Commission on Children and Youth seeks staff, raises and parent‑partnership funding

Annette (director) of the Oklahoma Commission on Children and Youth presented a small, targeted budget package to the committee focused on staffing and program continuity.

Requests and rationale: The commission requested $95,000 to continue funding a parent partnership coordinator position that had been financed with a federal grant to the state health department but which may lose that grant funding. The director said the role coordinates a parent partnership board comprising individuals with lived experience who advise the commission on child‑welfare and juvenile matters.

Personnel competitiveness: The commission also asked for $223,250 for targeted salary adjustments across agency positions. The director told members that most of the commission’s work requires experienced staff who evaluate other agencies’ practices; to attract and retain that expertise the commission said it needs pay scales closer to comparable agencies.

Oversight capacity: Finally, the commission requested three additional positions for the Office of Juvenile Systems Oversight, a unit that investigates complaints and inspects juvenile facilities. The office currently has five oversight specialists and two supervisors; the director said caseloads vary and staff lack a “big‑picture” analyst who can look for system‑wide trends.

Committee questions and next steps: Senators asked about the scope of the new positions, whether the parent‑partnership role had statutory status and the commission acknowledged one recently funded position remains to be filled. The director agreed to refine cost details and answer follow‑up questions about salary bands.

Ending: The commission asked legislators to consider the relatively small, recurring investments as capacity‑building to maintain independent oversight and statewide coordination on child‑welfare issues.