Mayor’s Office outlines Office of Children, Youth and Families; councilors press for budget clarity

Deputy Mayor Crystal Reyes and Ashley Wilton, executive director of Impact Tulsa, presented the proposed Office of Children, Youth and Families to the Tulsa City Council, describing a cradle-to-career strategy that the city and nonprofit partners say will coordinate early learning, literacy, stability services and summer safety work.

The presentation said the office will operate as a partnership with Impact Tulsa supplying operational staff and national technical assistance. Reyes said the office will convene a children’s cabinet of city departments, tribal nations, philanthropy and service providers to build a fiscal map showing where public and private dollars for youth services are spent.

The city’s stated goals include increasing pre-K enrollment in high-need ZIP codes, improving third-grade reading and middle-grade math outcomes, reducing chronic absenteeism linked to eviction, and creating…