New Hope Oklahoma

PROJECT PURPOSE

New Hope Oklahoma is a Tulsa-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to providing services to children enduring the emotional and developmental hardship of having a parent in prison. Our programs consist of summer camps, after school programs, family gatherings, and case management services. We stand in the gap and provide quality programs that meet the emotional and psychological needs of children of prisoners and provide opportunities and services not offered in the traditional education system. All programs are offered free of charge to qualifying children. The negative effects of parental incarceration on minor children are compelling, and the problems that each child faces are numerous. Recent studies have suggested that compared to their matched peers, children of incarcerated parents are at risk for a range of adverse outcomes throughout life including serious academic and disciplinary problems in school as well as mental and physical health problems. Our strength-based programs are designed to develop children's intellectual, social, and emotional competencies and promote healthy decision-making and critical thinking skills. Our evidence-based curricula are designed specifically to address the needs of our unique population. Year after year we have seen increases in child outcomes through our programs.

EVIDENCE

New Hope?s programs utilize evidence-based mental health strategies such as trauma informed care in support groups designed specifically for this population. The empirically-based curriculum ?Empowering Children of Incarcerated Parents? authored by three licensed clinical social workers is utilized in after-school programs. Throughout all our programs, we utilize the model of the Five Promises: positive adults, safe places with constructive use of time, healthy development, effective education, and opportunities to make a difference by helping others. Additionally, our leadership sits on the OCCY Children of Incarcerated Parents Advisory Committee and stays up to date on best practices relative to our population.

POPULATION DESCRIPTION

The damage caused to children and families of the incarcerated coupled with the perpetuation of the cycle of intergenerational incarceration are arguably the most destructive and pervasive elements of the current penal structure in Oklahoma. Children of incarcerated parents face staggering odds of adverse outcomes throughout life. These children are exposed to nearly five times as many other ACEs as their counterparts without incarcerated parents, and these statistically significant differences persist after adjusting for demographic and socioeconomic characteristics (Turney, 2019). Maternal and paternal incarcerations have also resulted in a reduced likelihood that children will complete high school and have been independently associated with learning disabilities, behavioral or conduct problems, developmental delays, physical health problems, and speech or language problems. The pandemic brought a host of new struggles and needs to our population as a whole. Last year most of our families struggled with virtual learning, and we pivoted to address this need. Due to the extreme economic hardship confronting our caregivers as well as the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on communities of color, New Hope delivered or distributed groceries to our families throughout the year. Our community and children were also impacted by Oklahoma Department of Corrections closings, as children have been unable to visit or physically see their incarcerated parent(s).

PERFORMANCE MEASURING

New Hope has found that children who spend one year in our programs have seen increases in social and emotional development, connectedness to school, and statistically significant increase in hope. This year we will collect both qualitative and quantitative data to evaluate results. Through our partnership with The Opportunity Project, we have a data-sharing MOU relative to participants from Tulsa Public Schools which aims to capture attendance, behavior and academic progress. We will measure all program participants through: paired t-tests for skill development in SEL, the Youth Program Quality Assessment from the Weikert Center, and end of year caregiver surveys.

ONGOING INVESTMENT AMOUNT

$

ONGOING INVESTMENT DESCRIPTION

None

ONGOING INVESTMENT REQUIRED

Able to continue operation without additional funding from the State of Oklahoma