In the picture from Left to right are Lori Henderson, Executive Director PCDA, Mark Southard, PCDA Board President, Mary Beth Hunt, Executive Director CDC, Alexis Kirk, CDC Board President, Austin Wilkins, CDC Board Treasurer, Jenn Miller, CDC Board Member, Brook Lindsay, CDC Advisory Board Member, Amy Swartz, CDC Advisory Board Member.
The Ponca City Development Authority (PCDA) has committed funding toward infrastructure updates at the former Washington Pre-K Center, paving the way for the Child Development Center (CDC) to expand childcare services in Ponca City. The facility, leased by the CDC from Ponca City Public Schools (PCPS), will soon offer dozens of new childcare spots, addressing one of the community’s most pressing workforce challenges.
PCDA has been actively working on solutions to fill the gap in quality childcare in Ponca City, an issue that directly impacts the ability of local parents to participate in the workforce. “If your kids aren’t safe and cared for, you can’t concentrate at work,” said PCDA Executive Director Lori Henderson. “This project is about strengthening families, employers, and the community as a whole.”
The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the problem nationally, with many women leaving the workforce to care for children due to limited childcare availability and heightened concerns around safety and illness. Even as the economy rebounded, childcare shortages have continued to keep families, especially mothers, from rejoining the workforce.
While this has been a long-standing issue in Ponca City, discussed at various levels for nearly 18 years, recent momentum has produced results. In 2024, Under My Wing Academy created more than 40 new childcare spots after winning PCDA’s Pitch Off business plan competition. Earlier this year, PCDA launched a Childcare Certification Assistance Program to help centers with licensing and certification costs, approving its first two incentives this summer.
Now, with infrastructure support at Washington Pre-K, PCDA is helping the CDC increase childcare availability through this joint venture with PCPS. Kat Long, who has championed childcare discussions in the community for nearly two decades stated, “Families need these services, and our local employers need a workforce that doesn’t have to choose between caring for their children and holding down a job.”
This initiative reflects a national reality that childcare shortages have become a critical economic development issue. Across the United States, businesses are experiencing record challenges in hiring and retaining employees, with the lack of affordable and accessible childcare often shared as a top barrier.
By investing locally, PCDA continues to support Ponca City employers and employees while giving children safe, high quality learning environments. “Expanding childcare is workforce development,” Henderson said. “When parents can focus at work, businesses succeed, and the community grows stronger.”
For more information about PCDA’s childcare initiatives, call 580-765-7070 or fill out the application by visiting https://www.goponca.com/small-business-assistance.html.
