Growing Strong: How Caddo Nation Childcare Is Transforming Lives Across 17 Counties

From cultural hair care traditions to indigenous birth education, Caddo Nation Childcare is delivering an extraordinary range of programs — and the community is thriving because of it. 

Something remarkable is happening across 17 Oklahoma counties. The Caddo Nation Childcare program — serving 266 families and 455 children — has grown into one of the most comprehensive, culturally rich childcare initiatives in the state. With 95 center-based providers, 62 relative providers, and a passionate team dedicated to honoring Caddo heritage while meeting the needs of modern families, the program is setting a powerful example of what indigenous-led childcare can look like. 

A First in Oklahoma: The Childcare Subsidy Program 

The Caddo Nation Childcare Subsidy team made history by becoming the first program in the state of Oklahoma to adopt a categorical approval system — a groundbreaking approach to delivering subsidized childcare payments to all federally recognized tribes within their service area. This innovative model ensures that more families can access quality care without navigating complicated eligibility hurdles. 

And the team isn't stopping there! Exciting provider trainings are on the horizon, including: 

• CPR & First Aid 

• Food Handler Certification 

• Child Abuse Awareness 

• Weather Awareness (in partnership with the EM Department) 

Honoring Our Roots: The Native Hair Club 

Hair is more than style in Caddo culture — it is a reflection of history, identity, and values. The Native Hair Club brings that truth to life at quarterly gatherings, where families come together to learn foundational hair care skills, celebrate traditional braiding techniques, and receive free haircuts. The program has been honored to feature the expertise of Caddo Tribal member and professional cosmetologist Kandice Humphries for the past two years, who seamlessly bridges cultural acknowledgment with modern hair care. 

Each gathering offers: 

• Traditional Teachings 

• Head Lice Checks (in partnership with Childcare & Pathways programs) 

• Basic Hair Fixing Skills 

• Braiding Instruction 

• Free Haircuts 

• Hair Care Techniques 

  
  

"Join us as we strengthen our community one braid at a time." This isn't just a hair club — it's a living, breathing celebration of Caddo identity. 

Hasinai Scouts: Youth Leading with Cultural Pride 

Open to all Caddo Nation youth and elders, Hasinai Scouts has been the beating heart of the Childcare Cultural Program for over three years. These young scouts aren't just participants they are the boots on the ground, showing up at Caddo Nation feasts and events, singing, serving, praying, and demonstrating just how vital they are to the community. 

Working alongside elders, scouts are learning Caddo traditions, songs, dance, language, and traditional gardening practices. The program's goal of preserving tribal ecological knowledge is bearing fruit — scouts have competed and medaled in multiple categories including song, dance, and language. 

Right now, scouts are preparing for the annual Native American Language Fair (April 6–7, 2026), where they will perform: 

• The Caddo Meal Prayer 

• A fun modern song featuring the Caddo language 

• Hymns 2, 6, & 7 

  

  

  

They're also partnering with Jozie Everette to craft their own regalia — a stunning expression of cultural pride. Hasinai Scouts meet every Tuesday evening from 5–7 PM at the Caddo Nation Complex Cultural Training Center. 

Growing Gardeners: Farm to Plate 

Leonard Kionute showing young Caddo's where to lay seed

For three years, Caddo Nation Childcare has been cultivating something special: a child-led garden at the Caddo Nation Complex that teaches the next generation where food comes from. The "Growing Gardeners" initiative puts Hasinai Scouts in charge of the garden, giving them real-world responsibility and a connection to the land. 

This year, the program is expanding its Farm to Plate focus, equipping young gardeners with foundational cooking and life skills: 

• Washing & drying dishes 

• Knife safety and cutting techniques 

• Serving and table etiquette 

• Cooking skills 

  
  

These skills will soon power future metro cultural cooking classes offered to the Caddo community and beyond — reaching all 17 counties in the service area. 

Indigenous Birth Education: River Whittle 

For three years, River Whittle has served Caddo Nation Childcare as an Indigenous Birth Educator and Breastfeeding Counselor, bringing a deeply intentional, culturally grounded approach to expectant parents in the community. Currently supporting 8 expecting mothers in person and 20 virtual participants via Zoom, River's work is making a real difference for indigenous families navigating pregnancy and new parenthood. 

Topics River covers include: 

• Stages of Labor 

• Baby Feeding & Breastfeeding Troubleshooting 

• Movement & Nutrition During Pregnancy 

• Comfort Measures & Prenatal Awareness 

• Postpartum Mental Health 

• Indigenous-Specific Support 

• Home Visits & Phone Check-Ins 

• Traditional Foods & Encouragement 

The Childcare program also provides assistance with breastfeeding supplies and supports the building of an apothecary sourced directly from the program's own gardens a beautiful circle of community self-reliance. 

A Program That Reaches Everywhere 

The scale of Caddo Nation Childcare's reach is truly impressive. Organized into five regions across Oklahoma, the program ensures that families in every corner of their service area have access to quality childcare support: 

• Region 1 (Comanche, Stephens, Washita, Kiowa): 67 families, 121 children, 19 centers, 11 relatives 

• Region 2 (Kingfisher, Custer, Blaine): 5 families, 6 children, 3 centers 

• Region 3 (Grady, McClain, Garvin, Cleveland): 38 families, 6 children, 20 centers, 6 relatives 

• Region 4 (Pottawatomie, Logan, Oklahoma, Canadian, Lincoln): 63 families, 94 children, 39 centers, 11 relatives 

• Region 5 (Caddo): 93 families, 173 children, 14 centers, 34 relatives 

From the first breath of a newborn to the proud performance of a young scout at a language fair, Caddo Nation Childcare is there weaving cultural heritage into every milestone, every garden harvest, every braid, every meal. This is a program built not just for children, but for the future of the Caddo Nation itself.