As Democrats and advocates warn of the additional strain the shutdown is about to put on families in November, there’s little urgency on Capitol Hill.

The post Head Start Programs Are Closing Down as Shutdown Funding Lapses Grow appeared first on Oklahoma Watch.

Youth travel sports are squeezing parents financially with stay-to-play policies, in which tournaments require hotel stays to participate, then collect hidden kickbacks. The practice might violate federal anti-trust laws.

The post Forced Housing, Hidden Kickbacks: How Stay-to-Play Squeezes Sports Parents appeared first on Oklahoma Watch.

Federal regulations mean some refugee students in Oklahoma are getting more support than others.

The post Refugee Students Face the Same Hurdles But Get Different Levels of Support appeared first on Oklahoma Watch.

Homeless youth have less access to shelters and services in rural Oklahoma. Because of challenges identifying and tracking rural homeless youth, the population is often severely underreported.

The post Homeless Youth Walk a Hidden Path in Rural Oklahoma appeared first on Oklahoma Watch.

Jennifer Palmer goes inside a new social studies curriculum. Keaton Ross on why Oklahoma backed out of a interstate effort to identify election fraud. Ari Fife on a plan to address childcare scarcity.

The post Long Story Short: New Social Studies Curriculum Goes For a Test Drive appeared first on Oklahoma Watch.

A bill aimed at streamlining local rules for in-home daycares was signed into law by Gov. Kevin Stitt this week.

The post Oklahoma Takes Steps To Address Childcare Scarcity appeared first on Oklahoma Watch.

Paul Monies on a bill that would change how electric utilities get rate increases. Ari Fife on rules that could make it harder for in-home daycares to stay open. Whitney Bryen on why a decade-long wait for help isn't over for some families of Oklahomans with disabilities.

The post Long Story Short: Thousands of Oklahomans With Disabilities Still Waiting for Help appeared first on Oklahoma Watch.

Half of Oklahoma residents live in what is defined as a childcare desert. State and local lawmakers are considering changes that could increase the availability of in-home childcare.

The post These Oklahoma Communities Need Childcare. City Rules Could Make It Harder to Find  appeared first on Oklahoma Watch.

Rondalyn Abode has adopted North Tulsa, even though she’s from Kansas City, and is working to strengthen the community, in part for her own kids.

The post Changing the Narrative to ‘Us and We’ in North Tulsa appeared first on Oklahoma Watch.

For many students in November, civic engagement wasn’t just something to learn about in class. It was something to practice. Public pleas for clemency for Julius Jones intensified this week, driving students to action: staging walkouts from high schools, leading public protests and visiting the state Capitol. Jones was scheduled for execution Thursday afternoon, but [...]

The post Students Walk Out to Protest Death Sentence appeared first on Oklahoma Watch.