IN THE NEWS: DECEMBER 2011

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Mark Beutler: Hello everybody. I'm Mark Beutler from the Office of Communications.
We're glad you took time out to join us during this hectic time of the year.
Let's get right to the news.
The Fall Practice and Policy Lectures are winding down.
Last month's lecture was a fascinating and poignant discussion on the Holocaust.
Micheal Korenbilt presented the story of his family members and of their survival during World War II.
This lecture, along with past lectures, can be found on the OKDHS website.
Click the Practice and Policy Lecture link on the left side of the screen.
Here, audio, video or transcripts of the lectures are available.
Please take some time to look through the lecture topics.
We've been fortunate to have a fantastic group of experts address our gatherings this year.
The last lecture of 2011 will be yet another fascinating and pertinent presentation.
Dr. Paul Amato is a professor of Sociology, Demographics and Family Studies at Penn State University.
Dr. Amato has dedicated his career to researching the impact of divorce on children.
He has written one of the definitive guides on family upheaval 
and continues his research on children and families.
I know you'll find the results of his work to be insightful and relevant to your work with OKDHS.
The date of the lecture is December 13.
As usual, the lecture is held from noon until 1pm at the Oklahoma History Center.
Once again, if you can't make it to the lecture it will be posted at OKDHS.org.
To feel needed and valued is important to all of us.
We gain confidence and self-worth through our relationships and through our accomplishments.
Our job is, in many cases, a huge part of our self-image.
Through careers, we make our way in the world and fill a need for someone else.
The Developmental Disabilities Division of OKDHS has always known the value of accomplishment 
and how it helps make a person feel whole.
To that end, Governor's Commendations are given out each year to people with Developmental Disabilities
who conquer huge obstacles in order to go out into the work force each day.
The commendations are also given out at a very special celebration to businesses that make it 
a practice to hire people with Developmental Disabilities.
Director Hendrick was on hand to congratulate the recipients.
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Awards were also the order of the day when the Oklahoma Child Support Enforcement Association
held their annual conference in November.
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Those weren't the only awards to be presented to people in Child Support Enforcement last month.
The North Oklahoma City Child Support Services Office was awarded the 2011 Excellence Award for Program Awareness 
by the Western Interstate Child Support Enforcement Council.
That body encompasses every child support enforcement program West of the Mississippi.
The North Oklahoma City Office was recognized for its Juneteenth Celebration and Scholarship community event.
This event reaches out to the public, childcare centers, churches, shelters and schools to raise awareness 
about families and child support.
With a scholarship attached to the event, interest is easy to garner and awareness is guaranteed.
This event has been successful for many years and this award is recognition of a job well done.
Another exciting event that took place over the last month was 
the OKDHS Swift Adoption Statewide Adoption Celebration.
Andrea Rue: I am honored to welcome each and every one of you to the 2011 Adoption Celebration.
In this past year we authorized 1,382 children for adoptive placements.
And 1,177 adoptions were finalized.
This accomplishment could not be achieved without everyone in this room.
Director Hendrick: If you go back to the last 5 years, 2006, '07, '08, '09 and '10 
and add up all the children from Oklahomawho were adopted you come to 7,121 children. 
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Director Hendrick (continues): Those are finalized adoptions.
If you divide that by 9.18, which is the number to 100,000 Oklahoma children there are, 
918,000 children in Oklahoma, that will give you the rate per 100,000 children.
Our rate per 100,000 children is about 755 children per 100,000 children 
were adopted in those 5 years and that rate is more than twice the national average.
It is the best rate of any state in the nation, so give yourselves a hand. 
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Director Hendrick (continues): We are so happy for all these children.
That's what it's all about. It's about the children.
They have a chance to really leave some really challenging environments 
and get to go live in some inspiring environments. It's about creating happy environments.
Environments that kids can flourish in and can grow in and we are all debtors to families 
who have stepped up to do that and we honor you.
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Mark Beutler: As soon as the Adoption Celebration was over, Director Hendrick sat down 
with a couple of adoptive families to record some interviews that will be used later 
in public service announcements. Be looking for those in the near future.
They're being put together by the Office of Communications
and are intended to further raise awareness of Swift Adoptions in Oklahoma.
Another high profile tool to raise awareness of adoption in Oklahoma is the Waiting Child Heart Gallery.
This project pairs professional photographers with children and sibling groups who are available for adoption.
The resulting photographs are framed and exhibited across the state in high traffic public spaces.
The traveling exhibit has been extremely successful in not only raising awareness 
but also in placing children with loving families.
Our own Linda Thomas tells us a little more about the exhibit.
Linda Thomas: It started in 2002 and it travels, like, for two years and then we do it again, 
like, from 2002 all the way to 2011 and we've done it about six times now.
But basically, it goes where people can see it and what they would do if they have the information there, 
so they know how to contact OKDHS Swift Adoptions to ask further questions.
So basically the photographers they say it's so gratifying to meet these children and it's just... 
they just can't describe it because the children are so neat.
And so they really want to do the best that they can for these children, photographing them so they can find a home.
You wouldn't believe this but probably the second round, we had a photographer that fell in love 
with a little boy that he ended up photographing and he ended up adopting him.
So that was a success story that we tell.
Mark Beutler: The traveling exhibit has been out on the road for about three months and continues through the Spring.
Let's take a quick look at the upcoming schedule.
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Well, that's about it for this month.
We'll be coming back with more news in January and we'll cover the December Human Services Commission meeting.
Because of the holiday season, the Commission meets once in early December 
as opposed to meeting twice right around holidays.
As we leave you today we want to share some photos of this year's Native American Heritage Celebration.
It was held just before Thanksgiving and, as usual, it was a colorful and memorable tribute 
to our Native American Population. Enjoy. We'll see you next time.
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