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Something to Celebrate: By Susan Illgen 

Without opening the newspaper on the morning of July 3, I knew what the headlines would be. It had been a topic of the evening news and months of discussion. Like other families with teenage sports fans, we were excited to hear that Oklahoma would finally have an NBA team. With all of the celebration in my house, I still couldn't help feeling we are missing out on something bigger.  

This past year in Oklahoma almost half of our children under age 6 lived in poverty. Oklahoma had the eighth highest rate of births to teenage mothers in the nation. About 20 percent of our toddlers weren't fully immunized. Even worse, infant health rates landed us next to last nationwide.  

Since the 1990s, Oklahoma worsened in the number of infants born with low birth weights and confirmed more cases of child abuse by almost 10 percent. Oklahoma has almost doubled the number of children born with autism spectrum disorder since 2005. The percent of children without health insurance is staggeringly higher than the national average. The number of children living in foster care is almost double the national rate.  

How is this connected to an NBA team? The Minneapolis Federal Reserve has calculated the economic returns for owning a pro sports team in comparison to the returns from investing in early childhood - the results are far in favor of investing in the early years. The economic stimulus of recruiting and maintaining a pro sports team appeals to many folks in Oklahoma, but my take on this might be slightly different.  

There is no stronger or sounder investment a state can make than to invest in the health and well-being of its most vulnerable population. Research shows by kindergarten there is a tremendous difference between children who have had quality early-life experiences and those who have not. As a former kindergarten teacher it wasn't hard for me to see within the first few days of school which children had been read to, had good health care, and had strong relationships with adults. These children were ready to learn and do well in school.  

Yes, bringing an NBA team to Oklahoma will stimulate our economy. Yes, like many other Oklahomans I will be proud to cheer from the stands. But, we can't ignore the alarming condition that many of our young children live in and the need for sustained early childhood investments. The benefits of investing in young children leads to significant public and private benefits, with returns far exceeding the costs. Serving young children well leads to higher graduation rates, better paying jobs, bigger homes, better overall health, and reduced crime in adulthood - all of these having significant economic impact.  

So, when I read that morning's headlines, I couldn't help but dream of a day when Oklahomans stand together and say "We Made It" and "Deal Delivers" not just because we have an NBA team, but also because our investments have contributed to significant, positive changes in young children's outcomes.  

Susan Illgen is executive director of Smart Start Oklahoma.