DHS school readiness report finds gaps in quality early learning and child care for some Oklahoma counties

OKLAHOMA CITY -- More than one-fourth of Oklahoma’s children under age six reside in counties where the risk of starting kindergarten unready to learn is high, yet access to early intervention programs is lower than the rest of the state. That’s according to a new report released by the Oklahoma Department of Human Services (DHS).

The report examines 10 risk factors including poverty, low maternal education, limited English skills, and child maltreatment—all factors that are known to inhibit children’s brain development and social and emotional skills. County-level risk rankings are compared to enrollments in early education programs, such as Head Start and Oklahoma’s universal pre-kindergarten, and several child care indicators, including availability of quality care.

Among the report’s key findings:

• Of Oklahoma’s 77 counties, 59 have high rates of children experiencing at least one risk factor known to inhibit development.



• Approximately 57 percent of the state’s three to five year olds are enrolled in Head Start, with programs located in every county, but only six percent of children from infancy to age two are enrolled in Early Head Start, available in only 41 counties. Children living in moderately high risk counties have the lowest rates of enrollment in Early Head Start. 



• Across the state, child care providers with Two and Three Star ratings, the highest possible, have only enough capacity to serve an estimated 48 percent of young children with working parents, with the largest gap between capacity and demand in high risk counties. 



• For most counties, enrollments in early education programs increase with risk levels, but the same is not true for the six child care indicators examined. In general, there are no differences in child care reach among risk groups.



• Although enrollment of children with child care subsidy benefits in quality care is high across the state at 94 percent, it is lowest in high risk counties.

“The findings show stronger investments are needed in many counties to increase the availability of quality early education and child care,” said Leslie Blazer, DHS Director of Child Care Services. “Offsetting the impact of negative circumstances is critical not only to the state’s economic future but also to the overall quality of life in Oklahoma.”

Considerable research shows quality early learning and child care programs have positive benefits for children’s long-term academic and employment outcomes. Such programs reduce the need for remedial education and increase the potential for high school graduation and college enrollment. Early interventions also have been associated with decreased reliance on public assistance programs and the likelihood of incarceration.

The DHS report is the first of its kind for Oklahoma. It is designed to be a data-driven resource for policymakers and community leaders to better target resources to children most in need and monitor outcomes of policies and investments. The report was partially funded by a Child Care Administrative Data Analysis grant awarded to DHS by the Administration for Children and Families, a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and Smart Start Oklahoma. It will be updated annually to monitor trends in county risk levels and availability of early intervention services. A copy of the report is available by emailing Naneida Lazarte Alcala at Naneida.LazarteAlcala@okdhs.org

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