The cost of childcare is too high for many Oklahoma families. How are lawmakers responding?
Savannah Dobson, an Oklahoma mother of a 7-month-old with medical needs, struggles to afford $1,600/month home-based childcare, as infant care costs in Oklahoma rose 27% from 2023 to 2025. State lawmakers are implementing limited measures, but families like Dobson’s—earning too much for subsidies but too little to cover soaring costs—say more must be done to address affordability.
Savannah Dobson of Stillwater, Oklahoma, faces an impossible choice: work full-time as an Amazon delivery driver with her 7-month-old, Shiloh, or stay home after her medical center job ended remote work two weeks before Shiloh’s birth. The infant requires specialized care due to seizures, making traditional daycare unsafe, while a recommended home-based daycare costs $1,600 per month—a financial burden Dobson cannot afford. Oklahoma’s childcare costs have surged, with infant care at centers rising 27% from 2023 to 2025, according to the Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness (OPSR). The average weekly cost for infant care ranges from $95 to $253 per county, totaling $208 statewide. Families spend 15.4% of their income on childcare, ranking Oklahoma 21st nationally for the share of income devoted to care. The crisis stems from federal pandemic funding expiration, rising provider costs, and market demand. A $5-per-day federal subsidy for childcare providers ended in April, removing critical support. Grace Kelley, OPSR’s executive director, cited a ‘perfect storm’ of factors, including regulatory pressures and labor shortages, driving prices up while state assistance lags. Lawmakers have introduced limited measures to address affordability, but critics argue more is needed. Dobson’s situation—earning too much for state subsidies but too little to cover childcare—highlights systemic gaps. Without intervention, families like hers risk financial strain or forced labor choices to meet basic needs. The Licensed Child Care Association of Oklahoma has pushed for expanded subsidies, but current policies leave many in limbo. With infant care costs disproportionately high and demand rising, Oklahoma remains in the middle nationally for raw costs but worse for income impact, leaving parents like Dobson struggling to balance work and care.
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