Title
A RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF THE CHEROKEE NATION 21ST CENTURY CHILDCARE INITIATIVE
Body
WHEREAS, the Cherokee Nation (“Nation”) since time immemorial has exercised the sovereign rights of self-government on behalf of the Cherokee people;
WHEREAS, the Nation is a federally recognized Indian Nation with a historic and continual government to government relationship with the United States of America;
WHEREAS, the Nation has exclusive tribal jurisdiction over the Cherokee Nation Reservation, the geographic scope of which is defined in federal and Cherokee Nation law.
WHEREAS, the Nation has made historic investments in childcare facilities since 2019, including new Child Development Centers (CDC) in Pryor, Sallisaw and Catoosa and the replacement of all Cherokee Nation Head Start facilities under the Verna D Thomson Early Childhood Education Act (Tahlequah, Stilwell, Jay, Kenwood, Salina, Pryor and Nowata); and
WHEREAS, the Nation issued a childcare study dated August 31, 2026 (2026 Child Care Study), reviewing and expanding upon the Nation’s 2021 childcare study, identifying opportunities for Cherokee Nation to invest in more childcare infrastructure across the reservation, with recommendations for prioritizing these investments and further recommendations for expanding programs and services within the Human Services Department; and
WHEREAS, the 2026 Child Care study recommends Tahlequah and Vinita as among the priority communities for the construction of new Child Development Centers; and
WHEREAS, the 2026 Child Care study further recommends program expansions, including providing grants for private sector child start ups or expansions, expanding hours of CDCs, and increasing Child Care Subsidy rates; and
WHEREAS, the Principal Chief has advised the Council, responsive to inquires from the Council, that an expansion of operating hours at Cherokee Nation Head Start facilities directly operated by Cherokee Nation’s Education Department would meaningfully and po...
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