Oklahoma Human Services Takes Steps Toward Long-Term Stability of Child Care
OKLAHOMA CITY — Dec. 10, 2025 — Oklahoma Human Services discussed today actions to stabilize Oklahoma’s child care system following the expiration of temporary federal COVID-era funding, rising enrollment, and continued uncertainty surrounding final federal child care awards after the recent government shutdown.
In October, Oklahoma Human Services submitted a nearly $70 million request in state funding to stabilize the child care system and prevent future funding cliffs. The request represents one of the largest child care funding efforts ever pursued in the state.
Director Jeffrey Cartmell delivered a message directly to providers and advocates on Wednesday during an in-person meeting of the Child Care Advisory Committee, calling on system partners to join the agency in pushing for sustained state investment in child care.
“The system cannot continue to swing between emergency funding and emergency cuts,” Cartmell said. “Oklahomans need reliable, high-quality child care access for working families, and stable funding is the only way forward.”
During COVID, states were provided additional, one-time federal child care incentives that allowed more families to access care, supported school-age services, and increased reimbursement rates for providers. When those federal funds were fully exhausted, Oklahoma Human Services used Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) as a short-term bridge to help families continue receiving care. No replacement appropriations have since been approved to sustain those emergency-level expansions.
At the same time, child care enrollment has grown, operating costs have increased as more providers move into higher-quality tiers, and final federal Child Care and Development Fund awards for the current year remain delayed as a result of the shutdown.
Without replacement funding in place, agency leaders determined the temporary COVID-era expansions could not be sustained without creating financial obligations the state could not reliably meet. As a result, Oklahoma Human Services paused school-age subsidy approvals and the temporary $5-per-day add-on that had been supported with one-time federal relief funding.
To prevent broader disruption across the system, the agency prioritized populations who face the greatest risk if care is interrupted. These populations include infants and toddlers, children in foster care, children receiving adoption assistance, children experiencing homelessness, and children with complex medical or developmental needs.
Families with currently eligible school-age children will continue receiving subsidy benefits until their regular renewal date. Oklahoma Human Services is not accepting new subsidy applications for children age 6 and over at this time. Eligibility remains unchanged for children in foster care, those receiving adoption subsidy, children experiencing homelessness, and children with special needs, regardless of age.
Parents in the program can check their renewal date at OKDHSLIVE.org.
Oklahoma Human Services will continue working with families, providers, advocates, and state leaders as funding decisions move forward in the months ahead. The nearly $70 million child care funding request represents a decisive step toward long-term stability, focused on protecting children, supporting working families, and strengthening Oklahoma’s child care system for the future.
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