Oklahoma
Working families in Oklahoma need accessible, affordable, quality child care and early learning opportunities for their children.
Currently, federal and state early learning programs reach thousands of young children and their families in Oklahoma. But too many working families in Oklahoma are missing out. As a direct result of child care issues, the Oklahoma economy loses millions of dollars each year in the form of lost earnings, productivity, and revenue.
There are 300K children ages 5 and under in Oklahoma – 60% of these children have all available parents in the workforce.
The typical annual cost of child care for an infant in Oklahoma is around $10,000.
The Child Care and Development Block Grant only reaches 25% of eligible families in Oklahoma. (This federal program helps low-income parents afford child care.)
On average, child care providers in Oklahoma earn just $25,890 a year; this can make it a challenge to recruit and retain this workforce, leading to supply issues.
Oklahoma’s economy loses $1.2B annually due to child care challenges.
Oklahoma: In The Headlines
Letter: Working families need added child care in proposed federal legislation
The Oklahoman | aPRIL 26, 2025
Sen. James Lankford, of Oklahoma, can help prioritize the needs of working families by including these provisions in the upcoming tax package.
Shortage of childcare felt across Oklahoma
KOCO | November 14, 2024
A shortage of childcare in Oklahoma comes down to basic supply and demand, more children needing care than caregivers and facilities can handle.
Boost in federal dollars could strengthen prenatal, early childhood Oklahoma home visiting services
KGOU | december 5, 2024
The federal government is increasing funding for a program that offers families free, voluntary home visits by health professionals from pregnancy to kindergarten.
Oklahoma Resources & News
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