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Childcare providers tell Moore council DHS cuts put centers at risk
Summary
Local childcare operators testified that recent and proposed Department of Human Services cuts (speakers cited a $5-per-day reduction) have already forced closures and will cost centers thousands per month; they asked council members to urge state lawmakers to advance provider-backed fixes.
Several local childcare providers used the city council’s public-comment period to urge elected officials to press the Oklahoma Legislature and state DHS to act after recent funding reductions.
"Childcare in the state is in a crisis," said Destiny Bivens, who identified herself as director and owner of Thrive Early Learning Center. Bivens said two local centers closed in recent months and that an April cut of $5 per day per child will severely reduce families’ ability to pay and push additional centers to close. "We're $4,000 a month in my facility," she said, describing the financial pressure on small operators.
Another speaker, identified in the record as Jason Clayton, said his family owns two centers and that earlier DHS cuts in November already cost each center about $6,000 per month; he said the April reductions could add another $6,000–$7,000 per center and warned that Moore’s roughly 56 daycare centers serving an estimated 3,000 children could face closures.
Speakers asked the council to use its contacts at the legislature to highlight proposals drafted by provider groups; they said the policy proposals would not cost the state money but would help centers remain solvent until DHS finalizes its budgeting. Council members asked speakers to send written information and contact details; staff and council members provided the meeting email addresses for follow-up. No formal council action on the substance of the childcare requests occurred at the meeting.
The public-comment segment concluded with staff asking speakers to submit the bills and materials to the council’s email addresses so members could review and, if appropriate, take the information to their legislative contacts.
