Oklahoma’s voluntary public prekindergarten program currently serves 65% of the state’s 4-year-olds in a mixed-delivery model, offering programming in public schools, Head Start, and community-based organizations, as well as some private institutions such as assisted living homes. Funded spots for 4-year-olds are available in 100% of the state’s districts. Oklahoma also offers funding for 3-year-olds through the Oklahoma Early Childhood Program (OECP). Oklahoma is 2nd (after Washington, DC) in national access rankings for 4-year-olds according to the National Institute for Early Education Research. Following a report from the Center for American Progress which showed that 55% of Oklahoma’s population lived in child care deserts, the Oklahoma State Department of Human Services announced the initiation of a Child Care Desert Startup Grant in 2022, meant to increase accessibility in areas of the state that lack sufficient quality care options.
Sources:
National Institute for Early Education Research. (2023). Oklahoma.
Washington Monthly. (2022). Sooner the Better.
Oklahoma Human Services. (2022). Expanding the business community and growing capacity: Oklahoma Human Services announces Child Care Desert Startup Grants.
Connections to Key Early Learning Study at Harvard (ELS@H) Findings:
High-quality, affordable early education and care supports children’s healthy development and allows families to work, engage in their own educational pursuits, and/or participate in other aspects of community life. To support children and families in these instrumental ways, research suggests there is a need to expand the availability of early education opportunities across the mixed-delivery system.
Findings from the Early Learning Study at Harvard (ELS@H) show:
- Families rely on a range of formal (e.g., Head Start, center-based care, public pre-K) and more informal (e.g., home-based, relative care) early education settings; when choosing a setting for their child, families balance many logistical constraints and personal preferences.
- But for many families – and especially low- and middle-income families – early education choices remain tightly constrained due to issues of affordability and supply.