Oklahoma

Mothering in the Red Dirt State

Oklahoma has had some success in reducing teen pregnancies, down from 15.9 percent of total births in 2000 to 13.1 percent in 2005. Births to unmarried women are on the rise, however, and the percentage of low birthweight babies is increasing. Infant mortality rates went down slightly between 2000 and 2004. Both marriage and divorce rates increased from 2000 to 2005. The Oklahoma Toddler Survey administered by the Maternal and Child Health Service from the Oklahoma State Department of Health reported that 10.5 percent of toddlers (aged 2) were without health insurance on their second birthday, and of those who were insured, nearly half were covered by a Medicaid plan. Approximately 20 percent of non-elderly women in Oklahoma are also uninsured. This number rises to 24 percent when it is limited to women with dependents.

Oklahoma does have expanded coverage under Medicaid to cover family planning expenses for both men and women age 19 and older. Breast and cervical screening (but not presumptive eligibility) is also covered. Oklahoma provides federal funding for abortion only in cases where there is life endangerment, rape, or incest. The state of Oklahoma provides regulation, licensing, and supervision for childcare centers and family home daycare providers. They also provide a database of information regarding monitoring of childcare facilities and a link to childcare resource and referral services throughout the state.

The state of Oklahoma has produced a wide variety of accomplished women, including diplomat Jeanne Kirkpatrick, astronaut Shannon Lucid, singer Reba McEntire, Cherokee chief Wilma Mankiller, [Page 943]young-adult author S.E. Hinton, Chief of the Seminoles Alice Brown Davis, singer Patti Page, gymnast Shannon Miller, and integration pioneer Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher.