Latest news with #OklahomaHumanServices
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hunger Free Oklahoma opposes shifting SNAP costs to states
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — Oklahoma could have to pay hundreds of millions of dollars if Congress moves forward with plans to shift food stamp costs to states. For the first time, the U.S. House is considering making states cover part of the cost of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, better known as SNAP. States could be required to pay up to a 25% match. 'In current numbers could be as high as $475 million total in cost shifted to the state at a time where, you know, our state does not have that money,' said Chris Bernard, CEO of Hunger Free Oklahoma. Bernard believes the state would be forced to make cuts to the program. 'We don't know if that means they would just cut entire categories of people off the program. We don't know if that means they just cut how much benefits are. There's a lot of unknowns, but any of them is disaster. People are struggling with the levels we have of SNAP now,' said Bernard. He says 600,000 families rely on SNAP benefits every year in order to put food on the table and these proposed changes would hurt those families. 'Way more people will be making decisions between keeping the lights on and putting food on the table. You're talking about parents skipping meals or choosing not to take crucial medications for their health to make sure their kids can eat,' said Bernard. Pressure would also be put on charitable organizations like food banks and pantries, which are already having a hard time meeting needs. Local nonprofit offers help after grandmother's SNAP benefits are stolen 'They are being forced to change rules of how often you can visit, they are being forced to maybe limit where they didn't limit before and if you add on top of that, it's a recipe for disaster,' said Bernard. Bernard also adding that these cuts could cost the state more in the long run. 'They lead to worse health outcomes, they lead to the investments we've made in education being completely pointless because hungry kids can't learn,' said Bernard. Hunger Free Oklahoma says it could also have an impact on other areas too. 'School meals because kids who are on SNAP automatically qualify for free or reduced lunch, it will also potentially impact Title I funding and federal dollars that flow to education that way, it will impact Medicaid eligibility,' said Bernard. Hunger Free Oklahoma encourages you to take action and tell those in Congress how you feel. News 4 reached out to Oklahoma Human Services about the proposed cuts and was sent a statement: 'Oklahoma Human Services is working with our federal partners to learn more about any potential effects on our programs. We will continue to communicate with partners and clients as we learn more.' Oklahoma Human Services Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
OHS extends deadlines for child care programs seeking accreditation
Oklahoma's child care providers tasked with meeting new 5-star accreditation rules will now have more time to meet those requirements. Oklahoma Human Services and the Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness collaborated to revise emergency rules, extend deadlines and support accreditation for child care centers across the state, according to a joint press release from the agencies. Revised child care emergency rules, released by OHS in 2023, required 'all 5-star child care programs to obtain accreditation from a nationally recognized accrediting organization approved by Child Care Services at Oklahoma Human Services in order to maintain their current quality rating,' the release reads. The updates made by OHS and OPSR are part of a plan to strengthen the infrastructure of early child care and to support providers to meet the elevated standards, the release said. The changes include OHS reopening the submission portal and extending the deadline to June 20 for licensed providers who are submitting proof of application for accreditation or achieved accreditation. Providers who can't meet the Sept. 1 deadline 'for full national accreditation may request an extension in writing,' the release said, and those extensions must be submitted no later than Sept. 12. For providers showing 'substantial and verifiable progress toward accreditation,' an extension will be granted through Dec. 31. Providers who demonstrate they have 'completed all necessary steps toward accreditation' could receive an additional extension to Dec. 31, pending the accrediting body's final decision. Federal funds of $500,000 from the Preschool Development Grant will also be used to help programs working toward accreditation. The funding will cover self-study kits and accreditation-related materials, and offer hands-on support through regional Child Care Resource and Referral offices. 'We're committed to ensuring Oklahoma children receive the highest quality care,' said Jaesha Quarrels, director of child care services for OHS. 'National accreditation is the gold standard, and these new supports and adjusted timelines will help providers meet that goal while keeping our child care system strong.' Carrie Williams, executive director of OPSR, said the agency is proud to offer support to providers through the Preschool Development Grant. 'By partnering with Oklahoma Human Services and the Legislature, we've created new, realistic options for providers committed to reaching national accreditation,' Williams said. The grant may help child care providers across the state, who lost federal pandemic funding for their programs in September 2024. But new emergency subsidized child care rules set in place by OHS last year have caused a mixed bag of problems. 'In 2022, only about 300 facilities in the state were able to reach the highest star level, which at the time required national accreditation. Smaller providers say accreditation is too costly and time-consuming, so many were stuck at the mid-tier reimbursement rates,' according to a March article by The Frontier. The new five-star Quality Rating and Improvement System – previously a three-star rating system – helped give child care centers alternate pathways to achieve accreditation and program incentives. 'Within two years, about 1,000 child care facilities were newly rated at the highest level, according to agency data,' The Frontier reported. But a jump in child care facilities drove up rates for families seeking subsidized child care, prompting OHS to roll out emergency rules to 'reduce the number of families eligible to receive the child care subsidy and make it easier to lower provider's star ratings, as well as bring back national accreditation requirements for the highest star levels,' The Frontier reported. The new emergency subsidy rules drew criticism from the public and caused financial and staffing concerns for child care providers. In January, OHS revised the emergency rules again – ultimately not changing the subsidy eligibility rules, but once again requiring national accreditation, The Frontier reported. The extended deadlines are meant to help providers maintain national accreditation while still following OHS' Child Care revised rules, which go into effect this year.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
New accreditation deadlines and funding announced for OK child care providers
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — Some much-needed help has been announced for Oklahoma child care providers trying to meet a big deadline. Earlier this year, Governor Kevin Stitt signed new regulations on Oklahoma's five-star rating system. The more stars a center has, the more state funding it receives. Under the new rules, centers have to be nationally accredited to maintain a five-star rating. The original deadline was September 1, leaving many concerned. 'The timeline was tough, reaching national accreditation within six months is unattainable for most programs,' said Carrie Williams, executive director of the Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness. On Monday, Oklahoma Human Services, in partnership with the Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness (OPSR), announced some changes. In response to stakeholder feedback, Oklahoma Human Services will reopen the submission portal and extend the deadline for licensed providers to submit proof of either application for accreditation or achieved accreditation. The new deadline is June 20, extending beyond the original deadline of April 10. For providers who can't meet the September 1 deadline for full national accreditation may also now request an extension in writing. Requests must be submitted to Oklahoma Human Services by September 12, 2025. Those who demonstrate substantial and verifiable progress toward accreditation will be granted an extension through December 31. Some providers also expressed concern about the expenses of becoming nationally accredited. Childcare centers begin to close as state changes funding formula 'Accreditation is an expensive process, it can cost up to $5,000, sometimes even more for child care programs, depending on the size,' said Williams. OPSR announced that $500,000 of federal Preschool Development Grant funds will be used to assist programs working toward accreditation. 'We believe at OPSR that national accreditation is the gold star, it's the gold standard for quality, and we want as many providers to achieve that as possible,' said Williams. Funding will help cover self-study kits and accreditation-related materials. It will also provide access to hands-on support through regional Child Care Resource and Referral (CCRR) offices. 'It really will be based on what childcare providers actually need individually. It's not a one size fits all approach and we want to meet childcare providers where they are,' said Williams. Some providers asked why these funds weren't available sooner. 'OPSR'S grant required federal approval, so we really quite literally could not have released the funds earlier than we have today,' said Williams. While providers are thankful for the extra funding and the deadline extension, some say it's not enough. 'It's too late for a lot of people and this is just one piece of the turmoil that's happening,' said Janell Wheat, board member for the Licensed Childcare Association of Oklahoma. Wheat says some businesses have already closed their doors. Bill aimed at tackling Oklahoma's childcare crisis moves forward 'I know that since September of last year, we've had about 4,500 slots be reduced because of closures across the state. That means 4,500 kids don't have access to childcare in their communities,' said Wheat. Oklahoma is already considered a child care desert and believes this isn't helping. 'I was contacted by a foster care agency because they are having foster care parents decline to take kids simply because they don't have child care resources in their area, so it's not just what we think of the classic person going to work,' said Wheat. OPSR says Oklahoma still has a long way to go but this is a step in the right direction. 'There are tangible supports that we're working on even right now with the legislature talking about making childcare free for anyone who's willing to work in a childcare program. That's a huge priority of ours at OPSR because we know that these programs can't stay open or they can't operate at full capacity if they don't have enough teachers in their classrooms,' said Williams. We reached out to Oklahoma Human Services, but they were unavailable for comment. Those interested in applying for OPSR's accreditation support can click here. For more information about the updated emergency rules, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Yahoo
Another Oklahoman hit by SNAP benefits crime ring
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — We are hearing from another Oklahoman whose SNAP benefits, or food stamps, were stolen. This latest victim was in the hospital unaware of what happened until it was too late. Federal funding to replace SNAP benefits stolen ran out in December. Now, those who continue to get hit by this crime ring, are left with nothing, needing to survive until the next month's benefits arrive. Reimbursement funds expire for stolen snap benefits 'I was hospitalized for a week, and when I was released from the hospital a week ago, I went to go check my benefits to get some food, and my benefits had all been stolen,' she said. Another Oklahoman was hit by scammers, wiping their benefits right off their card. We are concealing this woman's identity due to a domestic violence case. She is already dealing with plenty, so this was the last thing she needed to see once she was released from the hospital. 'I called the Oklahoma line and she just started apologizing and saying they've had a lot of calls of a lot of benefits that had been stolen, and that the reimbursement fund or program had been stopped,' she said. 'So, the chances of me ever seeing my food stamp money ever again was going to be very, very slim.' She says after hearing this, she wasn't sure what she was going to do, putting her in a bind. 'I have a rare form of lupus and my appetite does get affected by that,' she said. 'The things that I need right now, I don't have.' Special agent explains how thieves profit from stolen snap benefits We reached out to the Department of Human Services to see if there was anything they could do on the state level to stop this. Unfortunately, they said as of now, there isn't much they can do. In our ongoing efforts to protect Oklahoma families, Oklahoma Human Services continues to work diligently with our federal partners to reduce the theft of SNAP benefits. Oklahoma Department of Human Services Many Oklahomans continue to ask for more to be done to protect their benefits. 'It doesn't feel like the federal government's doing enough to protect the card,' she said. 'Maybe the state does need to have a reimbursement fund for emergencies like this, because right now we can't do anything.' DHS also said they are a few months away from rolling out new features for SNAP recipients that will provide more security for every Oklahoman. In the meantime, DHS recommends you lock your card after each use. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Oklahoma Human Services released from oversight plan
OKLAHOMA CITY –A federal court has declared that Oklahoma Human Services is no longer subject to the oversight of child welfare monitors. The state has fulfilled its obligations under the Compromise and Settlement Agreement that brought forward the state's Pinnacle Plan. In 2012, DHS settled a class-action civil rights lawsuit against its foster care system by agreeing to improve targeted areas of the state's child welfare system. The Pinnacle Plan was developed as part of that settlement agreement. 'I want to make Oklahoma the best place in the nation to raise a family. We've made huge investments into our child welfare system and have made the well-being of our state's children a top priority.' Governor Kevin Stitt The Pinnacle Plan concludes that Oklahoma is on the right trajectory. This marks the conclusion of more than a decade of intensive foster care reform efforts to serve Oklahoma's children and families better. Since the inception of the Pinnacle Plan in 2012, Oklahoma Human Services has worked diligently to implement meaningful changes to serve children and families better. Over the years, the agency has reduced the number of children in state custody from more than 11,000 in 2014 to just under 5,800 in March 2025. The reduction is the result of a strategic focus on prevention services, family support initiatives, and improved foster care systems. 'We remain committed to the strength and resilience of Oklahoma's families, and I see a bright future ahead of us,' Stitt said. While this represents a significant milestone, he said the agency remains steadfast in its commitment to continuous improvement and transparency, ensuring the progress made under the Pinnacle Plan is sustained for years to come. Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond commended the dedication and work of his staff, the state Department of Human Services, and the state Legislature for completing all requirements under the Pinnacle Plan, which has transformed Oklahoma's child welfare system into a national model of excellence. 'Today marks the culmination of 13 years of dedicated work to protect Oklahoma's most vulnerable children,' Drummond said in a prepared statement. 'Our office has been proud to work hand-in-hand with DHS throughout this process, from negotiating the initial settlement to witnessing the remarkable transformation of our child welfare system.' 'While the formal oversight has ended, The Oklahoma House of Representatives will continue to work alongside the Department of Human Services to build on these successes, ensuring that every child in our state has the opportunity to grow up in a safe and loving environment,' said Majority Leader Mark Lawson, R-Sapulpa. Even though external monitoring has ended, Oklahoma Human Services remains committed to publicly reporting on its performance. The agency will continue working with community partners, legislators, and other stakeholders to maintain transparency and ensure Oklahoma families have the resources they need for lifelong success. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
