In Tulsa County on any given day, over 700 infants and toddlers age 0-3 wake up each morning in the legal care of the Department of Human Services. These children have been placed in foster care because they have experienced some type of abuse and/or neglect in their family of origin. Early childhood is a critically important time for a growing baby. The experiences that infants and toddlers have in the first few years of life determine the strength of their foundation for all growth, development, and learning to come. These Tulsa County children are at significant risk for disrupted development and attachment. Safety, well-being, and permanency must be achieved as soon as possible to protect them from a host of negative outcomes, and to give them the best chance to become strong, healthy children, successful adults, productive citizens, and loving parents themselves one day.
