State Profile | Oklahoma

The Afterschool Investments project has developed profiles for each state to provide a snapshot of the "state of afterschool," as well as an opportunity to compare afterschool activities across the country. This profile provides key data and descriptions of the afterschool landscape, which includes a range of out-of-school time programming that can occur before and after school, on weekends, and during summer months. It is designed to serve as a resource for policymakers, administrators, and providers.

• Quick Facts
• Statewide Initiatives
• Notable Local Initiatives
• Statewide Organizations
• Additional Resources
• Notes and Sources

Quick Facts

Demographics

For more demographic information, visit http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/statedata/statepro/index.html

Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF)

CCDF Administrative Overview

Settings

Where CCDF-Subsidy school age-children are served:

Uses of CCDF Targeted Funds and Quality Dollars for Afterschool

"Resource and referral and school-age" targeted funds:
The funds may be used to provide training vouchers to support school-age providers obtaining job related training, on-going consultation and technical assistance to school-age programs throughout the state, and training focused on individual programs that create sustainable systems for out-of -school time.  The funds may also be used to assess school-age environments in child care facilities utilizing the School-Age Environment Rating Scale, and for outreach to school districts and communities to address the need for and impact of school-age care, available resources, the licensing law and quality indicators.

Other quality activities:
Funds may be used for comprehensive consumer education, to monitor licensing and regulatory requirements, and professional development.  The funds can also be used for improving childcare providers’ salaries, activities that promote inclusive child care, and for youth focused health programs.

Provider Reimbursement Rates

Tiered Reimbursement Rate System:
The "Reaching for the Stars" tiered reimbursement to provide higher payment rates for providers meeting additional quality criteria.  Rates vary based upon age of the child, child care setting, geographic area and the facility’s Star status.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Child Care

Program Licensing Policies

Programs that serve children three years of age and older and that are operated during typical school hours by a public school district that offers elementary education in grades kindergarten through third grade are exempt.

Systems/Quality Supports

21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC)

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Statewide Initiatives

• The Oklahoma Afterschool Network (OKAN) works to ensure that all children and youth in Oklahoma have access to quality out-of-school time opportunities that keep them safe, healthy and learning. The Network is a coalition of public and private partners determined to improve the lives of Oklahoma’s children and youth by increasing access to out-of-school time opportunities that help them learn and thrive.

  Funded in part by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, Oklahoma State Department of Education, Oklahoma State Department of Health, Oklahoma Department of Human Services and the Sarkey Foundation, the Network is coordinated by the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy. The Network is led by a Leadership Team comprised of over 30 members who serve to guide and support the work.

  The Network’s three overarching goals are:

  • To create a sustainable structure of statewide, regional and local partnerships particularly school/community partnerships focused on policy development at all levels.
  • To support the development and growth of statewide policies that will secure the resources needed to sustain new and existing school based/school linked afterschool programs.
  • To encourage and support a robust, statewide quality improvement/professional development system that will contribute to improving the quality of out-of-school opportunities for Oklahoma’s children and youth.

    For more information, see: http://www.okafterschool.org

• Oklahoma Parent Teacher Association (PTA). The Oklahoma PTA aligns with the National PTA in its commitment to ensure that all children and youth have access to high-quality, safe, and enriching afterschool programs. The PTA has tools and planning guides available on their website for parents and community members who wish to create an afterschool program. The PTA firmly believes that parents should be involved at all stages of afterschool programs—planning, implementation, and evaluation—and quality standards should be a part of the afterschool system. Many local PTA units sponsor and participate in afterschool programs in their communities.

  For more information, see: http://www.okpta.org/

• Oklahoma State 4-H and Extension Service. Oklahoma State 4-H is invested in quality afterschool programs and continued education for all afterschool staff and teachers. 4-H has included Afterschool Child Care/High Risk Behavior as an impact area for the FY06-09 Plan of Work for Oklahoma. Twenty-eight educators are involved on this impact team. A web-based training was held in January 2004 for 30 state afterschool staff and educators and all that attended were given a copy of "4-H Afterschool in a Box." In addition, several programs throughout Oklahoma (like the YMCA and Boys and Girls Club) use 4- H curricula such as the 4-H Food Science, Health Rocks, and Ag in the Classroom to enhance their afterschool projects and lessons. The Oklahoma State 4-H and Extension Service is working to expand and strengthen this role so more Oklahoma children will have experiential learning opportunities and sustainable programs.

  For more information, see: http://oklahoma4h.okstate.edu/

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Notable Local Initiatives

• Community Afterschool Program, Norman, OK. This citywide afterschool program began in 1974 and recently celebrated its 30th anniversary. Its mission is to provide quality before- and afterschool childcare to Norman’s K-5 population. This organization has a program at every elementary school in Norman to facilitate access for parents and children. They are fee-based but offer scholarships and accept DHS and tribal subsidies for those who meet income and tribal requirements.
• Green Country Camp Fire. Camp Fire Boys and Girls in Tulsa provides afterschool, small group, volunteer-led clubs for boys and girls 3 years old through 12th grade. Children have fun while developing self-confidence, social and life skills, and self-esteem through ongoing contact with safe, caring adults and positive peers. As a partner in the Drug-Free Communities initiative launched by the East Tulsa Prevention Coalition, a Teens-In-Action chapter has been formed at East Central High School with 9th through 12th graders mentoring 4th & 5th grade students identified as at-risk for suspension by meeting afterschool every week. After a time of informal visiting and snacks, older youths lead personal safety and violence prevention programs such as "Second Step."
• Tulsa Tutoring Program.The City of Tulsa’s Division of Workforce Development recruits teachers to provide afterschool tutoring services for area high school students. The students are low-income, at-risk youth who often come from single parent or other nontraditional families. Tutors are provided the students’ pre-test reading and math scores at the onset of the school year to ensure that the tutoring curricula meet the individuals’ needs. Children are assessed at the end of the school year to measure gains in reading and math skills. If the tutor feels the student needs additional help outside the classroom to address personal issues, a youth case manager from the city’s Division of Workforce Development is contacted. Participating youth may earn monetary incentives through attendance, good attitude, and quality use of time during tutoring.
• Neighborhood Centers. Neighborhood Centers of Norman provides a safe and supervised place for neighborhood residents of all ages to participate in activities, extended learning opportunities, and socialization. This program attempts to build up the number of developmental assets in Norman’s youth through fun and exciting intergenerational activities. 
• Osage Nation Child Care Program. The Osage Nation Child Care Program has an afterschool component designed to meet the wide-ranging needs of school-age children in the Tribe. The afterschool program opened in March 2004, after nearly two years of work to secure funding to build the Youth Enhancement Facility (YEF). The YEF is a state-of-the-art two-building facility that includes a music room, an arts and crafts studio, a computer lab, a gymnasium, and an academic center for mentoring and tutoring services. Construction funding and ongoing program support funds for the YEF are provided through several different funding streams, including a state juvenile justice grant, as well as a state obesity prevention and health and fitness grant. Additionally, in October 2004, the Tribe directed $50,000 of its CCDF funding to help sustain the operation of a new Boys and Girls Club which will be located in the facility to run the afterschool programs.  More than 400 children ages 5-12 are enrolled in afterschool programs at the YEF, as well as a growing number of teenagers.

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Statewide Organizations

National AfterSchool Association Affiliate:

Oklahoma Afterschool Association
Post Office Box 1465
Newcastle, OK 73065
Email: info@okaaweb.org
President:  Vikki Dobbins

Statewide Child Care Resource & Referral Network:

Oklahoma Child Care Resource and Referral Association
5900 Mosteller Drive, Suite 1212A
Oklahoma City, OK 73112
Phone: 888-962-2772 or 405-843-5737
Web: http://www.oklahomachildcare.org/

Oklahoma Afterschool Network
3909 N Classen Blvd., Suite 101
Oklahoma City, OK 731118
Phone: 405-236-5437
Web: http://www.okafterschool.org

Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy:
3909 N. Classen Blvd., Suite 101
Oklahoma City, OK 73118
Phone: 405-236-5437
Web: http://www.oica.org

Oklahoma Parent Teacher Association:
2801 N. Lincoln, Suite 214
Oklahoma City, OK 73105
Phone: 405-376-2231

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Additional Resources

State Child Care Administrators:
http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/statedata/dirs/display.cfm?title=ccdf

State TANF Contacts:
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ofa/states/tanf-dr.htm

21st Century Community Learning Centers Contacts:
http://www.ed.gov/programs/21stcclc/contacts.html

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Notes and Sources

Demographics

Total population, 2008: Annual Estimates of the Population for the United States, Regions, States, and Puerto Rico: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2008, U.S. Census Bureau.

Number of children ages 5-12, 2008: Estimates of the Resident Population by Single-Year of Age and Sex for the United States and States: July 1, 2007, U.S. Census Bureau.

Percent of students eligible for free and reduced-price lunch rate, 2006: Numbers and Types of Public Elementary and Secondary Schools from the Common Core of Data: School Year 2005-06. U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics. Note: Most recent data.

Percent of K-12 students in Title I "schoolwide" schools, 2006: Numbers and Types of Public Elementary and Secondary Schools from the Common Core of Data: School Year 2005-06. U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics. Schools enrolling at least 40 percent of students from poor families are eligible to use Title I funds for schoolwide programs that serve all children in the school. Note: Most recent data.

Child Care and Development Fund

The Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) is the largest federal funding source for child care. States receive a funding allocation determined by formula and have broad flexibility to design programs that provide child care subsidies for low-income children under the age of 13 and to enhance the quality of child care for all children. Federal CCDF funding consists of mandatory, matching, and discretionary funds. Federal law requires that states spend at least 4 percent of their CCDF funds as well as additional targeted funds on activities to improve the quality and availability of child care. CCDF administrative data in this and the following sections is from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Child Care Bureau, as reported by States, unless otherwise noted.

FFY09 CCDF Allocation: Funding allocations are based on appropriation and do not reflect any reallotted or redistributed funds that may occur at a later date.

FFY09 state MOE plus match: In order to receive Federal matching funds, a state must expend Maintenance of Effort funds. Note that this does not capture actual expenditures, only the minimum required to draw down all available federal funds.

FFY09 Tribal CCDF Allocation: Federal CCDF Funds are awarded directly to Federally-recognized Indian Tribes.

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Funding: The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) appropriates an additional $2 billion in one-time CCDF Discretionary funding available to State, Territory and Tribal Lead Agencies in FY09 as part of the economic stimulus package.

FFY07 total quality expenditures: This data includes FY07 and prior year funds expended for quality from each of the CCDF funding streams (mandatory, matching, and discretionary) and expenditures under targeted funds for infant and toddler, school-age care and resource and referral. This figure provides information obtained from state financial reports submitted for FY07.

Uses of CCDF Targeted Funds and Quality Dollars for Afterschool: Portions of CCDF discretionary funds are targeted specifically for resource and referral and school-age child care activities as well as for quality expansion. (These funds are in addition to the required 4 percent minimum quality expenditure.)

Maximum rate for school-age category: Rates are listed for center-based care, family child care, and license exempt programs; where rates vary by region or county, the rate for the most populated urban area is given.

Standardized monthly school-age rate: Monthly rate for a child, age 8, in care after school during the school year at a center in the most costly district for four hours per day, 20 days per month. Calculated (in the lowest tier of a tiered system) using information from the FY2008-2009 State CCDF Plan, including rate structures, as submitted to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children and Families.

Separate subsidy rates for different age ranges and Tiered Reimbursement Rate Systems: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Child Care Bureau. Report of State Plans FY2008-2009.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Child Care

In addition to spending TANF funds directly on child care, a state may transfer up to 30 percent of its TANF grant to CCDF. Expenditures represent TANF funds spent in FY07 that were awarded in FY07 and prior years. Data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, available at: In addition to spending TANF funds directly on child care, a state may transfer up to 30 percent of its TANF grant to CCDF. Expenditures represent TANF funds spent in FY07 that were awarded in FY07 and prior years. Data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, available at: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ofs/data/2007/tanf_2007.html.

Program Licensing and Accreditation Policies

States with separate school-age licensing standards and states with specialized requirements for child care centers serving school-age children: National Child Care Information and Technical Assistance Center (NCCIC) and National Association for Regulatory Administration, 2007 Child Care Licensing Study, see: http://www.naralicensing.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=160.

Ratio of children to adults in school-age setting: Data from the National Child Care Information Center (NCCIC), available at: http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov.

School-based, school-age programs exempt from licensing: Research conducted by Afterschool Investments, March 2008.

Systems/Quality Supports

School-age credential: NCCIC, State Professional Development System Credentials for Individuals, see: http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/poptopics/pd-credentials.html.

Statewide quality rating system: NCCIC, Quality Rating Systems: Definitions and Statewide Systems, see: http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/pubs/qrs-defsystems.html.

Statewide afterschool network: National Network of Statewide Afterschool Networks, see: http://www.statewideafterschoolnetworks.net/.

21st Century Community Learning Centers

The 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program is a state formula grant. Funds flow to states based on their share of Title I, Part A funds. Data from the U.S. Department of Education 21st Century Community Learning Centers Office and the 21st CCLC Profile and Performance Information Collection System as of July 2009.

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The Child Care Bureau awarded a technical assistance contract to The Finance Project for the Afterschool Investments project. The goals of the Afterschool Investments project include:

• Identifying ways that state and communities are using Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) subsidy and quality dollars to support out-of-school time programs, and sharing these practices and approaches with other states;
• Identifying administrative and implementation issues related to CCDF investments in out-of-school time programs, and providing information and context (about barriers, problems, opportunities) as well as practical tools that will help CCDF administrators make decisions; and
• Identifying other major programs and sectors that are potential partners for CCDF in supporting out-of-school time programs and providing models, strategies, and tools for coordination with other programs and sectors.

Contact Us:

Email:
afterschool@financeproject.org

Web:
http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/afterschool/

The Finance Project
1401 New York Avenue, NW
Suite 800
Washington, DC 20005
Phone: 202-587-1000
Web: www.financeproject.org

The Afterschool Investments project’s State Profiles are designed to provide a comprehensive overview of noteworthy State and local initiatives across the country. Inclusion of an initiative in the Profiles does not represent an endorsement of a particular policy or practice.