From Breakfast Burritos to Legal Hope: Oklahoma's Fight Against Attorney Deserts in Child Welfare

Oklahoma is stepping up its game in the child welfare arena by addressing the alarming shortage of attorneys available to represent struggling families. The Family Representation Advocacy Program (FRAP) is on a mission to ensure that parents and children don’t just feel like numbers in the system. With innovative strategies like providing higher compensation for lawyers—and yes, even tempting them with breakfast burritos—Oklahoma aims to break down the walls of attorney deserts.

For many parents, the lack of adequate legal representation has left them feeling hopeless after their children are removed from their custody. Constance Bear’s experience, where a simple packet of information served as her only support, shows how dire this situation can be. FRAP is working toward a solution, though. By providing quality training and ensuring living wages for attorneys, it hopes to create a more effective support system for families caught in the web of child welfare cases.

But it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. There’s still a $5.5 million funding gap that needs to be addressed for the program to reach all 77 counties in Oklahoma. For now, FRAP operates in only 50 counties, leaving many families without the support they need. As Bear highlights, the journey to reunification is daunting, but with programs like FRAP, there’s a glimmer of hope for families yearning for a brighter future—and that’s a cause worth rallying behind!