Oklahoma Child Care Association

09/04/2026

Nearly half of children under 6 in America live in a child care desert.

And when families can’t find care, babies and toddlers miss out, too.

High-quality child care means trusted relationships, predictable routines and opportunities to learn and grow during the years when brains develop at an incredible pace.

Child care is more than a workforce support. It’s a critical investment in healthy child development. Dive deeper: https://bit.ly/4qA3PNn

08/28/2026

INFO ON THE NEW EBT PROCESS!!!!!

The Oklahoma Office of Fiscal transparency released a report today after reviewing the OKDHS Child Care Subsidy System. The report did credit Oklahoma for having better system than Minnesota but found areas for improvement for subsidy payment processing and attendance tracking.

The report mentioned that a new attendance tracking system is in the works and shared the information below. This is the most current information regarding the pending replacement for EBT.

DHS is moving to a new electronic attendance system that officials said will:

○ Geofence phone-based check-ins to the provider’s location;
○ Allow check-in through tablets located at childcare facilities;
○ Photograph the individual completing a tablet-based check-in;
○ Give DHS attendance information within approximately 24 hours, allowing nightly analysis for irregularities.

● DHS originally targeted October 1, 2026, for rollout, but technical issues delayed implementation. Officials said there is no firm launch date and that the agency now hopes the system will go live around the beginning of 2027.

08/28/2026

Oklahoma’s Department of Human Services is implementing new measures to address fraud in its childcare system following an investigation by the Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency. FULL STORY⬇️

08/10/2026

I been sayin’ this. Our employers need us to make sure the childcare industry is strong and stable so their employees have affordable quality childcare!

08/06/2026

Application link is in the comments...

07/01/2026

Child care subsidies are supposed to help families afford care, but our latest report finds that in many states, subsidies don’t even cover what providers charge, let alone what it costs to deliver care.

Examining the Gaps: Child Care Prices, Costs, and Subsidies analyzes state market rate surveys and cost analyses across all 50 states and Washington, D.C. The findings are stark: across most states with available data, subsidy rates fall below both market prices and the true cost of providing care.

This is about structural underfunding with consequences for every part of the system. When subsidies don’t cover costs, providers can’t afford to accept families who rely on them. When prices don’t reflect costs, programs operate at a loss. When neither is fixed, the system erodes.

https://hubs.li/Q04n5R4f0

06/30/2026

“What is surprising is that despite Republican claims that we’re open for business, Oklahoma is not willing to make the financial investment needed to shore up our childcare industry when it is so critical to the economy.”

This quote really hits the nail on the head. Full story below:

If lawmakers really want to prove they’re open for business, they would fork out the cash to operate their own center.

06/03/2026

A new bill is moving in the House that could do far more harm to child care than the fraud it claims to stop.

The House is set to vote TODAY on H.R. 7726, the Stop Child Care Scams Act of 2026, and the window to act is closing fast. The bill cleared the House Rules Committee yesterday, putting it on track for a full floor vote this afternoon. This is the moment child care advocates have been preparing for, and your voice has never mattered more.

Child Care Aware® of America is a not-for-profit organization recognized as tax-exempt under the internal revenue code section 501(c)(3) and the organization’s Federal Identification Number (EIN) is 94-3060756.

05/31/2026

Parents say the cost of childcare exceeds mortgages, drains their savings and, in some cases, forces them out of the workforce. Click the link in our comments to see what our National Consumer Unit uncovered while examining the rising cost of childcare ⬇️

05/29/2026

Message from the National Child Care Association:

The childcare crisis in America is no longer a future concern—it is happening now. Providers are being stretched beyond capacity, educators continue to leave the workforce, and families are being forced to make impossible choices between their careers and the care their children need. Without immediate and meaningful federal action, these challenges will continue to deepen in communities nationwide.

That is why the National Child Care Association (NCCA) is intensifying its federal advocacy efforts with renewed urgency and determination. Local innovation and state-level partnerships are critical, but they cannot carry this burden alone. We need sustained federal investment, practical regulatory reform, and long-term policy solutions that recognize child care and early education as essential infrastructure for our nation's economic stability and future workforce.

NCCA remains committed to standing alongside State Association Leaders, child care owners, educators, families, and business leaders to ensure Congress and federal policymakers hear directly from those on the front lines of this crisis. The voices of providers and working families must not only be heard, they must drive the conversation and the solutions. It is for this reason we ask you, the parents in your center, and the educators in your classrooms to TAKE ACTION TODAY by simply clicking on the link below to send your federal legislators an urgent message to increase the CCDF funding for FY2027.

Your voice is needed to expand and sustain federal support for families, children, and our economy.