Children & Families

Hello Friends, Colleagues, & Fellow Advocates! The Center for Family Resilience and the Department of Human Development and Family Science at Oklahoma State University annually host the Chautauqua Conference on Family Resilience. With a focus on individual and family resilience, the event brings together researchers, service providers and policy makers around a series of research presentations around a common theme. The ultimate goal is for resilience research to pave the way for...

Has the pandemic stressed you out? Want to learn the self-soothing skills of Mind Matters: Overcoming Adversity and Building Resilience directly from the author, Dr. Carolyn Curtis? Good news! The Dibble Institute has received generous funding for scholarships to the online, full 12-lesson series, Mind Matters Now . The course helps teachers, social workers, medical professionals, and others manage their stress by building resilience skills and practices for mental well-being. (CEU’s are...

The current early childhood ecosystem is fueled by extensive knowledge about child development, mountains of data from program evaluations, and continuing public fascination with the developing brain. Its energy is sustained by the tireless efforts of providers of early care and education, primary health care and social services, policymakers, advocates, and families raising young children under a wide range of conditions. Over the past two decades, the “brain science story” has made a...

Child welfare services could be more effective — and less expensive — if they were more proactive than reactive, an Oklahoma House of Representatives subcommittee was told Tuesday. “Sixty percent of child protective services responses nationally are for neglect only, … but our interventions have been predominantly focused on addressing … physical abuse,” said Clare Anderson, a senior policy advisor with the Chapin Hall child welfare research center at the University of Chicago. The result,...

Our hats are off to the Okahoman for its expanded offering of thought-provoking articles including Grading Oklahoma. The full-page article in the Sunday July 18 th issue gave rise to hope that our state is once again ready to look at our shortcomings and change our priorities and policies to realize the potential of our people. Of specific focus for the Potts Family Foundation, is the health and well-being of our youngest citizens. To achieve positive change - moving from the bottom ten...

Father figure involvement in parenting is associated with better outcomes for children, including better social-emotional, behavioral and psychological outcomes and improved academic performance. Although home visiting (HV) programs have traditionally focused on pregnant women and first-time mothers, fathers can also benefit from these parenting supports. However, engaging fathers in HV programs presents unique challenges. Young fathers may have relationship instability, logistical obstacles...