Monica's Little Angel's Family Childcare

Campaign Season in Oklahoma: Every Candidate Knows that Small Businesses are Important. Why Are Child Care Businesses Forgotten or Marginalized?

It's campaign season in Oklahoma. Across our state, candidates are visiting communities, attending local events, shaking hands, and talking about the importance of supporting small businesses. They are right, small businesses are the heartbeat of Main Street America...and Oklahoma.

They sponsor the local little league teams. They donate to school fundraisers. They support community events. They provide jobs for friends, neighbors, and family members. They are the businesses that stay when times are tough and continue investing in their communities long after the campaign signs come down.

In Oklahoma, small businesses make up the overwhelming majority of all businesses and employ nearly half of the private workforce. HALF!! They are not just part of our economy, they are our economy.

Every candidate seems to understand this during election season. However, many elected officials seem to forget it after Election Day, especially when it comes to child care businesses. I haven’t found one child care small business owner that doesn’t thnk about this and wonder why that it works this way.
Across Oklahoma, hundreds of independently owned child care programs operate as legitimate small businesses. We employ thousands of Oklahomans. We pay payroll taxes, sales taxes, property taxes, unemployment taxes, workers' compensation premiums, insurance premiums, utility bills, and countless other business expenses.

Then…We purchase food from local vendors. We hire local contractors. We buy supplies from local businesses. We lease buildings. We buy property. We maintain facilities. We create jobs.Every year, we generate economic activity that helps fund the very state government that often ignores our concerns, even when we are having a negative profit year.

Like every other small business owner, child care providers assume financial risk. We take out loans. We meet payroll obligations week after week. We navigate regulations – some of the highest in the country and more than most other industries in Oklahoma. We somehow absorb rising costs. We face serious labor shortages. We worry about inflation, insurance increases, utility costs, and economic uncertainty. That is what small business ownership looks like.

Yet somehow, child care providers are frequently, if not always, treated differently. Just yesterday, when talking to a Governor candidate, immediately upon introduction, several child care small business leaders were met with “Oh, you have daycares?” Thankfully, the conversation continued and the candidate took time to listen to concerns. We get it. Not everyone has a need for child care, and everyone wishes they didn’t have to pay for it. It’s expensive to pay for and it’s expensive to provide care.

When legislators talk about economic development, child care is often discussed as a social program, rather than an industry. When new regulations are proposed, few ask how those costs will impact the small businesses required to comply. Even fewer seem to care that every regulation equals a cost to the business...and then the consumer. When funding decisions are made, providers are often expected to simply "figure it out" while continuing to serve families and maintain quality.

Many, no most, elected officials proudly champion small businesses. However, too often, child care businesses seem to be excluded from that conversation. Why? Is it because child care providers are not viewed as "real businesses"? Is it because many policymakers see us only through the lens of government programs rather than entrepreneurship? Or is it because child care remains one of the most female-owned industries in Oklahoma?

The vast majority of child care centers are owned and operated by women. Most all of them started with a dream, a passion for children, and a willingness to invest everything they had into serving their communities. These women, using personal and family assets, grit and determination, built businesses. Real small businesses.

They create jobs. They generate tax revenue. They strengthen Oklahoma's workforce. Yet when policy decisions are made, we feel invisible. The irony is impossible to ignore. Every business in Oklahoma depends on a workforce, and that workforce depends on child care.

Without child care, nurses cannot work their shifts. Teachers cannot teach. Manufacturers cannot fill positions. Restaurants cannot staff their kitchens. Retail stores cannot open their doors. Government agencies cannot fully operate. Child care is not merely a service for families. It is economic infrastructure.
The independent child care small businesses providing that infrastructure deserve the same respect, consideration, and support afforded to every other small business sector. This campaign season, candidates will once again promise to support Oklahoma's small businesses.

Child care providers should ask a simple question: Does that include us?

Because after years of increasing regulations, shrinking support, and policy decisions made without meaningful provider input, many child care business owners are no longer sure of the answer. Oklahoma deserves an answer.
Not during only during campaign season. But after the election is over… and every day in between.

When I began doing childcare there were no ebt machines everything was on paper and we got a paper check, I kinda wish we could go back to that just because well if your parent/ parents do not swipe or now log in to do ins and outs you do not get paid. (That sucks)

Linda-
Let’s talk about the child who keeps you on your toes all day…

The one you have to watch a little closer.
The one who can go from happy to meltdown in seconds.
The one who leaves you thinking, “How am I going to get through today?”

Challenging behavior will test you in ways nothing else does.

Because it’s not just the behavior…
It’s managing it while 7 other kids need you.
It’s keeping everyone safe.
It’s knowing parents are going to ask questions.
It’s trying to stay calm when your patience is already running low.

That kind of pressure adds up fast.

And some days, if we’re honest, it doesn’t feel like you’re making any progress at all.

But you are.

Every time you redirect instead of react.
Every time you stay consistent.
Every time you teach instead of punish.

You’re planting seeds.

And those seeds don’t always show up right away…
but they grow.

So if you had one of those days where you feel drained, frustrated, and maybe even a little defeated…

You’re not alone.
And you’re not failing.

You’re doing one of the hardest parts of this job…
and you’re still showing up anyway.

Summer is around the corner, call me today to set up a date to come tour

NOW ENROLLING in North Tulsa! 🌈

Monica’s Little Angel’s Family Childcare has limited openings available for children 6 weeks–6 years old 👶📚

⭐ 5-Star Accredited
🍎 Nutritious meals included
❤️ CPR & First Aid Certified
📍 Near Legacy Lower School (Peoria & MLK)
🕕 Open 6:00 AM – 6:00 PM (Mon–Fri)
💼 DHS • Tribal • Private Pay Accepted

Small group setting = more love, attention, and learning!

📞 Call or text (918) 600-7729 today to reserve your child’s spot.