$50 Million Available For Parents Who Lost Job, Need Child Care

As the state reopens daycares will once again be full of thousands of children.

For parents who have lost their jobs, paying for child care can be difficult, even impossible.

But, some relief is on the way.

The Oklahoma Department of Human Services reports they received a $50 million block grant through the federal CARES Act. 

Parents can begin applying for the money beginning May 1.

“People that are going to be looking for jobs can apply for child care assistance with our agency, and get 60 days of child care so that they can look for employment,” said Jennifer Towell, Director of Childcare Services.

In order to take advantage of this 60-day subsidy families must:

•      Apply for child care benefits on www.OKDHSLive.org

•      Provide their final paystub

If eligible, families will be approved for full-time care for their children.

Families must

choose a child care provider who is licensed and contracted with OKDHS to accept subsidy payments. Available child care programs can be found using the Child Care Locator.

Both parents and daycares across Oklahoma will need help.

While some lost they jobs, many facilities saw a drop in attendance.

St. Luke’s has four centers, and said while they saw a dip in attendance, they were able to keep all their staff during the pandemic.

“We are licensed for 194, and we have lost a few. We are down to about 175 here,” said Gabrielle Moon, Executive Director St. Luke’s Children Center. “We had 54 today.”

Combined, St. Luke’s takes care of about 650 children. They said they are ready to return to normal, and that’s possible largely because of their dedicated essential staff.

“I just want people to know that these people have been here through all of this, through thick and thin since it started and they have to work every day, and they have done their job,” said Moon.

Another daycare, Creative Kids Learning Center, sent this letter to parents preparing to reopen.

They ask you give “notice prior to starting back” so they can make staffing arrangements, and prepare classrooms. They too saw a large dip in attendance.

Oklahoma’s Department of Human Services reports there were a few centers that temporarily shut their doors.

“We had facilities that went inactive. We did not have any that permanently closed,” said Towell.

DHS officials estimate around 10,000 families will be seeking care as the state recovers.

To help meet the need, they have revised requirements to enroll in the CARES Act benefits.

“We are waving the income eligibility requirements so that families can get back out there. So, we can restore some economic development in our state,” said Towell.

Again, the link to apply will go live May 1.