the packet as \"sonic/sonny\" in the transcript), Al Talakwal and Paulette Pitt (East Central University). The committee approved their provisional candidacies pending assignment to a supervised provisional evaluation; the commission voted to approve them as provisional evaluators.

Why it matters: Yohola said the program had been relying on a single psychologist for competency testing since January and that expanding the pool will reduce backlog and speed court processes. \"Since January we've only had one psychologist helping us with testing statements. And so we're really excited about having these brought up for consideration,\" he said.

Vote: For both the full‑credential approvals and the provisional candidate approvals the commission recorded motions and unanimous roll‑call \"Yes\" votes from commissioners present.

Next steps: Provisional candidates will be assigned a supervised provisional competency evaluation; the professional committee will review their work and report back. Newly credentialed evaluators will be added to the roster used by courts that request competency assessments.

","The commission voted to credential two provisional evaluators (now full) and approved two additional provisional evaluator candidates who completed training and assessment to support juvenile competency evaluations.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6521698,"New Oklahoma Child Welfare director introduces national experience, says he will prioritize safety and integrated services",422,633000,1055000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5083929-c3ae03ac097ca58ec108f6a0696d08ff&start=633&end=1055","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5083929-c3ae03ac097ca58ec108f6a0696d08ff/thumbnail_633000.jpg","/articles/6521698/Oklahoma/New-Oklahoma-Child-Welfare-director-introduces-national-experience-says-he-will-prioritize-safety-and-integrated-services","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6521698-9a43a2b9ceb006ed283e75afbec80a5c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770627341&Signature=oPOHbfzb~52DXD~8GRdN2IJLiw3anPlv6TD1msGdXFPXdu2bJkAz0gK4Kv1VBwd~cP-eh4wDd7EYfaVJG1VfyW1HZkVqNs8CWOa73LDVZD8qScx2hyhWfna8nvD50pnbtTh3kVeEjFxZLeChHl6JgoWNnBOq2rg6I-oD~qRf1epZ9gDqeO7H7Ih-Ge81AnnXWIHLpe7P0UTaDByCmAlDyQUv3TQ~Q7Ftt8yOOIPbOmQed7yRyv1uLO0a2AJRxFNQk5Zlpn~RNokPsRGHbtOp5JkXdgUMZCtfIhxzJYlhvvf7PW6SwU4aviale11ljnNwhkvy8KZ7KEO~dfJFLU~dWw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Michael, Oklahoma's new Child Welfare Director, introduced himself to the Oklahoma Commission on Children and Youth on June 25 and outlined priorities that center on child safety, system integration and listening to youth with lived experience.

Michael described nearly 30 years of experience in child welfare across different state systems, including work in Connecticut and Florida, and participation in national initiatives such as Annie E. Casey Foundation efforts. \"My strength is taking states from, like, good to great, building on what's there and say, how can we move a system forward?\" he told commissioners.

He said he wants to coordinate children's services — child welfare, juvenile justice and children's behavioral health — so they work together around child well‑being rather than as fragmented adult‑focused systems. \"If we find a way to consolidate our efforts around children and their well‑being...then the need for those other systems that the adult will shrink,\" Michael said. He added child protection and safety remain the primary mission: \"If we can't keep children safe...then nobody wants to hear anything else.\"

Commissioners and attendees praised the hire and said they are ready to collaborate. Director Jacoby said she was \"excited about what the future of child welfare, family well‑being, all of that looks like in Oklahoma\" and noted Michael was still early in the job.

Michael also said he planned to spend time listening to older youth in care, including at an upcoming youth summit, because young people who have been in the system can provide actionable insight on placement, school challenges and what drives runaway behavior.

Ending: Commissioners welcomed Michael and offered cooperation from public and private partners; staff noted he was still early in his tenure and planned a listening tour to meet youth and providers across the state.

","Oklahoma Human Services' newly appointed Child Welfare Director Michael introduced himself to the commission, describing nearly three decades of experience in child welfare and a focus on integrating child welfare, juvenile justice and behavioral health.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6521704,"OCCY approves lean FY2026 budget after warnings of shrinking federal and partner funding",386,1824000,2210000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5083929-c3ae03ac097ca58ec108f6a0696d08ff&start=1824&end=2210","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5083929-c3ae03ac097ca58ec108f6a0696d08ff/thumbnail_1824000.jpg","/articles/6521704/Oklahoma/OCCY-approves-lean-FY2026-budget-after-warnings-of-shrinking-federal-and-partner-funding","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6521704-1343fb8267b7e400732c408b62f48d9f/orig.mp4?Expires=1770627341&Signature=Z5E~LKGohGqNBYflJqg10xuQ0EwtXWW9BdApiAMf4YWjY7~AUeuo3XftZAxu6k1DEAJ5~EP7cuYJolHKyKgNETuCeClTWlMVHxdpMcaWM-2tFiVWY4~XJPGw2-VvJ48lNlAnVpwo9p8oAOjKjlcbDC7XHoAgQmthfhbHho0KgiNrOZm9GWLituNGFV3vyVD9SfX6ntACnYsMKMcJLUKf4BRfT-jhtyiXbMnJRDReQ1oFKWaDVbBfrXTWfioeBVa4G12KACPL3EIe6v3aIjF4NkiQLR6RwBjmh0l9xRzEs9cg6pWUDgTo2MWrtrJrZwEbOh-7IvPvEoGTAOGbc-Q1Yw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Oklahoma Commission on Children and Youth on June 25 approved the agency'wide fiscal year 2026 budget after staff described a smaller overall funding picture and a set of spending controls the commission must adopt before July 1.

Commissioners voted to adopt the fiscal plan after Director Jacoby told the panel the agency faced about a 2% net funding reduction compared with the prior year because several revenue streams are declining even though state appropriations rose slightly. Jacoby said the commission's payroll consumes nearly all of state general appropriations and left little discretionary money for operations.

\"We got just shy of 2% less than we did in the year before,\" Jacoby said, noting that federal Title IV‑E reimbursements, preschool development grant funding and some State Department of Health contributions are expected to shrink. \"We're going to be conservative, and we're going to look at a lower amount again.\"

Why it matters: OCCY distributes program funds and administers contracts used by providers across the state; smaller reimbursements and partner grants, combined with rising office costs, force the agency to reduce nonessential spending and delay hires.

Key items staff said are affected: the Big Brothers Big Sisters mentoring contract (budgeted for $80,000 but shown $16,000 short in the presented draft); a projected $100,000 need for juvenile competency evaluations (staff requested funding but did not receive the full ask); and a $70,000 request for the Office of Planning and Coordination's work on youth homelessness (shown $35,000 short in the draft). Jacoby said managers intend to prioritize the $80,000 mentoring contract and try to move funds internally to cover gaps.

To balance the budget, Jacoby outlined planned measures: no salary increases across the agency; a proposed 50% reduction in the chief child abuse examiner contract (pending further conversations); stricter travel restrictions; deferring additional office space; pausing new consultants and initiatives unless accompanied by new funding; slow‑filling of one vacancy; and other internal savings.

Jacoby also highlighted a rise in statewide service costs charged through the Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES), driven in part by a broader interpretation of liability that now counts board members the agency supports. \"Our cost for OMES have gone up,\" she said. \"It added too.\" She told commissioners the agency will press OMES and other decisionmakers where appropriate.

Vote and procedure: Commissioner Melinda Front moved to accept the FY2026 OCCY budget as presented; a second was recorded. The roll call recorded unanimous \"Yes\" votes from commissioners present and the motion passed.

The commission also approved the finance report covering fiscal year 2025 activity through May 31. Mahboob (business manager) presented the 11‑month financial overview: an annual budget of $6,100,000, year‑to‑date expenditures of roughly $4.916 million (about 81% utilization) and available cash balance of approximately $837,232. Mahboob attributed a December–February spending spike to disbursements to multidisciplinary teams.

When asked about the January spike, Jacoby and Mahboob explained the agency had passed through funds to multiple multidisciplinary teams during that period. The commission then moved and unanimously approved the finance report.

Commissioners emphasized constraints the budget may create for statutory duties the agency recently gained, including expanded investigative authority. Jacoby said the agency had asked for additional staff tied to that law change but did not receive funding and acknowledged the agency now has \"the ability to do more without the resources to do more.\"

What happens next: Staff said they will monitor reimbursements and grant awards that are reimbursement‑based (notably federal Title IV‑E) and will return with any needed contract or budget amendments. Jacoby said the agency will continue to press legislative partners if unforeseen costs arise and to seek clarity on OMES cost allocations.

Ending note: Commissioners approved the FY2026 budget and the May 31 finance report in separate motions. Jacoby asked commissioners to be prepared to support operational choices during the coming fiscal year and said staff will report back on implementation and any necessary adjustments.

","The Oklahoma Commission on Children and Youth approved a state fiscal year 2026 budget after hearing that federal reimbursements and partner grants are shrinking, several contracts face cuts or shortfalls, and the agency plans hiring slow‑downs and travel restrictions to balance finances.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Commission reelects chair and vice chair, approves secretary pending acceptance

Parent partnership member urges caution on cuts, credits statewide supports for reunification

Commission approves two full juvenile competency evaluators and names provisional candidates after training

New Oklahoma Child Welfare director introduces national experience, says he will prioritize safety and integrated services

OCCY approves lean FY2026 budget after warnings of shrinking federal and partner funding