Thousands of active-duty military parents may qualify for financial support to help with child care costs as a federal program expands into Oklahoma.
The Department of Defense has announced plans to expand its Military Child Care in Your Neighborhood PLUS initiative to include local providers who are licensed by the state. Military service members, including National Guard and reserve, can apply for a day care subsidy when on-base day care is unavailable and in communities with long wait lists.
Oklahoma joins Nebraska and Michigan as the latest states to receive the child care support boost, according to a release from the Oklahoma Department of Human Services. The federal program is now available to parents living in 14 states.
Interested providers and parents can visit militarychildcare.com
Oklahoma qualifies for the expansion because of its high concentration of military families and its lack of access to child care.
Nearly half of the state’s 77 counties is classified as a child care desert, meaning there are not enough centers and employees to meet demand.
Source : KOSU
