If you and your facility meet ALL of the following requirements, you may be eligible for a salary supplement ranging from $400 to $2,200 per year. If you work at multiple locations, your primary employer employee listing must meet the eligibility criteria.
- The full annual supplement is contingent upon completion of two six-month commitment periods. One-half of the annual amount is issued after each period if you meet the program requirements. Leave time longer than two weeks or summer break cannot be counted toward the completion of a continuous six months of employment.
- You will not receive a wage supplement payment with your initial approval. You will only be eligible for your payment at the end of your commitment period.
Download Eligibility Requirements
| FACILITY |
| I work in a licensed early care and education facility that has a 2 Star, 3 Star, 4 Star, or 5 Star rating. |
| POSITION |
I am a Teacher or Family Child Care Home Provider or Family Child Care Home Assistant and I have a current Oklahoma Registry Professional Development Ladder certificate, Level 2 or above
-or-
I am a Director or Assistant Director and I have a current Bronze, Copper, Silver, Gold, or Platinum Oklahoma Director’s Credential |
I am a Teacher or Family Child Care Home Assistant and I work a minimum of 30 hours per week in the classroom with children.
~or~
I am a Director or Assistant Director or Family Child Care Home Provider and I work a minimum of 30 hours per week in the facility. |
| I have been employed a continual 6 months in my current child care facility prior to applying. |
- You can apply online at okregistry.org | Download How-To Instructions
- You can also submit a Paper Application | Download application.
- Submit supporting documentation: Initial Employment Verification form (found in the Forms section) and a copy of your most recent paystub. Owners are not required to submit a pay stub. If you do not receive a pay stub, please email us at stipendandwage@ou.edu for assistance. Please email supporting documents to stipendandwage@ou.edu. You can also fax forms to 405-799-7634.
All positions are required to work a minimum of 30 hours per week in one eligible facility.
- Teacher
- Assistant Teacher
- Master Teacher
- Probationary Master Teacher
- School-Age Teacher
- School-Age Assistant Teacher
- Substitute (must be in the classroom at least 30 hours per week)
- Large Family Child Care Provider
- Family Child Care Home Provider
- Family Child Care Home Assistant
- Center Director
- Assistant Director
- School-Age Center Director
- Curriculum Coordinator
The Oklahoma Professional Development Registry (OPDR) recognizes the professional development of individuals working in the early care and education field. This includes the staff of full-day and part-day programs, family child care programs, and out-of-school time programs.
The Oklahoma Registry recognizes professional development through two programs:
THE OKLAHOMA DIRECTOR’S CREDENTIAL
The Oklahoma Director’s Credential verifies education and early childhood experience to place a participant at a Bronze, Copper, Silver, Gold, or Platinum level.
The Oklahoma Director’s Credential is a minimum requirement for child care center directors and is renewable annually.
Renewal of the Oklahoma Director’s Credential requires a participant to meet the minimum criteria of one of the five levels and complete the required number of job-related renewal training hours.
THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT LADDER
The Professional Development Ladder reflects formal job-related education and credentials gained through universities, 2-year colleges, technology centers, credentialing bodies, and Registry-approved training sponsors. The various levels provide milestones for child care providers and connect with other areas of the state’s professional development system, such as the Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS), Scholars for Excellence in Child Care, and the Oklahoma Child Care Wage Supplement Program.
The Professional Development Ladder is renewable annually. In order to renew, you must meet the criteria for a level and complete the required number of job-related renewal training hours. For information on specific levels and criteria, click here.
The Oklahoma Registry Professional Development Ladder (PDL) and Oklahoma Director's Credential (ODC) are an integral part of the Wage Supplement Program.To apply for a PDL or to renew your PDL, log in to your okregistry.org account.
Teachers and Family Child Care Home providers may receive a wage supplement based on their Professional Development Ladder (PDL) level. Please see below for the amount per year.
| Professional Development Ladder |
Oklahoma Child Care Wage Supplement Program |
| Level |
Amount Per Year* |
| 11 |
$2,200 Annually |
| 10 |
$2,000 Annually |
| 9 |
$1,600 Annually |
| 8 |
$1,400 Annually |
| 7 |
$1,200 Annually |
| 6 |
$1,000 Annually |
| 5 |
$800 Annually |
| 4 |
$600 Annually |
| 3 |
$500 Annually |
| 2 |
$400 Annually |
| 1 |
LEVEL 1 IS NOT ELIGIBLE |
^The full annual supplement is contingent upon completion of two continual six-month periods. One half of the annual amount is issued after each period if the participant meets program requirements.
Directors and Assistant Directors may receive a wage supplement based on their Oklahoma
Director’s Credential (ODC) level. Please see below for the amount per year.
| Oklahoma Director's Credential |
Oklahoma Child Care Wage Supplement Program |
| Level |
Amount Per Year* |
| Platinum |
$1,200 Annually |
| Gold |
$1,000 Annually |
| Silver |
$800 Annually |
| Copper |
$600 Annually |
| Bronze |
$500 Annually |
^The full annual supplement is contingent upon completion of two continual six-month periods. One half of the annual amount is issued after each period if the participant meets program requirements.
Oklahoma Child Care Wage Supplement provides professional development and longevity salary supplements to child care program personnel, directors and family child care home providers working with young children in quality licensed programs. The program is designed to promote professional development, education and longevity by rewarding ongoing learning and strong stable relationships provided to children with continuity of care through a high-quality responsive workforce. The Oklahoma Child Care Wage Supplement program is offered statewide with funding provided by Oklahoma Human Services, Division of Child Care Services.
A wage supplement under the Oklahoma Child Care Wage Supplement Program is a wage supplement that is paid directly to the qualifying early care and education professional and can be spent as he/she chooses.
A six-month commitment period is established once Oklahoma Child Care Wage Supplement Program staff approves the initial application. Commitment periods run mid-month to mid-month (ex: January 15 to July 14).
Participants may be eligible for up to $2,200 annually, depending on educational level achieved.
Using either scale, the amount of the supplement increases as the level of education increases.
Note: All degree(s) and credit hours must be earned at a regionally accredited college or university.
If an Assistant Director works consistently 30 hours per week in the classroom as a Teacher, he/she will be awarded on the teacher scale. If the hours are spent in administrative duties, he/she will be awarded on the director scale.
No. You can only be on one scale.
No. We do not require the director to complete the Initial Employment Verification form. You will be required to submit a copy of your most recent pay stub to verify your employment.
Family Child Care Homes, Owner/Directors, and Owner/Teachers are not required to submit pay documentation as long as we are able to verify they are an Owner.
No. The program does not require subsidy. Your facility must be 2 Star or higher to qualify.
Yes. Your facility must have a 2 Star, 3 Star, 4 Star, or 5 Star rating.
All payments are contingent upon funding availability. Annual amounts are divided into two supplements. Directors, Teachers, and Family Child Care Home Providers who meet the requirements for Oklahoma Child Care Wage Supplement Program and remain eligible will receive a supplement check four (4) to six (6) weeks after the end of each six-month commitment period.
Once initially approved, participants who remain in the same early care and education facility and continue to meet requirements do not need to reapply to receive future supplements. Participants will receive an email requesting a current paystub and an Initial Employment Verification form the day after your commitment period ends. Wage Supplement staff will verify that participants were eligible in their facility during the entire commitment period.
Once your application and documents (Initial Employment Verification form and pay stub) have been received, your application will be placed in Counselor Review. A Wage Supplement Counselor will review the application and inform you by email if you are approved, denied, or if additional information is needed. If approved, your Counselor will set your commitment period cycle. You will be eligible for your Wage Supplement payment after the end of your determined commitment period cycle.
Please note: It can take up to 30 business days to process applications.
Participants in the Oklahoma Child Care Wage Supplement Program may increase their supplement amounts by gaining more education and moving to a higher level on the Professional Development Ladder (PDL) or the Oklahoma Director’s Credential (ODC).
The Scholars for Excellence in Child Care program offers scholarships to child care professionals who want to earn credentials or degrees in early childhood education or child development. Click here to learn more.
The six-month employment in a licensed facility is verified when a participant applies to the program and sends a copy of their most recent paystub and an initial employment verification form.
You must have worked a continual six months immediately before your application and be currently working in that facility when we review your application for approval. If you are not, you will need to be employed for six months at your new facility before you can re-apply.
If you leave your facility before your commitment period ends, you will not be eligible to receive your wage supplement. You can re-apply to the program when you have worked a continual six-months at an eligible child care facility.
Yes. The wage supplement is income; therefore, participants on the Oklahoma Child Care Wage Supplement Program will receive an IRS-1099 form at the end of the year. For this reason, a current Participant Supplier Registration (PSR) form must be on file before a payment can be issued.
Follow the steps below so that we can process your ISR form as quickly as possible
- Supplier Information - Write your name, SSN, and address you want your check mailed to.
- Type of Payee - Participant has been pre-selected for you.
- Question 1: Are you related to a current OU or OUHSC Employee? Is yes, you must provide a name and relationship.
- Question 2: If you answer yes, you must provide a retirement or termination date.
- Direct Deposit: If you select yes that you would like to sign up for direct deposit, you must provide an email address.
- Residency Status: Please select only ONE Residency Status. Physically sign and currently date the form.
Mail, email or fax your completed ISR form to:
CECPD
Attn: Oklahoma Child Care Wage Supplement Program
1801 N. Moore Avenue
Moore, OK 73160
Email: stipendandwage@ou.edu
Fax: 405-799-7634
If you were on leave longer than two weeks in the past six months (including time off for your facility's summer break), you would be required to make up that time. You must be employed a continual six months in an eligible facility before the date of application or the end of your commitment period.
The program will continue as long as funding is available.
Yes. If you have ever been suspended from the Oklahoma Registry, you may be eligible to apply. Please see the Fraud Policy for information.
An email from vendor.eft@omes.ok.gov will be sent out quarterly to anyone not already enrolled to be paid electronically. The subject will be “State of Oklahoma Vendor Banking Registration”. This email contains the steps to set up Direct Deposit for your Stipend check. You must follow the required steps and submit the “Vendor EFT Enrollment Request Form 2016” to your bank for processing. This form is not submitted to CECPD. If you do not sign up, a paper check will be mailed to you.
Yes, most information can be shared with your Employer. The exception to this is anything payment related. We will not share payment related information with anyone besides the participant.
Fraud is defined as an intentional misrepresentation of information to gain an unfair advantage over an individual or system. Examples of fraud within the Certificate of Achievement and Stipend Program and Wage Supplement Program include, but are not limited to:
- Misleading or inaccurate documentation
- Altered pay documentation
- Employment deception
Detecting Fraud
The Oklahoma Professional Development Registry (OPDR) has mechanisms in place to aid in detecting fraudulent reports of experience working in a licensed childcare facility and positions held while in a facility that might be needed to meet criteria.
- Our staff is regularly updated on the format of supporting documentation used in processing applications.
- Participants enter their place of employment, position held, and amount of time worked in a licensed facility into one database that is used by several programs. Employment dates and positions held are “verified” and documented annually by the facility administration.
Reporting Fraud
The OPDR staff are obligated to report any suspicion of fraudulent practices within the system. The suspicion of fraud should be documented and kept in the participant’s file and immediately brought to the attention of the Project Director.
OPDR staff researches the suspected fraudulent information to determine if the information/document is indeed fraudulent.
- If fraud is still suspected and no verification from other sources can verify the document, the staff makes detailed notes of the findings in the participant’s online account.
- Participant is issued a letter requesting proof of the authenticity of the documentation received. This is handled on a case-by-case basis as to what is needed to prove this authenticity.
- Participant has two weeks from the date of the letter to submit a formal appeal, which would need to include supporting documentation.
- If an appeal is submitted and found that fraud was not committed, OPDR staff continues with the processing of any current Wage or Stipend applications, and no action is taken.
- If an appeal is submitted and we determine that fraud was committed, the Project Director informs the participant (via mail) of the finding and will uphold the corrective action for the fraud committed.
- If no appeal is submitted within the allowed timeline with the necessary supporting documentation, we will proceed with corrective action for the fraud committed.
Corrective Action
If fraud is confirmed, or an appeal is not submitted within the allowed timeline, then the participant is notified by email of suspension from the Registry for a total of 90 days from the suspension date (letter issued by the Oklahoma Registry’s Project Director). In addition, the participant will not be eligible to receive payments from the Oklahoma Registry Certificate of Achievement Stipend Program or the Oklahoma Child Care Wage Supplement Program for 1 year from the suspension date.
If suspended, the participant will also adhere to the following guidelines.
- If the participant has an active ODC or PDL at the time of suspension, the current credential is revoked. The OPDR requests the return and/or destruction of the revoked credential.
- The participant may only use OPDR-approved coursework to meet ODC or PDL criteria for as long as they participate in the OPDR.
Participants that are suspended from the Registry may also be subject to disciplinary action from The OPDR’s Professional Development Approval System (PDAS). This action can include but is not limited to ineligibility to participate in the training approval process, educator services, or other voluntary programs now or in the future.
If subsequent suspensions occur, the amount of time the participant is ineligible will be extended. See below.
1st-time suspension occurs - ineligible for the Oklahoma Registry Certificate of Achievement Stipend Program and the Oklahoma Child Care Wage Supplement Program for 1 year from the suspension date.
2nd-time suspension occurs - ineligible for the Oklahoma Registry Certificate of Achievement Stipend Program and the Oklahoma Child Care Wage Supplement Program for 2 years from the suspension date.
3rd-time suspension occurs - ineligible for the Oklahoma Registry Certificate of Achievement Stipend Program and the Oklahoma Child Care Wage Supplement Program for 5 years from the suspension date.
Documentation
Participants suspended from the Registry will show a status of “Suspended” along with detailed notes as to timelines, requested documentation, and any correspondence with the participant.
OPDR staff contacts CECPD’s Director, Stipend and Wage Staff, PDAS Administration, DHS Professional Development Administrator, QRIS Administration, and DHS Child Care Licensing Administration via e-mail that includes:
- The participant’s full name, and place of employment, including the K8 number of the facility and the position held at the facility.
- The participant’s suspension dates.
- The length of time the participant is not eligible to receive a stipend from the Certificate of Achievement and Stipend program and the Wage Supplement program.
- The participant is only allowed to use OPDR-approved coursework to meet ODC or PDL criteria in the future.
- A copy of the suspension letter that was sent to the participant.
Participants that feel that they should qualify for the program or feel that they were awarded on the wrong level, should notify the Project Lead for the Stipend and Wage Supplement Programs in writing within 30 days of receiving denial letter for a formal grievance. Participants are entitled to appeal decisions made by the OPDR administrators up to two times.
The following is the process that the Project Lead will follow during a grievance:
Project Lead will do a full audit of the file.
Appeal #1:
- Appeals must be received within 30 days from the date of the denial letter.
- Appeals must be submitted in writing and addressed to the Project Lead, Stipend and Wage Supplement Programs.
- Appeals can be submitted via mail, fax or e-mail.
- Within 10 days of the receipt of Appeal #1, the participant can expect a reply, in writing, from the program administrator reflecting the decision of Appeal #1.
Appeal #2
- Appeal #2 should be received within 14 days from the date of Appeal #1’s decision.
- Appeal #2 must be submitted in writing and addressed to the Project Director, Stipend and Wage Supplement Programs.
- Appeal #2 can be submitted via mail, fax or e-mail.
- Within 10 days of the receipt of Appeal #2, the participant can expect a reply, in writing, from the Project Director reflecting a decision.
- Decision from the Project Director on Appeal #2 is final.