Oklahoma tackles child care deserts with $14.7M federal grant
NEW BUSINESS COURSES FOR THESE CHILD CARE PROVIDERS. YEAH, THAT’S RIGHT. CHILD CARE PROVIDERS ACROSS OKLAHOMA WILL HAVE ACCESS TO A NEW TOOL. THE STATE IS CREATING BUSINESS ACADEMIES TO TEACH CHILD CARE PROVIDERS BUSINESS SKILLS, LIKE MANAGING EXPENSES AND HIRING STAFF. LEADERS SAY IMPROVING EDUCATION IN OKLAHOMA STARTS LONG BEFORE KINDERGARTEN. IF WE REALLY WANT TO IMPROVE THOSE METRICS, IT REALLY DOES BEGIN IN THOSE EARLY LEARNING PERIODS. OKLAHOMA CURRENTLY RANKS NEAR THE BOTTOM NATIONALLY IN EDUCATION. NOW, THE STATE IS INVESTING IN EARLY CHILDHOOD TO CHANGE THAT. THE STATE HAS RECEIVED A $14.7 MILLION FEDERAL PRESCHOOL DEVELOPMENT GRANT FOCUSED ON IMPROVING EARLY LEARNING AND STRENGTHENING CHILD CARE PROGRAMS. ONE MAJOR CHALLENGE CHILD CARE DESERTS THE OKLAHOMA PARTNERSHIP FOR SCHOOL READINESS SAYS MORE THAN 55% OF OKLAHOMA LIVES IN AREAS WITH LIMITED ACCESS TO CHILD CARE, AND THAT NUMBER CLIMBS TO NEARLY 70% IN RURAL COMMUNITIES. A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ENTER INTO THE CHILD CARE WORKFORCE DO IT BECAUSE THEY LOVE KIDS. GREAT. THAT SHOULD BE THE NUMBER ONE PREREQUISITE. WE ALL AGREE, RIGHT? BUT THEY GO INTO RUNNING A BUSINESS WITHOUT ANY SENSE OF HOW TO RUN A BUSINESS, TO KEEP CHILD CARE FACILITIES OPEN AND EXPANDING. THIS FEDERAL GRANT WILL FUND BUSINESS ACADEMIES, TEACHING PROVIDERS SKILLS LIKE BUDGETING AND STAFFING. THE OKLAHOMA PARTNERSHIP FOR SCHOOL READINESS HOPES TO REACH 300 CHILD CARE PROVIDERS THROUGH THE PROGRAM. NOW, ANOTHER PART OF THIS FUNDING WILL EXPAND OKLAHOMA’S STRONG START PROGRAM, WHICH IS PASSED BY THE LEGISLATURE LAST YEAR, WHICH PROVIDES FREE CHILD CARE F
Oklahoma tackles child care deserts with $14.7 million federal grant
Oklahoma is addressing its child care desert issue with a $14.7 million federal grant aimed at improving early learning and expanding childcare access, particularly in rural areas.
Updated: 5:43 PM CST Jan 19, 2026
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Oklahoma is set to enhance its early childhood education and child care access with a $14.7 million federal grant, targeting the state’s significant childcare desert issue, especially in rural areas.| MORE | Oklahoma child care providers worry over DHS subsidy changesChild care providers across Oklahoma will have a new tool as the state creates business academies to teach them business skills like managing expenses and hiring staff. Leaders emphasize that improving education in Oklahoma begins well before kindergarten. “If we really want to improve those metrics, it really does begin in those early learning periods,” said Jon Trudgeon, director of communications for the Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness. Oklahoma currently ranks near the bottom nationally in education. Now, the state is investing in early childhood development to change its trajectory.>> Download the KOCO 5 App | Subscribe to KOCO 5’s YouTube channel | Sign up for KOCO 5’s Morning NewsletterThe Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness reports that more than 55% of the state lives in areas with limited access to child care, with this figure rising to nearly 70% in rural communities. “A lot of people who enter into the child care workforce do it because they love kids. Great! That should be the No. 1 prerequisite. But they go into a running business without any sense of how to run a business,” Trudgeon said. To address this, the federal grant will fund “business academies” to teach providers skills like budgeting and staffing, aiming to reach 300 child care providers through the program. Additionally, part of the funding will expand the Oklahoma Strong Start program, which offers free child care for child care workers.More information on the grant can be found here. Top Headlines At least 7 people dead after violent 24 hours in Oklahoma City Why Bernice King sees MLK Day as a ‘saving grace’ Arctic blast to bring possible ice, snow to Oklahoma this weekend Stabbing leaves one dead; Man taken to surgery after shooting Man dies after shooting Sunday, adding to deadly weekend in OKC Buffalo Bills fire coach Sean McDermott after nine seasons, per reports
Oklahoma is set to enhance its early childhood education and child care access with a $14.7 million federal grant, targeting the state’s significant childcare desert issue, especially in rural areas.
| MORE | Oklahoma child care providers worry over DHS subsidy changes
Child care providers across Oklahoma will have a new tool as the state creates business academies to teach them business skills like managing expenses and hiring staff.
Leaders emphasize that improving education in Oklahoma begins well before kindergarten.
“If we really want to improve those metrics, it really does begin in those early learning periods,” said Jon Trudgeon, director of communications for the Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness.
Oklahoma currently ranks near the bottom nationally in education. Now, the state is investing in early childhood development to change its trajectory.
>> Download the KOCO 5 App | Subscribe to KOCO 5’s YouTube channel | Sign up for KOCO 5’s Morning Newsletter
The Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness reports that more than 55% of the state lives in areas with limited access to child care, with this figure rising to nearly 70% in rural communities.
“A lot of people who enter into the child care workforce do it because they love kids. Great! That should be the No. 1 prerequisite. But they go into a running business without any sense of how to run a business,” Trudgeon said.
To address this, the federal grant will fund “business academies” to teach providers skills like budgeting and staffing, aiming to reach 300 child care providers through the program.
Additionally, part of the funding will expand the Oklahoma Strong Start program, which offers free child care for child care workers.
More information on the grant can be found here.
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