04/06/2026
Today, April 6, child care providers across Oklahoma take yet another hit.
A $5 per day, per child cut for children age 5 and under goes into effect—on top of the $5 per day, per child (age 6 and older) that has already been in place since November. At the same time, children ages 9–12 are no longer being approved or renewed for care. And beginning this summer, subsidy eligibility will drop from 85% to 55% of state median income—impacting an estimated 5,500+ families.
Let’s be clear—this is NOT:
❌ Providers being “dependent” on subsidy
❌ Owners making poor business decisions
❌ Families abusing the system
This IS:
✔️ Working families
✔️ First responders
✔️ Single parents
✔️ Young parents
✔️ Our neighbors
✔️ Our workforce
We are watching programs close at record numbers.
We are watching entire communities lose their only licensed child care options.
We are watching some of Oklahoma’s largest and longest-standing programs—40+ years of service—shut their doors.
This is no longer something we can put on the back burner.
We can’t say it’s exaggerated.
We can’t say it’s not happening.
It’s here. It’s now.
So what happens next?
What happens when young children are no longer in licensed care—where safety, accountability, and standards are required?
If licensing exists to protect children, how does it make sense to push them into unlicensed settings?
Is it safe for 9-year-olds to be home alone this summer while parents work?
What about the increased risk of accidents?
What about neglect?
What about abuse?
What about trafficking and predators who look for vulnerable, unsupervised children?
These are not scare tactics. These are real concerns.
And the consequences will not wait.
Oklahoma must make child care a priority.
Oklahoma must stand with providers.
For our workforce.
For our communities.
For our future.
For our children—our most vulnerable population.
