Task force links low early childhood development with poverty

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ A task force created to study early childhood education in Oklahoma says more than 52,000 of the state's poor children risk ``impaired brain development'' because of exposure

Wednesday, November 22nd 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ A task force created to study early childhood education in Oklahoma says more than 52,000 of the state's poor children risk ``impaired brain development'' because of exposure to a variety of problems associated with poverty.

The task force, created by Gov. Frank Keating, also said the state needs to pay parents more money to spend on child care and to make it easier to get health care for children.

After seven months of meetings with more than 70 parents and experts, the 11-member panel released submitted its final report Tuesday to Keating.

Keating said he will comment on the report once he reads it. He agreed to extend an executive order which will keep the task force alive through the next legislative session.

The task force reported that one-fourth to one-third of all Oklahoma children entering elementary school lack the basic skills necessary for success.

Task Force Chairman T.D. ``Pete'' Churchwell, president of AEP Public Service Company of Oklahoma, said the state has made great strides in early childhood development programs, but still lags behind other states.

``If kids aren't ready for school when they show up on the schoolhouse steps, the opportunities to recover them are still there, but the cost is quite great and often the chance of success is not very good,'' Churchwell said.

``If we can do a better job of preparing the kids before they get there, we are much better off.''

Marlo Nash, a task force member, said the state needs to help parents ensure a better future for their children.

``One of the most important things is that we ... make children the most important priority,'' she said.

Nash said the task force wants lawmakers _ through legislation _ to create a long-term vision of what the state's goals are for children's health and education.

Officials said that should include what the state will do to curb the high rate of teen-age pregnancies and divorce in Oklahoma as well as how lawmakers plan to educate families on prenatal care, health for babies and toddlers, and education before kindergarten.

According to the report, about 230,000 Oklahomans are under the age of 5 and many of them live in situations that make healthy development harder.