Recent Developments in Oklahoma Child Care - post

New Law Offers Free Child Care to Early Childhood Educators

In 2025, Oklahoma passed a new law aimed at helping solve the ongoing shortage of #early-childhood- #educators. Under House Bill 2778, #staff working at licensed child care facilities in Oklahoma will now be eligible for free child care for their own children. 

The program — managed by Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness (OPSR) in cooperation with Oklahoma Human Services (OKDHS) — is expected to help attract and retain #early-childhood workers, and in turn increase capacity for families needing care.

By offering child care at no cost to #educators-themselves, the law hopes to make the profession more attractive and stabilize staffing levels — a critical piece for expanding quality child care access. 

Quality Standards, Accreditation, and New Deadlines

Quality of care remains a priority in Oklahoma. The state’s child care quality‐rating framework, commonly called the QRIS (Quality Rating and Improvement System) or “Stars Program,” recently underwent revisions that affect how child care providers earn and maintain their top ratings. 

• As of 2025, 5-star child care programs are now required to obtain national accreditation from a recognized accrediting body, rather than relying on state-only criteria. 

• The original accreditation deadline was April 10, 2025; after receiving feedback from providers, the state reopened the submission portal and extended the deadline to June 20, 2025. 

• For programs still working toward accreditation, there is a possibility to request an extension — up to December 31, 2025, or longer if they show substantial progress. 

• To support providers in meeting the new standards, the state allocated federal Preschool Development Grant (PDG) funds to cover costs such as self-study kits, accreditation materials, and to offer regional support through resource offices. 

These changes reflect a commitment by OKDHS and OPSR to raise the quality of early childhood care across the state — but they also present challenges for smaller or under-resourced providers who must navigate the accreditation process in a relatively short time. 

Addressing the Workforce Shortage: The “Strong Start” Program

To help rebuild and expand Oklahoma’s child care workforce, OPSR and OKDHS launched the Oklahoma Strong Start Program. This initiative — authorized by House Bill 2778 — provides free child care benefits to eligible staff working in licensed child care facilities. 

The idea is straightforward: by reducing one big cost burden for early childhood workers (the cost of child care for their own children), the program could make working in child care more attractive, especially given low pay levels and historically high turnover. 

OPSR’s #leaders described the program as a “practical, targeted step” to address workforce shortages and help ensure that more children and families across Oklahoma can access reliable, affordable care. 

Changes to Subsidies and Support for Families

Subsidies remain a key component of making child care accessible for many Oklahoma families — especially those with limited income. The state currently manages a subsidy program that works in tandem with QRIS: child care providers serve subsidy-eligible families, and their star rating affects reimbursement rates. 

However, not all subsidy support has remained intact. Recently, Oklahoma Human Services announced it will end a Covid-era subsidy add-on of $5 per day for school-age children (ages 6+). New applications and renewals for school-age children will be paused until federal funding is restored — though subsidies for infants, #toddlers, and #preschool-age children will continue. 

For families and providers serving school-age children, this represents a financial strain. Providers may receive lower funding for older children, potentially affecting their capacity or forcing them to re-evaluate services.

What This Means for Families and Providers

For Child Care Providers

• Providers must act quickly if they are aiming to keep a 5-star rating: obtain or apply for national accreditation or request a deadline extension. The extended June 20, 2025 submission date offers some breathing room, but accreditation remains the key to maintain top funding levels.

• The “Strong Start” program could help relieve staffing challenges by making #early-childhood-education jobs more attractive to prospective and current caregivers.

• Providers may need to reassess their budgeting, staffing, and operations in light of changing accreditation requirements and subsidy shifts — especially if serving school-age children who lose the Covid-era add-on.

For Families and Parents

• The #free-child-care benefit for early childhood workers doesn’t directly affect families seeking care — but it may improve availability over time if workforce stability improves.

• For families relying on subsidies for older children (6+), the recent pause and subsidy cuts may reduce access or increase costs — at least until federal funding returns.

• Families looking for high-quality care will benefit from the state’s increased emphasis on accreditation and quality standards, potentially leading to more consistent, professional child care across Oklahoma.

Continuing Investments in Early Childhood: Grants and Support Mechanisms

Beyond accreditation and subsidies, the state is investing in long-term improvements to early childhood care and education.

• Through the federal Preschool Development Grant Birth Through Five (PDG B-5), administered by OPSR and OKDHS, Oklahoma is working to strengthen its early childhood care and education (ECCE) system — supporting workforce #development, family and #parent #engagement, program quality, and seamless access for children ages birth to five. 

• As part of these efforts, OPSR recently announced nearly $2.25 million in grants to fund #outdoor learning environment improvements ( #playgrounds, outdoor spaces) across 27 licensed child care programs statewide. 

• Additional grant opportunities remain open. For example, a recent Request for Proposals (RFP) under the “Community Child Care Capacity and Quality Grants” program seeks to help licensed child care providers expand capacity and improve quality via funding for materials, resources, inclusive curricula, and support for children with disabilities. 

These investments suggest that Oklahoma is attempting a comprehensive approach: not just addressing immediate staffing or subsidy issues — but building infrastructure, training, and environments that support long-term quality and access.

Challenges and Concerns

Despite the positive steps, there are real concerns and challenges facing Oklahoma’s child care system:

• Some providers worry the accreditation requirements and deadlines are too ambitious, especially given that obtaining national accreditation is often a lengthy and expensive process. 

• For small, family-based or at- #home-child-care-providers, regulatory changes can be especially burdensome. Although another recent law House Bill 1847 eased certain requirements — for example, removing the need for costly sprinkler systems at some home-based child care centers — navigating licensing and accreditation remains a challenge. 

• The pause on school-age child care subsidies creates uncertainty for families and providers relying on that support; until federal funding returns, many older children may lack access to affordable care. 

What to Watch Next

• Whether providers can meet accreditation deadlines or successfully apply for extensions — and how many programs end up with reduced star ratings.

• The impact of the “Strong Start” program: will free child care for educators help stabilize workforce shortages and increase capacity?

• If and when subsidies for school-age children are restored, and how that affects demand, availability, and staffing at child care centers.

• Implementation of grants under PDG B-5 and other initiatives — whether they lead to lasting improvements in program quality, capacity, and access.

Additional Resources

For child care providers — whether you’re running a center, a home-based day care, or considering becoming licensed — there are resources and training opportunities available online. A good place to start: check out this training: ChildCareEd.com Training Page.

For helpful resources (forms, guidance, provider supports), you can visit this resource page at ChildCareEd: ChildCareEd.com Resources Page.

And for articles, guides, and deeper dives on child care topics, you might find something useful here: ChildCareEd.com Articles.

You can also follow ChildCareEd’s social-media updates for news and ongoing resources — for example, on Instagram.