OKLAHOMA COMPLETE HEALTH INVESTS $25,000 TO HELP TULSA FAMILIES ACCESS RESOURCES TO SUPPORT HEALTHY CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Date: 08/25/26
Oklahoma Complete Health is investing $25,000 to support early childhood literacy and healthy development for children and families in targeted Tulsa communities. The funding will allow Reach out and Read Oklahoma to grow programming that integrates books, shared reading and literacy into pediatric care. Additionally, the programming encourages family bonding by promoting time to connect without distractions, creating early literacy and lasting emotional bonds.
The initiative will serve families in Tulsa's Health Empowerment Zone (HEZ) zip codes (74106, 74110, 74115, 74126 and 74127), as well as zip code 74129, home to Fostering Hope Tulsa, Oklahoma Complete Health's designated Foster Care Center of Excellence (FCCOE). Including the FCCOE allows the program to connect children and families receiving care through this pediatric-focused site with resources to support early literacy and healthy child development.
"Early literacy is one of the strongest predictors of future health and educational success," said Oklahoma Complete Health CEO and President Clay Franklin. "By partnering with Reach Out and Read, we are helping families access resources that support healthy child development while strengthening connections between healthcare providers and the communities they serve. Shared reading helps build strong parent-child bonds, supports healthy brain development, and fosters a lifelong love of learning, setting children on a path toward long-term success."
Funding from Oklahoma Complete Health will support the distribution of developmentally appropriate books during well-child visits, provider training, program implementation and evaluation. The program is expected to reach approximately 2,500 well-child visits for children from birth through age five.
Through this partnership, Reach Out and Read will work with pediatric primary care clinics serving families to implement and sustain the program. Participating providers and clinic staff will receive continuing education training and ongoing support to ensure successful integration of literacy promotion into pediatric care. The organizations will work together throughout the program year to monitor progress, share community insights and identify opportunities to strengthen outcomes for children and families across Tulsa's HEZ.
"Reach Out and Read is excited to partner with Oklahoma Complete Health to bring the power of books and shared reading to more families," said Reach Out and Reach Oklahoma Director of Development Jordan Parsons. "Together, we can help children enter school ready to learn while supporting parents as their child's first and most important teachers."
This funding builds on Oklahoma Complete Health’s statewide investments including partnerships with Northside Neighbors, Urban League of Greater Oklahoma City and the McCurtain County Health Department. The HEZ model is a community-led process that includes a needs assessment and leverages existing resources to implement a data-driven plan of action to address conditions preventing people from being as healthy as possible.