Yes.  The Oklahoma Child Care Facilities Licensing Act 10 O.S., Sec. 401 through 415 mandates that anyone who provides child care on a regular basis be licensed by the Department of Human Services, Division of Child Care.  Find the Oklahoma Licensing Requirements.

Contact the child care licensing specialist in your local county DHS office. The licensing specialist has inquiry information that they can send you as well as information about help that may be available to you. They will answer your questions and help you through the process to become a licensed family child care home provider or child care center. 

You should also contact the child care resource and referral agency that serves your area.  They can help with parent referrals, training, and technical assistance. You can get the number of your local agency by calling 1-888-962-2772. 

You can find Oklahoma’s licensing requirements for family child care homes and child care centers via our web site link to the National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care. You may also contact your county DHS licensing office and they will mail you a copy.

The Center for Early Childhood Professional Development, Scholars for Excellence in Child Care, and the Child Care Resource and Referral agencies provide support and training programs for child care professionals.

You can use the Child Care Locator to search and retrieve a list of child care providers using the city name or zip code(s) you are interested in.  Another good resource for you is the child care resource and referral agency in your area.
 
Here are steps in finding child care to take with you when you visit.  After you visit call the DHS Licensing office and schedule a time to view the licensing case record for the providers you choose, or ask for a summary of those records. 

You can use the Child Care Locator to search and retrieve a list of child care providers using the city name or zip code(s) you are interested in.  Check the section that will pull only the family child care HOMES or child care CENTERS that have an DHS subsidy contract and choose all the “type care” that would apply to your need, such as evening, overnight and weekend. 
 
Another good resource for you is the child care resource and referral agency in your area.

Review information on child care benefits. 

If your concern involves a non-compliance with licensing requirements, you may file a complaint with the Child Care Licensing Specialist for your county. You may request a follow-up contact after the investigation has been completed. 

The staff-child ratio is a minimum licensing requirement that establishes how many children a teacher can care for.  It varies based on the ages of children in the group.  Research shows that having fewer children in a group improves the quality of care children receive. See Oklahoma’s Licensing Requirements for specific guidelines.

To view or receive a summary of the compliance or monitoring history of a child care provider contact the local licensing office who directly monitors that facility.   

To report suspected child abuse or neglect call the Statewide Child Abuse/Neglect Hotline at 1-800-522-3511.