Firm Foundation Child Development

03/06/2026

FUNNY FRIDAY

We wont name the student, But you can make your guesses ;)

03/05/2026

DID YOU KNOW?

Childcare centers are one of the only businesses where the government controls:
* how many customers you can serve
* how many employees you must hire
* how much space you must have
* the equipment you must have in your building (including the type of toys and the number of toys)

In Oklahoma, a classroom must meet space requirements, the mandatory training, AND teacher ratios before a single child can enroll.

That means childcare providers cannot simply increase enrollment to cover rising costs.

The math simply doesn’t work without better support for childcare.

03/03/2026

We absolutely love all our kids and families! We want the best for them and strive every day to do the most for them. Without Lindsey's heart and desire to make things better for children in our community, we wouldn't have the facility we do today.

✨Celebrating Inspiring Child Care Women✨

Lindsey Thomas

Lindsey was nominated as an inspiring child care businesswoman for her dedication to creating a warm and welcoming environment for children and families. As Owner of Firm Foundation Child Development Center in Bartlesville, she works every day to ensure children feel at home while learning, exploring, and growing.

Her favorite thing about working with children is “it’s impossible to name just one thing. One of my favorite things is when I realize the kids in our center feel like they’re at home. There’s never a boring day, and you can always count on one of the littles to put a smile on your face.” Lindsey’s favorite children’s book is Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney.

Thank you, Lindsey, for making a difference in the lives of Oklahoma’s children! 💜

02/27/2026

DO PARENTS REALLY CARE ABOUT LESSON PLANS!?

DID YOU KNOW!?

In a 5-Star licensed childcare center in Oklahoma, lesson planning isn’t just writing down a few activities or crafts.

Every single day, teachers must align plans to the Oklahoma Early Learning Guidelines (ELGs). We must document individualized goals…. We must plan teacher-led physical activities. We must create small group, large group, and child-led experiences. We must modify for special needs. We must assess and collect data. We must adjust plans based on developmental outcomes. We must maintain documentation for compliance and review.

And we must do this In every classroom. Every week.

By the time we finish planning, documenting, entering data, and proving that we taught, the day is almost over.

As teachers, we often feel like we spend more time justifying our teaching than actually sitting on the floor, reading the book, building the tower, or having the conversation that truly matters.

Here’s the honest question:
Do parents even care about the lesson plans for children, especially infants? Or do they care that their child feels safe? Loved? Seen? Someone that sits on the floor with them with real intention and listens to their stories?

Because the paperwork doesn’t hug a child. The assessment system doesn’t wipe tears. The ELG alignment chart doesn’t teach empathy.

Teachers are drowning in documentation while trying to deliver heart-centered care. At what point do we ask whether the system is measuring what truly matters? Childcare teachers are professionals, but we are also human. And the balance is breaking.

02/26/2026

DID YOU KNOW!?

Over 70% of Oklahoma children under age 6 have both parents in the workforce, and 310,000 children in Oklahoma live in single-parent households, which is about 35% of all children in the state.

Children under age 5 in single-parent households often face:
•Higher rates of economic stress and poverty
•More caregiving demands on the parent
•Greater need for reliable childcare while the parent works
•Greater benefit from early learning environments and social interaction

Oklahoma often has more children than available licensed childcare slots, and high costs consume a large portion of a single parent’s income — roughly 32 % of the median income for a single parent. When childcare is hard to find or too expensive, parents are often forced to choose between working and caring for their children. This can lead to falling under the poverty line and staying there.

This means that without reliable childcare, parents cannot work consistently.

If we care about workforce development, we must care about early childhood.
If we care about education, we must start before kindergarten.
If we care about Oklahoma’s future, we must protect and strengthen childcare.

This isn’t optional.
It’s infrastructure.

02/25/2026

DID YOU KNOW!?

In Oklahoma, a typical full-time teacher in a licensed childcare center may be required to complete: 30 hours of annual professional development, plus mandatory recurring certifications including but not limited to:
• Pediatric CPR & First Aid
• Safe Sleep training
• Mandatory Reporter Training
• Emergency preparedness training
• Health & sanitation updates
• Professional development in:
o Child development
o Curriculum implementation
o Behavior guidance
o Inclusion and special needs
o Family engagement

For programs such as ours that is Nationally accrediated documentation and training expectations may increase further.

Now consider a typical full-time childcare teacher schedule:
• 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM
• 5 days per week
• Limited uninterrupted breaks
• Year-round employment

Most in-person trainings are offered:
•Weekdays from 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM, often hours away in bigger cities.
•Occasionally a training may start at 6:00 PM, after a full shift

Most online trainings:
•Must be completed on personal time
•Take 2–4 hours per module
•Are completed after working a 10-hour day

This means required professional development is frequently completed:
•At night
•On weekends
•Or during unpaid personal time

Public school teachers:
•Have professional development days built into contracts
•Receive paid in-service days
•Have access to substitute coverage
•Operate under structured school calendars

Childcare teachers:
•Must maintain state-mandated staff-to-child ratios at all times
•Cannot leave classrooms without approved coverage
•Often work in centers that cannot afford float staff

If one teacher leaves for training:
•Another staff member works overtime
•The director covers the classroom
•Or ratios are strained

The Math:
40 hours of required training equals:
• five full 8-hour workdays
OR
•40 additional hours added to a 40-hour workweek

This training is required to maintain compliance, star ratings, subsidy reimbursement eligibility.

The intention of training is valid — children deserve skilled, educated early childhood professionals.
However, the current system often:
•Requires professional-level training without professional-level compensation, without built-in professional development time, without substitutes, and without reimbursements.

The result is:
Increased burnout, Higher turnover, staffing shortages, and reduced childcare for Oklahoma families.

02/25/2026

We would love to give a shout out and huge thank you to Shayla Lynn Stark for always helping us with our fish tank in the Prek room! We ask questions and next thing we know she is fixing the issues and donating everything we need for the tank including the fish 🐟! We appreciate all your help and guidance so this class can enjoy this learning experience!

02/20/2026

DID YOU KNOW?

Families contracted with DHS must attend childcare at least 16 days per month for the center to receive payment.
There are no exceptions — including:
* Family vacations
* Illness
* Custody schedules
* Parents having time off work

This puts providers in an impossible position. We are expected to tell parents their child has to come to daycare — even when a parent has the day off and wants to spend time with their own child. Childcare should support families, not force them to choose between bonding time and keeping their provider paid.

Childcare works best when families and providers are partners. Policies should protect that partnership — not strain it.

02/20/2026

Special days this week 🫶

02/19/2026

Looking for a summer job?
Now is the time to secure that spot with the best team around town. Our team is growing little bundles of joy and we need help while they take that time to bond together. Please give Nicole a call or send your resume to Firmfoundationcdc@gmail.com.

02/18/2026

DID YOU KNOW?

When childcare providers are shorted or not paid by the Oklahoma Department of Human Services (OKDHS) for contracted subsidy payments, there is often no clear explanation, no timely resolution, and no direct contact person to answer where the money went or why it wasn’t paid.

Providers deliver the care.
Children are served.
Staff are paid.
Lights stay on.

Yet small businesses cannot operate on missing or inconsistent payments.

What makes this even more concerning is that the State of Oklahoma does not typically treat other businesses contracted with them this way. For example, medical providers contracted under Medicaid or other state-funded healthcare programs operate within structured billing systems, clear reimbursement processes, and defined contacts for resolving payment disputes.

Childcare providers deserve that same level of accountability, transparency, and professional partnership.

We are not asking for special treatment.
We are asking for fair treatment.

DO BETTER OKLAHOMA!