OKDHS Forms Workgroup to Restore Child Care after Tornadoes

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Severe storms and tornadoes that hit Oklahoma in May resulted in 19 licensed child care homes and facilities being damaged or destroyed.  All staff and children in those facilities are accounted for and safe. The Oklahoma Department of Human Services (OKDHS) is working with federal and regional partners, forming a Child Care Recovery Workgroup to help with restoring child care capacity and infrastructure in the affected communities.

The “Workgroup” concept was developed in response to the May, 2011 tornado disaster in Joplin, Missouri, and put in place in Oklahoma immediately following the tornadoes of May 18-20, 2013.

“Right after the tornadoes, our DHS child care licensing staff immediately began contacting providers to check on their status and safety,” said Lesli Blazer, Director of OKDHS Child Care Services. “We partially credit our strong licensing requirements on tornado drills in making sure children and providers knew exactly what to do when the tornadoes hit, and therefore no lives were lost.”

Just after the storms, OKDHS set up the Workgroup, partnering with the Administration for Children and Families; the Office of Child Care; Region Six Office of Regional Operations; Office of Human Services Emergency Preparedness and Response; the Child Care Technical Assistance Network; Save the Children; FEMA, and the Child Care Resource and Referral Agency.

“The Workgroup is setting up a fund to accept monetary donations and has provided grants to programs to replace or repair items that were lost or damaged,” Blazer said. “They are also working with several local YMCA’s to open summer programs to provide children a safe place to go while their parents are working on storm clean up.  We are also implementing a long-term program in child care for crisis counseling,” she added.

Providers continue looking for alternate locations to resume child care, and OKDHS is working with them individually to facilitate that. Several large centers have already reopened, and OKDHS Licensing staff has increased the capacity of other programs that are willing and able to accept children displaced from their regular facilities.

Parents who are trying to locate child care should contact Oklahoma Child Care Resource and Referral at (405) 942-5001 or 1-888-962-2772.

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