NINE MONTHS. EVERYTHING IS LIKE IT’S AT LEAST A YEAR FOR AN INFANT, IF NOT MORE LIKE 2 OR 3 YEARS. IT IS A CHILD CARE CRISIS. MANY OKLAHOMA PARENTS SCRAMBLING TO FIND CARE FOR THEIR KIDS AFTER LEARNING THAT WAITLISTS FOR CHILD CARE FACILITIES CAN BE UP TO TO 1 OR 2 YEARS LONG. SO AVAILABILITY IS A PROBLEM. ANOTHER PROBLEM, OF COURSE, IS THE COST AND CHILD CARE. IT’S A NECESSITY FOR PARENTS WHO NEED TO GET BACK TO WORK AND PROVIDE FOR THEIR FAMILIES. KOCO ZACH RAEL IS INVESTIGATING WHY THERE’S SUCH AN ISSUE, WHAT’S BEING DONE TO HELP FIX IT, AND WHAT PARENTS CAN DO. LOOK AT YOU. YEAH. WHEN BECCA AND JAMES OLSEN FOUND OUT THEY WERE PREGNANT WITH LITTLE HAZEL LAST YEAR, THEY THOUGHT THEY HAD PREPARED THEMSELVES FOR THE CHALLENGES OF PARENTHOOD. THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS YOU’RE THINKING OF THAT YOU’VE GOT TO DO. YOU’RE LIKE, OH, I’VE GOT TO START GETTING MY HOUSE READY. I’VE GOT TO LIKE, GET A CAR SEAT. I’VE GOT TO GO TO THE DOCTOR, GET DOCTOR’S APPOINTMENTS SCHEDULED. BUT ONE THING THEY DIDN’T ANTICIPATE BEING SO DIFFICULT FINDING CHILD CARE. I HAD HEARD THAT THERE WERE LONG WAIT LISTS, BUT I DON’T THINK I REALIZED LIKE IT WOULD BE THIS BAD. THE COUPLE SAYS WITHIN A MONTH OF FINDING OUT BECCA WAS PREGNANT, THEY BEGAN TO CALL AROUND TO DIFFERENT DAYCARES IN YUKON AND OKC. SURE ENOUGH, THE FACILITIES THEY CALL TOLD THEM THEIR WAIT LIST ARE A YEAR LONG. IN SOME CASES EVEN TWO YEARS. I THINK THIS WHOLE TIME WE’VE BEEN LIKE, UH, SURELY IT’S LIKE, SURELY THEY’RE JUST GIVING US WORST CASE SCENARIOS AND LIKE, WE’LL HAVE SOMETHING BY THEN. HAZEL IS NOW THREE MONTHS OLD AND THEY STILL DON’T HAVE A SPOT AT ANY OF THE CHILD CARE CENTERS THEY’VE APPLIED TO. AND WHILE THE OLSENS SAY THEIR EMPLOYEES HAVE GENEROUS PARENTAL LEAVE. TIME IS TICKING. SOON, BOTH BECCA AND JAMES WILL HAVE TO GO BACK TO WORK. WE DIDN’T KNOW IT WAS GOING TO BE SUCH A CHALLENGE. REPORTER THE OLSENS AREN’T ALONE IN THEIR STRUGGLE. IN FACT, FAR FROM IT. WE’RE IN A CRISIS IN OKLAHOMA WHEN IT COMES TO CHILD CARE. KARI WILLIAMS IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR THE OKLAHOMA PARTNERSHIP FOR SCHOOL READINESS. IT’S AN ORGANIZATION FORMED BY THE LEGISLATURE TO MAKE EARLY CHILDHOOD RECOMMENDATIONS TO LAWMAKERS. THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA HAS BEEN LACKING CHILD CARE FOR A LONG TIME. IN THEIR 2023 CHILD CARE SUMMARY, OPSA FOUND THAT 55% OF OKLAHOMANS LIVE IN A CHILD CARE DESERT, MEANING THERE ARE EITHER NO PROVIDERS WITHIN THEIR ZIP CODE OR TOO FEW AVAILABLE SLOTS. OKLAHOMA COUNTY IS INCLUDED IN THAT. OPSA SAYS THAT THERE ARE MORE THAN TWO CHILDREN FOR EVERY SLOT AVAILABLE IN A LICENSED CHILD CARE PROGRAM. THE PROBLEM IS EVEN WORSE IN RURAL AREAS, WHERE 68% OF OKLAHOMANS DON’T HAVE ACCESS TO CHILD CARE, THAT’S A REALLY BIG ISSUE THAT MOST FAMILIES DON’T KNOW THAT THEY’RE GOING TO FACE WHEN THEY START PLANNING FOR A FAMILY, FOR FAMILIES THAT ARE ABLE TO FIND CARE. ANOTHER ISSUE THAT THEY ARE COMING ACROSS IS THE COST. THE AVERAGE PRICE. FOR INFANT CARE FOR ONE YEAR AT A CHILD CARE CENTER IN OKLAHOMA COUNTY IS MORE THAN $11,000 A YEAR. THAT IS A STEEP PRICE CONSIDERING, ESSER SAYS THE MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME IN THE COUNTY IS JUST OVER $58,000. SOMEONE IN THE FAMILY, TYPICALLY THE MOM, ENDS UP STAYING HOME RATHER THAN SENDING THEIR CHILD TO CHILD CARE. IN 2021, MORE THAN 1 IN 10 OKLAHOMANS REPORTED HAVING TO QUIT A JOB, NOT TAKE A JOB, OR CHANGE JOBS DUE TO PROBLEMS WITH CHILD CARE. WILL LIAM SAYS THE CRISIS COST THE STATE 1.2 BILLION IN LOST EARNINGS, PRODUCTIVITY AND REVENUE EACH YEAR. WE CAN’T SUPPORT A HEALTHY ECONOMY WITHOUT CHILD CARE AVAILABLE TO MEET ITS NEEDS. SO WHY IS CHILD CARE SO HARD. TO FIND? FACILITIES ARE STRUGGLING TO. GET STAFF IN TRAINED STAFF MAINTAIN STAFF AND SO THEY HAVE TO KEEP CLASSROOMS CLOSED WHERE OTHERWISE THEY COULD HOUSE CHILDREN. MANDY COLEMAN IS THE DIRECTOR OF SAINT LUKE’S CHILDREN’S CENTER IN DOWNTOWN OKC. SHE SAYS THEIR WAIT LIST IS ALSO ABOUT A YEAR LONG. WE WISH WE COULD HELP EVERY PERSON THAT WANTED A SPOT. NOTHING WOULD MAKE ME HAPPIER THAN TO HOUSE EVERY CHILD THAT EVER NEEDED A SPOT. WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO IT, COLEMAN SAYS, THERE SIMPLY AREN’T ENOUGH EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS. DURING COVID, THERE WERE SOME OLDER TEACHERS WHO RETIRED THAT HAVE BEEN IN THIS FIELD A LONG TIME, WHICH IS PART OF OUR STAFFING THAT WE’RE RUNNING INTO. BUT IT’S HARD TO ATTRACT NEW PEOPLE TO THE FIELD. WITH THE AVERAGE ANNUAL WAGE FOR A CHILDCARE PROFESSIONAL IN OKLAHOMA SITTING AT $22,790, ACCORDING TO ESSER. SO WE DON’T GO INTO THIS FIELD FOR THE MONEY. WE GO INTO IT BECAUSE WE REALLY FEEL PASSIONATELY ABOUT WHAT THEY’RE LEARNING AND THEIR ABILITY TO GROW AND CONNECT. CHILD CARE WORKERS DID RECEIVE SOME HELP DURING THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PAID FOR THE CHILD CARE OF WORKERS IN THE FIELD. THIS ALLOWED DAYCARES TO STAY STAFFED WHILE ALSO RELIEVING SOME OF THE FINANCIAL BURDEN ON THOSE SAME WORKERS. BUT THE FEDERAL MONEY IS ABOUT TO RUN OUT. WE CANNOT SUPPORT EVERY INDUSTRY WITHOUT SUPPORTING OUR CHILD CARE WORKERS FORCE, OKLAHOMA STATE REPRESENTATIVE SUZANNE SCHREIBER, A DEMOCRAT FROM TULSA, IS WORKING ON LEGISLATION LIKE HOUSE BILL 1808 THAT WOULD MAKE THAT SUBSIDY FOR CHILD CARE WORKERS AND THEIR KIDS PERMANENT. THAT REALLY RECRUITS, RETAINS AND INCENTIVIZES THOSE CHILD CARE WORKERS. AND RIGHT NOW, IN THE STAGE THAT WE’RE AT THAT. THAT IS ONE OF THE HUGE ISSUES THAT’S CREATING THE LACK OF AFFORDABILITY AND LACK OF ACCESSIBILITY IS THAT WE DON’T HAVE THE CHILD CARE TEACHERS IN THE CLASSROOMS TO BE ABLE TO CREATE MORE SPOTS. REPRESENTATIVE SCHREIBER IS ALSO HOPING TO INCENTIVIZE BUSINESSES TO SHARE IN THE COST OF CHILD CARE FOR THEIR EMPLOYEES. SHE ALSO AUTHORED HOUSE BILL 4147, WHICH WOULD GIVE BUSINESSES A TAX CREDIT IF THEY GAVE EMPLOYEES MONEY TO HELP PAY FOR CHILD CARE, PURCHASE SPOTS FOR EMPLOYEES AT A FACILITY, OR OPERATE THEIR OWN CHILD CARE. WE HAVE TO WORK ON SOMETHING RIGHT NOW. MY FEAR IS THAT IF WE DON’T PASS SOME OF THESE POLICIES FOR CHILD CARE, TO STRENGTHEN THEIR PROGRAMS, TO STRENGTHEN THEIR BUSINESSES, THAT WE MAY SEE CHILD CARE PROGRAMS CLOSE, AND THAT REALLY WILL MAKE OUR SITUATION SO MUCH WORSE UNTIL THERE ARE CHANGES IN POLICIES IN PLACE. WHAT ARE NEW AND EXPECTING PARENTS TO DO? SO MY ADVICE IS ALWAYS TO START LOOKING EARLY, GET ON A WAIT LIST, GET ON MULTIPLE WAIT LISTS, MAKE BACK UP PLANS LIKE SO THAT YOU’VE GOT SOMETHING FIGURED OUT AND HOPE THAT SOMETHING IS DONE TO FIX THE STATE OF CHILD CARE SOON. THERE’S NO MAGIC BULLET. THERE’S NO ONE SOLUTION THAT IS GOING TO FIX THIS CHILD CARE CRISIS THAT WE’RE IN NOW. BOTH OF REPRESENTATIVE SCHREIBER’S BILLS DID PASS WITH BIPARTISAN SUPPORT IN THE HOUSE. THEY ARE NOW IN THE SENATE FOR CONSIDERATION BEFORE GOING TO THE GOVERNOR’S DESK FOR APPROVAL. AND ON A PERSONAL NOTE HERE, AS SOME OF YOU MIGHT KNOW, MY WIFE AND I ARE EXPECTING A BABY BOY LATER THIS SUMMER. HERE’S OUR ANNOUNCEMENT PHOTO. WELL, WE STARTED LOOKING AT CHILD CARE FACILITIES, AND WE’RE KIND OF SHOCKED OURSELVES TO HEAR ABOUT HOW LONG THE WAIT TIMES ARE. WE EVEN STARTED TO FEEL LIKE MAYBE WE STARTED TO APPLY A LITTLE BIT TOO LATE HERE. NOW, THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT’S ALWAYS GIVEN A WHOLE LOT OF ATTENTION BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN AN ISSUE FOR SO LONG, BUT IT IS IMPORTANT TO HIGHLIGHT AND WE