Ten Caregiving Leaders Selected for Commission's Parent Partnership Board

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – Valuing the expertise and lived experiences of caregivers throughout Oklahoma, the Oklahoma Commission on Children and Youth (OCCY) announces the newly selected members of its Parent Partnership Board.

Motivated by the importance of the caregiver/parent voice, the board will collaborate with the agency and its commissioners to bolster efforts to improve the well-being of Oklahoma’s children and families.  Utilizing the board’s expertise, the focus will be on reducing adverse childhood experiences (ACEs).  It will also focus on including more parent/caregiver recommendations during decision-making processes for Oklahoma’s child-serving systems.

“We are thrilled to be able to work with such an amazing group of leaders,” said Annette Wisk Jacobi, OCCY executive director. “The impact they will provide to OCCY and Oklahoma’s child-serving systems will help transform how services are provided to children and families.”   

The inaugural Parent Partnership Board at OCCY includes members who represent the multiplicity of Oklahoma’s communities.  They are passionate about improving child-serving systems and are motivated to inspire as well as influence positive outcomes.  After a rigorous interview process, the agency selected the following caregivers to sit on the board:  Amber Adams (Beggs, OK); Tamara Bryan (Pryor,OK); Betty Hawkins-Emery (Oklahoma City, OK); Senaqua Hildreth (Oklahoma City, OK); Sara Jacoby (Oklahoma City, OK); Sunnie Jamerson (Moore, OK); La’Chanda Stephens-Totimeh (Moore, OK); Delena Sullivan (Pauls Valley, OK); Dr. Lana Turner-Addison (Tulsa, OK) and Issa Turner (Oklahoma City, OK).

“The leadership and expertise among the Parent Partnership Board is a valuable asset to improving services provided to children and families,” said Danielle Dill, Office of Planning and Coordination program manager at OCCY. “Their contributions will benefit our commission, partners and the well-being of our communities.”

Photos and biographies of each member of the board can be found by clicking here.

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