10 WAYS THE MILITARY CAN HELP OUR CHILDREN
As I mentioned on Wednesday, the military has made strides to offer better childcare services, and the civilian world has also worked in some ways to lower the costs and increase accessibility for military families. When we think of the ideal place for our kids, it usually has a specific set of values, goals, availability, and cost. A nanny may be perfect for one family, while another would prefer an in-home daycare. Each family is different, and we want to make sure that we create accessibility across all areas. Whenever the time comes to accept our dream job, we need to know there is a plan in place for someone else to take over the responsibility of our kids during working hours. So here are some of the benefits I have discovered when it comes to being a military family looking for childcare.
1. Military OneSource
Sponsored by the Department of Defense, www.militaryonesource.mil offers military families access to a free database of caregivers. We can filter through candidates to make sure they match our priorities. We can check references, review background checks, interview, and hire through this system. This is a great free option to search for childcare with our budget and needs in mind.
2. Military Child Care
This is another DOD-sponsored website (www.militarychildcare.com) that helps families find military-operated or military-approved childcare worldwide. This is not limited to those stations CONUS because finding childcare can be much more challenging when we move abroad. We can search for options based on our needs, including full-time vs. part-time and facility vs. home-based. We can also look for programs that cover before and after school as well as summer and holiday camps when we need something to fill the gaps in our primary childcare.
3. FCC Programs
These operate similarly to the in-home daycare model. They are run out of someone’s home and have been certified as professional childcare centers. Child care is available up to age 12. These are usually located on military bases, but depending on the area, they may operate off-base. Like a civilian in-home daycare, these offer flexible hours and availability depending on what time of year childcare is needed. These facilities are also more likely to be available for 24/7 or extended-hour care, but that will be on a case-by-case basis, depending on who runs the program in your area.
4. School-age Care Programs/ Youth Center
Also known as SAC, this program is designed to work with the local school schedule and hosts children ages 6-12. It usually provides before and after-school care, as well as coverage during school breaks and summer vacations. Like most facilities on base, the cost is based on total family income. These are usually connected to the on-base youth center, which offers a variety of activities and programs for school-age children, like gymnasiums, computer labs, game rooms, volunteer opportunities, field trips, and more. We can even find a mentor child to work with our child so they have a “big sister or brother” through the base
5. Military Child Care in Your Neighborhood (MCCYN)
This is a list of local childcare facilities that are not necessarily connected to the military but do meet DOD quality standards. Some providers are listed as participating, which means they have enrolled in the MCCYN program but have not gone through the review process. Those labeled MCCYN-Plus or accredited have met the strict standards laid out. As always, this is a starting point for your search, and these places should be looked at individually to ensure they meet your criteria. This program is available with fee assistance whenever families cannot access military-operated child care due to waitlist or distance. This is only available for those stationed in CONUS, and each branch has its own requirements for which facilities qualify and who can receive financial aid. We can find these qualifying programs through www.militarychildcare.com
6. Child Care In Your Home Fee Assistance
This is probably the coolest program, in my opinion. It is a pilot program right now, so it is only in 11 areas, but this program provides fee assistance for in-home child care (such as a nanny) for a minimum of 30 hours a week all the way up to 60. If the family needs beyond 60 hours a week, then they would cover the cost difference past 60 hours. We get to find and employ the provider ourselves, so we make sure that the nanny is a great fit for our family. Also, providers can be a relative as long as they don’t live with the family. This way, family members can be compensated for childcare (whispers, “even if they weren’t going to be paid to begin with”). Check www.childcareaware.org for more information
7. Non-Traditional Care Program
This program is also in its pilot stage and is primarily for reservists and guard members needing childcare on drill weekends. It is only available at specific bases, which depends on the branch. This service offers care and fee assistance in either centers or family care homes for the length of drills. It is not a long-term option unless we live locally and can pay out of pocket for the other times with the provider. But this would be a great option for spouses of reservists/guards who have dreams to chase the weekend of drills or for those of us that dream of being in the reserves or guard while our spouse is active duty. Check www.childcareaware.org for more information as well
8. Child Development Centers
Primarily referred to as CDCs, these are more traditional daycares on a military installation. Bigger bases have multiple centers. Paying for these programs is based on total family income and what kind of care is needed. They offer all-day care, before-school, and after-school, each with a different price attached. Depending on the base, these can be very elusive to get into. They often have long waitlists, and priority always goes to those families that are either dual military or a single military member. But they are certainly convenient for those who work on base and those who drive to base during usual business hours. Anyone can put their name on the waitlist. Just search the CDC at your current station and place your children on it. Even if we need to look at different options in the interim, it doesn’t hurt to have this as a backup plan when it is available. Also, many people will sub-lease their spot while they are away. If you need temporary coverage, look out for these, usually found on base Facebook groups, and see if your child is the right age to fill the spot.
9. www.care.com
This is a website where we can search for babysitters and nannies. They also offer pet sitters and house cleaners if we ever go in the market looking for that. They offer a 25% military discount on all subscriptions using code militaryfamily25. We can search for people and reach out to them about our needs. We can also post ads laying out our specific needs and payment so local website members can apply. From there, we can begin conversations and hire. All payments can be made through the website, or we can work out individual plans with our caregivers. This was the website that I used to find my nannying jobs. Even though those were non-military families, I can vouch for the fact that there are some quality people and families on that website looking to connect.
10. www.sittercity.com
Similar to care.com, this website offers many of the same features. It is also 100% free to military members, thanks to a Pentagon program. The free program has recently been reinstated and is worth about $140 per year. Like the others, it is available to active duty, national guard, and reservist families. But this program is also available to surviving spouses, medically discharged families, and retirees up to one year after their separation from service. As with the care.com membership, this only helps access the potential hires. It will not help with paying the care providers that we choose. Check www.militaryOnesource.mil to see how to access your membership
These are not perfect solutions. We may have to mix and match to fit the schedule that we actually need. And for many of these, we will still struggle to get off the waitlist or find something that fits our budget even after military aid. But it is a start. We can try to utilize our military resources for childcare, and if (or when) that fails, we can turn to the civilian options and each other. Hopefully, this gives you a starting point, though, so that searching for and accepting the dream job doesn’t feel as overwhelming. When we find safe and great childcare for our children, we are freed up to focus on our dreams.