Latest news with #PreschoolDevelopmentGrant
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
OHS extends deadlines for child care programs seeking accreditation
Oklahoma's child care providers tasked with meeting new 5-star accreditation rules will now have more time to meet those requirements. Oklahoma Human Services and the Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness collaborated to revise emergency rules, extend deadlines and support accreditation for child care centers across the state, according to a joint press release from the agencies. Revised child care emergency rules, released by OHS in 2023, required 'all 5-star child care programs to obtain accreditation from a nationally recognized accrediting organization approved by Child Care Services at Oklahoma Human Services in order to maintain their current quality rating,' the release reads. The updates made by OHS and OPSR are part of a plan to strengthen the infrastructure of early child care and to support providers to meet the elevated standards, the release said. The changes include OHS reopening the submission portal and extending the deadline to June 20 for licensed providers who are submitting proof of application for accreditation or achieved accreditation. Providers who can't meet the Sept. 1 deadline 'for full national accreditation may request an extension in writing,' the release said, and those extensions must be submitted no later than Sept. 12. For providers showing 'substantial and verifiable progress toward accreditation,' an extension will be granted through Dec. 31. Providers who demonstrate they have 'completed all necessary steps toward accreditation' could receive an additional extension to Dec. 31, pending the accrediting body's final decision. Federal funds of $500,000 from the Preschool Development Grant will also be used to help programs working toward accreditation. The funding will cover self-study kits and accreditation-related materials, and offer hands-on support through regional Child Care Resource and Referral offices. 'We're committed to ensuring Oklahoma children receive the highest quality care,' said Jaesha Quarrels, director of child care services for OHS. 'National accreditation is the gold standard, and these new supports and adjusted timelines will help providers meet that goal while keeping our child care system strong.' Carrie Williams, executive director of OPSR, said the agency is proud to offer support to providers through the Preschool Development Grant. 'By partnering with Oklahoma Human Services and the Legislature, we've created new, realistic options for providers committed to reaching national accreditation,' Williams said. The grant may help child care providers across the state, who lost federal pandemic funding for their programs in September 2024. But new emergency subsidized child care rules set in place by OHS last year have caused a mixed bag of problems. 'In 2022, only about 300 facilities in the state were able to reach the highest star level, which at the time required national accreditation. Smaller providers say accreditation is too costly and time-consuming, so many were stuck at the mid-tier reimbursement rates,' according to a March article by The Frontier. The new five-star Quality Rating and Improvement System – previously a three-star rating system – helped give child care centers alternate pathways to achieve accreditation and program incentives. 'Within two years, about 1,000 child care facilities were newly rated at the highest level, according to agency data,' The Frontier reported. But a jump in child care facilities drove up rates for families seeking subsidized child care, prompting OHS to roll out emergency rules to 'reduce the number of families eligible to receive the child care subsidy and make it easier to lower provider's star ratings, as well as bring back national accreditation requirements for the highest star levels,' The Frontier reported. The new emergency subsidy rules drew criticism from the public and caused financial and staffing concerns for child care providers. In January, OHS revised the emergency rules again – ultimately not changing the subsidy eligibility rules, but once again requiring national accreditation, The Frontier reported. The extended deadlines are meant to help providers maintain national accreditation while still following OHS' Child Care revised rules, which go into effect this year.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
New accreditation deadlines and funding announced for OK child care providers
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — Some much-needed help has been announced for Oklahoma child care providers trying to meet a big deadline. Earlier this year, Governor Kevin Stitt signed new regulations on Oklahoma's five-star rating system. The more stars a center has, the more state funding it receives. Under the new rules, centers have to be nationally accredited to maintain a five-star rating. The original deadline was September 1, leaving many concerned. 'The timeline was tough, reaching national accreditation within six months is unattainable for most programs,' said Carrie Williams, executive director of the Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness. On Monday, Oklahoma Human Services, in partnership with the Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness (OPSR), announced some changes. In response to stakeholder feedback, Oklahoma Human Services will reopen the submission portal and extend the deadline for licensed providers to submit proof of either application for accreditation or achieved accreditation. The new deadline is June 20, extending beyond the original deadline of April 10. For providers who can't meet the September 1 deadline for full national accreditation may also now request an extension in writing. Requests must be submitted to Oklahoma Human Services by September 12, 2025. Those who demonstrate substantial and verifiable progress toward accreditation will be granted an extension through December 31. Some providers also expressed concern about the expenses of becoming nationally accredited. Childcare centers begin to close as state changes funding formula 'Accreditation is an expensive process, it can cost up to $5,000, sometimes even more for child care programs, depending on the size,' said Williams. OPSR announced that $500,000 of federal Preschool Development Grant funds will be used to assist programs working toward accreditation. 'We believe at OPSR that national accreditation is the gold star, it's the gold standard for quality, and we want as many providers to achieve that as possible,' said Williams. Funding will help cover self-study kits and accreditation-related materials. It will also provide access to hands-on support through regional Child Care Resource and Referral (CCRR) offices. 'It really will be based on what childcare providers actually need individually. It's not a one size fits all approach and we want to meet childcare providers where they are,' said Williams. Some providers asked why these funds weren't available sooner. 'OPSR'S grant required federal approval, so we really quite literally could not have released the funds earlier than we have today,' said Williams. While providers are thankful for the extra funding and the deadline extension, some say it's not enough. 'It's too late for a lot of people and this is just one piece of the turmoil that's happening,' said Janell Wheat, board member for the Licensed Childcare Association of Oklahoma. Wheat says some businesses have already closed their doors. Bill aimed at tackling Oklahoma's childcare crisis moves forward 'I know that since September of last year, we've had about 4,500 slots be reduced because of closures across the state. That means 4,500 kids don't have access to childcare in their communities,' said Wheat. Oklahoma is already considered a child care desert and believes this isn't helping. 'I was contacted by a foster care agency because they are having foster care parents decline to take kids simply because they don't have child care resources in their area, so it's not just what we think of the classic person going to work,' said Wheat. OPSR says Oklahoma still has a long way to go but this is a step in the right direction. 'There are tangible supports that we're working on even right now with the legislature talking about making childcare free for anyone who's willing to work in a childcare program. That's a huge priority of ours at OPSR because we know that these programs can't stay open or they can't operate at full capacity if they don't have enough teachers in their classrooms,' said Williams. We reached out to Oklahoma Human Services, but they were unavailable for comment. Those interested in applying for OPSR's accreditation support can click here. For more information about the updated emergency rules, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
