2026 Oklahoma Poll: Voters Say Child Care Costs Add to Affordability Crisis, Want Action

OKLAHOMA— With just one week until the midterm elections, new statewide polling from UpONE Insights, conducted on behalf of the First Five Years Fund and the Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness, finds that the high cost of child care is a significant part of broader affordability concerns among Oklahoma voters. Voters across party lines are concerned about families’ ability to find and afford quality care and express strong, bipartisan support for lawmakers to take action to make child care more affordable and accessible. The findings also underscore an opportunity for lawmakers to expand access to affordable child care, helping families manage costs, strengthening the workforce, and supporting Oklahoma’s economy.

For Oklahoma voters, affordability is top of mind. 

Asked what two issues were most important to their families, Oklahoma voters overwhelmingly said lowering the cost of living (57%) followed by a better economy with more jobs (33%). The findings underscore the financial pressures facing families across the state, including: 

• 49% are unable to pay their full credit card bill every month
• 38% have difficulty accessing or paying for health care
• 33% are unable to save money for the future due to child care costs
• 31% are cutting back on essentials to afford child care

And child care costs are part of this affordability challenge.

Oklahoma voters across party lines overwhelmingly agree that finding and affording quality child care is a serious challenge for working families.

• More than 70% of voters believe the ability of working parents to be able to find and afford quality child care is either “in a state of crisis” or a “major problem”, including 62% of Republicans, 68% of independents, and 94% of Democrats.

This has real implications for families. 

• Almost half of voters are concerned that young families may leave Oklahoma or choose not to have children because they cannot find affordable child care.

Child care is closely connected to Oklahoma’s workforce and economy.

Oklahoma voters also recognize the broader economic benefits of expanding access to quality child care, including its role in helping parents enter and remain in the workforce.

• Nearly three-quarters (73%) say increasing access to quality child care would help strengthen Oklahoma’s economy and workforce, including 63% of Republicans, 75% of Independents, and 92% of Democrats. 
• 42% of voters agree that labor shortages throughout the state are due in part to the lack of quality, affordable child care.
• More than one-third of voters say they or someone they know would consider entering the workforce if quality child care were available.
• Fully one-third of Oklahoma voters say child care challenges impact their workplace.

Child care matters to Oklahoma voters at the ballot box.

Oklahoma voters want to know where candidates stand on supporting working families with young children.

• Fully 72% of Oklahoma voters say a candidate’s plans to support working families with young children will be important in deciding whom to vote for, including 61% of Republicans, 85% of Independents, and 82% of Democrats.

Oklahoma voters support state and federal investment in child care. 

FEDERAL POLICIES

Oklahoma voters also support a federal role in helping working families access and afford quality child care and early learning opportunities.

• 75% of voters support Head Start, including 67% of Republicans, 77% of Independents, and 92% of Democrats.
• Nearly two-thirds of voters believe federal funding for child care and early learning programs for low-income working families is a good investment of taxpayer dollars.
• Over half of Oklahoma voters support the Child Care Modernization Act, including 46% of Republicans, 56% of Independents, and 83% of Democrats. The bipartisan legislation would strengthen the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), the federal program that helps low-income working families afford child care.

STATE POLICIES

• There is very strong support (73%) for Oklahoma having a state and federally funded program to help eligible working families afford child care while parents work or attend school. 
• There is strong opposition (62%) to reducing the number of children served by Oklahoma’s child care assistance program or allowing funding to lapse. 
• There is strong support (78%) for businesses in the state helping employees pay for child care costs as an employee benefit. 

Bottom Line

The results point to a clear message from Oklahoma voters: making child care more affordable and accessible is a priority that cuts across party lines, and families want state and federal leaders to work together on meaningful solutions.