Cherokee Nation marks Catoosa childcare center opening; services begin in November

Cherokee Nation leaders held a ribbon cutting for the Catoosa Child Development Center in Catoosa, Oklahoma, the Nation announced October 15. The Nation says the facility will officially open for childcare in November.

The 33,600-square-foot center is designed for up to 100 children from six weeks to 12 years old. Cherokee Nation says it includes 10 classrooms, two motor skills rooms that can serve as storm shelters, a kitchen and three playgrounds. The Nation says the center will provide up to 40 new jobs.

Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said parts of the Cherokee Nation “live in a childcare desert, which includes Rogers County.” The Nation says the center sits near one of its largest employment centers, and employees can use it for childcare. The Nation's early childhood task force identified local needs in 2022, it said.

Cherokee Nation operates other child development centers in Tahlequah, Stilwell, Sallisaw and Pryor. Its separately proposed 21st Century Childcare Initiative calls for $50 million in construction and further annual support; a resolution supporting it is set to go before the Council of the Cherokee Nation in October. The Nation put the Catoosa center's cost at $25 million when it broke ground in 2024.

Families can join the waitlist by calling 539-235-5802, the Nation said.