Oklahoma Child Care Association

Child care subsidies are supposed to help families afford care, but our latest report finds that in many states, subsidies don’t even cover what providers charge, let alone what it costs to deliver care.

Examining the Gaps: Child Care Prices, Costs, and Subsidies analyzes state market rate surveys and cost analyses across all 50 states and Washington, D.C. The findings are stark: across most states with available data, subsidy rates fall below both market prices and the true cost of providing care.

This is about structural underfunding with consequences for every part of the system. When subsidies don’t cover costs, providers can’t afford to accept families who rely on them. When prices don’t reflect costs, programs operate at a loss. When neither is fixed, the system erodes.

https://hubs.li/Q04n5R4f0

“What is surprising is that despite Republican claims that we’re open for business, Oklahoma is not willing to make the financial investment needed to shore up our childcare industry when it is so critical to the economy.”

This quote really hits the nail on the head. Full story below:

Oklahoma lawmakers should get a clue about the importance of childcare If lawmakers really want to prove they’re open for business, they would fork out the cash to operate their own center.

A new bill is moving in the House that could do far more harm to child care than the fraud it claims to stop.

The House is set to vote TODAY on H.R. 7726, the Stop Child Care Scams Act of 2026, and the window to act is closing fast. The bill cleared the House Rules Committee yesterday, putting it on track for a full floor vote this afternoon. This is the moment child care advocates have been preparing for, and your voice has never mattered more.

Congress votes on child care TODAY–we need you to speak out! Child Care Aware® of America is a not-for-profit organization recognized as tax-exempt under the internal revenue code section 501(c)(3) and the organization’s Federal Identification Number (EIN) is 94-3060756.

Parents say the cost of childcare exceeds mortgages, drains their savings and, in some cases, forces them out of the workforce. Click the link in our comments to see what our National Consumer Unit uncovered while examining the rising cost of childcare ⬇️

Message from the National Child Care Association:

The childcare crisis in America is no longer a future concern—it is happening now. Providers are being stretched beyond capacity, educators continue to leave the workforce, and families are being forced to make impossible choices between their careers and the care their children need. Without immediate and meaningful federal action, these challenges will continue to deepen in communities nationwide.

That is why the National Child Care Association (NCCA) is intensifying its federal advocacy efforts with renewed urgency and determination. Local innovation and state-level partnerships are critical, but they cannot carry this burden alone. We need sustained federal investment, practical regulatory reform, and long-term policy solutions that recognize child care and early education as essential infrastructure for our nation's economic stability and future workforce.

NCCA remains committed to standing alongside State Association Leaders, child care owners, educators, families, and business leaders to ensure Congress and federal policymakers hear directly from those on the front lines of this crisis. The voices of providers and working families must not only be heard, they must drive the conversation and the solutions. It is for this reason we ask you, the parents in your center, and the educators in your classrooms to TAKE ACTION TODAY by simply clicking on the link below to send your federal legislators an urgent message to increase the CCDF funding for FY2027.

Take Action - First Five Years Fund Your voice is needed to expand and sustain federal support for families, children, and our economy.

Sharing for a friend! If you need any equipment, go see Ken!

A new report confirms what families across the country already know: child care is unaffordable everywhere in the United States.

Parents are stretching budgets past the breaking point just to access care so they can work, attend school and support their families. Meanwhile, early educators remain underpaid for the essential work they do.

When child care costs more than families can reasonably afford, everyone feels the impact, especially babies and toddlers during the most important years of development.

We need bold investments in affordable, high-quality child care and stronger support systems for families nationwide. Read the article: https://bit.ly/4tyeYOA

Nearly half of Oklahoma counties are now considered childcare deserts, including Tulsa County, as reductions cuts and new eligibility rules put additional pressure on providers.

Local leaders say the issue is no longer just about childcare — it’s impacting jobs, families and the workforce statewide.

➡️ Read what’s changing and when in the comments.

America's twin scarcities: The 4-million-unit shortage in both housing and childcare is breaking families | Fortune America's housing and childcare shortages are converging into a single affordability crisis with major macroeconomic consequences.