Launched in 1983 by a group of private citizens, the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) was established to create a strong, statewide network that provides a voice for the needs of children in Oklahoma. It was founded particularly to advocate for those in the state’s care and those growing up amid poverty, violence, abuse and neglect, or other situations that put their lives and futures at risk.
OICA has worked for over four decades to inform and educate state policymakers about the importance of investing wisely in children and families. The institute works with state policymakers and agencies, alongside health, education, business and community organizations.
As the CEO of OICA, Joe Dorman says that the organization’s “entire mission is to raise awareness and encourage people to take action. OICA was created as a result of horrific conditions that happened in a Tecumseh juvenile detention center in the late ’70s and early 1980s.”
These conditions, which were exposed in an investigative report by national news media outlets, were dubbed Oklahoma Shame, and “spurred child advocates from every corner of the state into action to create an organization whose mission was to ensure the protection of Oklahoma’s children,” according to the OICA website.
“We’ve worked diligently to change the thought process from a correction system to a rehabilitation system,” Dorman says. “We don’t want children involved in the justice system. We want to try and help them course correct, and become productive citizens with the help and attention they need.”
Dorman adds that OICA works hard in the foster care system to try and bring about positive changes to make sure children receive the best resources possible to make their foster system stay positive.
“We do what we can to make sure we constantly improve the foster care system,” he says.
During the 2025 Oklahoma legislative session, the OICA saw two crucial pieces of legislation become law. One new law makes it illegal for schools to use corporal punishment for certain students with special needs under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Another allows the state to enter private facilities and investigate issues of abuse in situations where the state houses children.
“Child abuse and neglect should not just be a grave concern,” says Dorman. “It should be a call to action for every person to do what they can to help those youngest among us.”
Dorman says OICA is involved in a constant battle to make sure the State of Oklahoma handles the treatment of children in a proper manner.
“We’ll see a backslide on oversights, and that’s where we have to be there to make sure we’re remaining vigilant on those issues, and empowering citizens to speak up and address the needs,” he says. “We raise awareness on issues and help people navigate the political process to help people see positive changes that impact children.”
How to Help
“If you suspect a child is being abused, or if you are a victim and reading this, please call the statewide abuse and neglect hotline at 1-800-522-3511,” says Dorman. “If you are interested in becoming a foster parent for a child, please go to okfosters.org to learn more. We need more people who can help these children in need,” says Dorman.
