By Jennifer Ellis
There’s a child care crunch in Oklahoma, and working families are struggling because of it.
Two bills in the state Legislature aim to get more children in public pre-Ks and provide an oasis for Oklahoma’s child care desert so more parents can return to the workforce. To get there, it will take a multi-pronged, multi-year approach that supports parents, employers and providers.
Two bills written by Rep. Suzanne Schreiber, D-Tulsa, and the Childcare Receives Investment from Business (CRIB) Act, authored by Sen. Jessica Garvin, R-Duncan, will help fix Oklahoma’s child care crunch – a problem that must be remedied before there will be a resolve to the workforce crisis.
Ending child care deserts
Over 50% of Oklahomans live in a child care desert. High costs, low wages and thin margins make it difficult to start and operate child care facilities.
As a result, Oklahoma has seen a steep decline in child care facilities since 2012. There were over 4,000 facilities in the state in 201,2 compared to just 2,954 in 2021.
The lack of child care negatively impacts workforce participation. Mothers in particular are disproportionality impacted. There has been a 6.1% decline in workforce labor participation among Oklahoma mothers who have children ranging in age from infant to 4 years old.
Even if a parent is fortunate to get their child into a childcare facility, they still must find a way to pay for it – and that’s no small sum. Oklahoma is one of the top ten most expensive states for child care costs, with families spending 6.9 percent of their income on child care in 2020.
Garvin’s CRIB Act and Schreiber’s House Bill 2451 would alleviate some of the financial burden by providing tax credits to employers who either expand or establish child care facilities or provide financial assistance to employees for child care. House Bill 2451 also aims to remedy the child care center and worker shortage by providing a tax credit to child care workers.
Ending burdensome bureaucracy
Access to affordable, quality child care is a driver behind Oklahoma’s workforce shortage. Attempts to further saddle child care providers with unnecessary regulation puts licensed child care facilities out of business and leaves families without quality child care.
House Bill 2452 by Schreiber codifies that child care facilities licensed by the Oklahoma Department of Human Services (DHS) are not subject to stricter local regulations.
Licensed child care facilities must comply with strict safety regulations – Oklahoma’s DHS has a reputation nationally for being the gold standard when it comes to child care facility regulation. DHS has the knowledge and expertise to know what keeps kids safe – and what doesn’t. Local governments do not.
Schreiber’s bill streamlines regulations concerning the licensing of Oklahoma child care facilities, ensuring centers operate safely and efficiently.
If signed into law, these bills will expand child care across the state, and families will be the beneficiaries. Parents will once again be able to re-enter the workforce while their children are cared for in a nurturing environment that will help them learn, grow and flourish.
Jennifer Ellis is the president and CEO of Cosmetic Specialty Labs in Lawton. She previously served as board chair for Lawton-Fort Sill Chamber of Commerce and currently serves on the Council of Advisors for Oklahoma’s State Chamber of Commerce.