Child Abuse Program Braces For Budget Cuts In Oklahoma

The state’s proposed budget spares core services like K-12 grade education and health care, but does so by cutting other programs.

Rebecca Daley, of Edmond, remembers the day she snapped. 

“I was at my wits end,” recalled Daley. “And I was in tears.  And I was like I just can’t do it anymore. I’m gonna quit school. I’m just gonna quit. I can’t take this anymore.”

The single mom, who is disabled after a car accident, was going to school and trying to raise a family. She was out of diapers, and at that moment, out of hope. Until, her Parent Promise Counselor stopped by.

“She hugged me and she was like we can get through this,” said Daley. “And she really helped me, that day she helped me get the resources I needed for the problems I was having.”

Parent Promise is a non-profit that contracts with the state to provide in-home support to parents with the goal of reducing child abuse. It’s also losing all of its state funding under the legislature's proposed budget.

5/24/16 Related Story: Oklahoma Governor, Lawmakers Reach Budget Agreement

“It's 175 families that we won't be able to help and a lot of our families depend on us,” said Parent Promise CEO Sherry Fair. “They have our family support cell phone numbers. They call them at night. They call them just in the middle of the day when they don't know what to do.”

Fair said there will be a ripple effect to cutting her service. Children will be abused and need counseling, she says, and parents will go to jail instead of college.

Daley said the program helps too many people to just cut. 

“They need that in order to move on in their lives. They need that in order to better themselves. Just like I did,” said Daley.