Strong Start initiative: Free childcare relief for Oklahoma childcare workers

Oklahoma is launching a new program that aims to give free childcare to eligible workers in licensed childcare facilities.

Oklahoma Strong Start is a three-year pilot program that was funded through a federal Preschool Development Grant and authorized in House Bill 2778, which was passed this last session.

The Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness said the state is facing a serious shortage of early childhood educators. In partnership with Oklahoma Human Services, the goal is to attract and keep childcare professionals in the industry while also alleviating some of the financial burden of paying for care.

OPSR reports that currently, 55% of Oklahomans, including residents in Tulsa and Oklahoma City, live in a childcare desert.

This new benefit was announced Monday afternoon at the Legacy Child Education Center in Claremore. The benefit is valued up to $12,000 for those working in childcare.

Who is eligible?

To qualify, applicants must:

1. Be employed at least 20 hours per week (averaged monthly); providing direct care, supervision, or educational services to children, or performing on-site duties that support the daily operation of a licensed childcare facility.
2. The applicant must be listed as an active employee of the licensed and contracted facility in the Child Care Licensing database.
3. Have first applied for benefits from OKDHS for the traditional Child Care Subsidy Program and have been denied or approved with a copayment. 
4. Work at a facility that:
5. Is licensed under the Oklahoma Child Care Facilities Licensing Act
6. Participates in the OKDHS Child Care Subsidy Program
7. Meet one of the following income requirements:
8. For a two-parent household: total annual gross income does not exceed $120,000,
9. For a single-parent household: total annual gross income does not exceed $60,000, or
10. Have children enrolled in a program participating in the OKDHS Child Care Subsidy Program 

To apply for the traditional childcare subsidy benefit, click here.