Potts Family Foundation Collaborates with Infant Mental Health Partners For Positive Impact on Lives of Oklahoma’s Young Children

 Potts Family Foundation is thrilled to announce two groundbreaking partnerships to enhance the organization's impact on the lives of young children in Oklahoma. The partnerships demonstrate the value of collaboration and bring together early childhood leaders in a shared mission to inspire innovation and leadership in Oklahoma.

Potts Family Foundation and the Oklahoma Association for Infant Mental Health (OKAIMH) have partnered to hire the first Executive Director of OKAIMH. Audra Haney will assume the role of executive director and will also lead Oklahoma’s Early Relational Health Corps as part of the Potts Family Foundation’s Know and Grow Oklahoma project funded by an ARPA contract with the Oklahoma State Department of Health. OKAIMH and the Early Relational Health Corps work to ensure Oklahoma professionals have the skills to support opportunities for all Oklahoma children to be emotionally healthy and equipped to learn.

"This partnership marks a significant milestone for both Potts Family Foundation and The Oklahoma Association for Infant Mental Health," said Ed Long, OKAIMH board member. "Together, we have the opportunity to create transformative solutions that will empower Oklahoma early childhood professionals and change the future for children."

The Potts Family Foundation also will partner with the Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness Foundation to support the Phil Dessauer Fellowship Program. This program pays tribute to the work of Phil Dessauer, Jr., who was a constant advocate for children and one of the founding members of the Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness. Designed to promote effective advocacy and provide opportunities for advocates, PFF and OPSRF will work alongside policymakers to benefit Oklahoma children.

The Phil Dessauer Fellowship includes a year-long internship for college students, offering an in-depth look and hands-on practice in building effective relationships and impacting policies related to early childhood. This new partnership between PFF and OPSRF strengthens the Fellowship by adding bi-weekly legislative updates to the early childhood community and participant mentorship opportunities. Anne Roberts, a long-time child advocate in Oklahoma, will monitor relevant legislation throughout the session and mentor fellows as they develop advocacy skills.

"We are excited to join forces with Potts Family Foundation to develop the next generation of child advocates in Oklahoma," said Carrie Williams, Executive Director of the Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness. "This partnership underscores our commitment to collaboration with other groups working to improve life for children in Oklahoma and to ensure that all children start school ready to learn."

For more information about these partnerships and the needs of young children in Oklahoma, please contact AJ Griffin at ajgriffin@pottsfamilyfoundation.org.

Potts Family Foundation is a private foundation focusing on providing support for sustainable early childhood initiatives with an emphasis on root causes; empowering people and organizations; impacting future as well as present human needs; leveraging resources for the greatest impact and securing sustainability and the potential replication of early childhood programs and services. The foundation was established in 1980 and is based in Oklahoma City.