Childcare costs in the Sooner State are exploding.
That’s according to the news site StateImpact Oklahoma. The cost of taking your infant to a childcare center rose a whopping 27% over just two years.
Charges for daycare have surged nationwide in recent years. Some say politicians are proposing only patchwork solutions. Some Oklahomans say that surely more can be done to improve childcare affordability for families.
These ballooning costs can fuel discord in marriages.
From the public radio station KGOU in Oklahoma:
“Depending on the county, the average weekly cost of caring for an infant at a daycare center ranges from $95 to $253. Statewide, that averages to $208 per week.”
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Poorest
Even though life is generally more affordable in Oklahoma than many other places, life can be tougher for parents here. According to Oklahoma’s KOSU radio:
“Oklahoma is one of the poorest states in the nation, and children are more likely to be subject to poverty than all Oklahomans, according to census data reviewed by the [think tank] Oklahoma Policy Institute. This year, the Annie E. Casey Foundation ranked the state 44th in the nation for child well-being, based on metrics like education, health and financial status.”
Making matters worse, we’ve endured a severe shortage of childcare centers across the state.
Low pay
Childcare creates other unplanned problems for parents. Researchers at the nonprofit United WE studied the state in early 2026 with help from Oklahoma State University. President and CEO Wendy Doyle of United WE told the media:
“Our research shows consistently that childcare gaps are one of the top reasons that women leave the workforce. The average cost of childcare in Oklahoma is more expensive than a year of in-state tuition at a 4-year public college.”
United WE didn’t end there. It said there are far more children in Oklahoma than there are seats in childcare centers. The centers that do exist aren’t easily accessible around the state. Not only that, pay is low for childcare workers.
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Other research
At one childcare center in Midwest City, Oklahoma, their starting pay was just $11 an hour, according to The Frontier news site, making hiring a headache. There is paid time off, but it’s not available until the second year.
“You have to find somebody that can afford to work here,” said a manager of the center.
According to The Frontier, 34 of Oklahoma’s 77 counties were considered to have a grave shortage of childcare centers. At one time, over half the state lived where the number of available centers didn’t meet demand.
There’s more. The Greater Oklahoma City Chamber said in a 2023 study that the state’s crisis in childcare costs is costing $1.2 billion in economic activity.
Further yet, The Frontier reported that Oklahoma politicians only gave minimal amounts to a state program that helped low-income families gain access to childcare.
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Impossible
Childcare is a major reason why women leave the workforce. Said Wendy Doyle from United WE:
“Our research shows that when childcare systems are fragmented and overly complex, women pay the price – through fewer affordable options, longer waitlists, and impossible choices about staying in the workforce,”
The news site Oklahoma Voice adds that childcare costs in the state far outpace wages:
Even the U.S. Department of Labor has called monthly costs across the country for child care “untenable” and said counties with more expensive childcare prices had lower rates of maternal employment.”
Grim
Meanwhile, facing funding losses, some 400 childcare centers closed their doors over a three-month period in Oklahoma.
One childcare operator wondered to the media what it would do to families.
“If all the daycares continue to close down in the state of Oklahoma, then it’s not just kids displaced. Those parents have to make a decision. Are those kids home alone? Can they find somebody to watch them?”
The think tank known as the Oklahoma Policy Institute has broader grim statistics on kids for the state of Oklahoma. Overall, we’re 46th in child well-being. We’re 48th in education. We’re 43rd in health. We’re 43rd in child and teen deaths. One of every five children lives in poverty.
But the wait for an open seat at daycare centers can range from months to years. The average price for an infant can climb to over $10,000 annually in Oklahoma City.
It’s not uncommon for parents to wind up staying home to watch their kids.
The average cost of childcare nationwide is nearly $1,000 a month.
“Someone in the family, typically the mom, ends up staying home rather than sending their child to child care,” Carrie Williams, executive director of the Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness told the media.
News organizations have reported that in many states, childcare is as costly as college, according here in Oklahoma.
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By G.W. Schulz