Army offers temporary respite care for children of deployed Soldiers and warriors in transition

By Rob McIlvaine
FMWRC Public Affairs

Respite Child Care, a program of the Army’s Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation’s Child, Youth & School Services (CYSS), offers a temporary break or time away for parents.

“For Families of deployed Soldiers serving downrange and Warriors in Transition, 16 free hours of child care – per child, per month – is provided to give the ‘stay-behind parent’ a much needed break from parenting responsibilities in order to take care of personal needs, such as doctor’s appointments and errands,” Jerry Haag, deputy director of CYSS, said.

This service begins 30 days prior to the deployment and continues 60 days after returning.

CYSS is a network of systems and programs through which Army garrisons provide quality child and youth development options that reduce the conflict between parental responsibilities and unit mission requirements. The objectives of CYSS are to support readiness and contribute to the quality of life of families by providing developmentally-appropriate care options for children and youth.

Since the Army Family Covenant was established in October 2007, significant progress has been made, said Army leadership, in maturing a program that has provided more than a million free respite care hours at garrisons worldwide.

“Child care and youth programs are consistently rated by Soldiers as important to their Family’s quality of life, and heavily impact their decision to remain with the Army team,” Sgt. Maj. Of the Army Kenneth O. Preston said.

Army Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation officials are quick to note that parents need not be current CYS Services patrons to use deployment-cycle-support respite care, and that any custodial parent or legal guardian caring for a child of a deployed Soldier or Department of Defense civilian is eligible.

Such care is provided in numerous ways, including, designated Child Development Center spaces, family child care homes, summer camps for school-age children, trained babysitters referred to parents by CYS Services outreach offices, and parent/child play groups.

For many years, Military Child Care Services were provided informally through parent cooperatives, by wives’ clubs, or other private organizations.

The post-Vietnam Volunteer Army and the increased number of women and dual-military couples in the Armed Forces dramatically increased child care requirements. This added pressure, on an unregulated child care system, and created unsafe conditions for children in care.

In answer to this, Congress passed the Military Child Care Act in 1989. The purpose was to improve the quality, availability, and affordability of Military Child Care.

By 1997, Military Child Care Programs were declared a “Model for the Nation” by Congress and the White House.

Today, the Department of Defense operates the largest “employer-sponsored” child care program in the country.

 “The readiness of our all-volunteer force depends on the health of the Families,” Secretary of the Army Pete Geren said. Respite care contributes directly to our Families’ health and well being.

To learn more about Respite Care on your garrison, contact your local CYSS office.