Parent Voice the Center of Wyjuana Montgomery's Presentation to the Commission

"My niece has a beautiful smile, dancing bright eyes, and a very infectious laugh. But that hasn't always been there. The laughter was sparse. The sparkle was gone in her eyes, and the light was completely dim."  This was the introduction of the story shared by Wyjuana Montgomery, an OCCY Parent Partnership Board Member, at the September 15, 2023, Oklahoma Commission on Children and Youth meeting.

As she told her story, Wyjuana spoke about how she and her husband are now the caregivers of their niece. She spoke about the numerous obstacles they faced when their niece arrived at their home and how she dealt with her own challenges. She explained parents and caregivers are going through a lot when they attempt to obtain certain services for young people. She expressed how important it was that the Commissioners keep this in mind.

Wyjuana ended her presentation by saying, "I'm hoping that you heard some things today that you feel like you can work on as far as staffing and resources and helping families navigate when they don't know what to do and where to go..."

Learn more about Wyjuana by clicking here.