Child, Youth & School (CYS) Services

Community Care Resources

Military Child Care in Your Neighborhood – Quality, Affordable Child Care is closer to you than every before...

Why is Child Care needed?

Many Active Duty service members live in communities where no military child care is available or where there are long waiting lists for on-base child care and school age programs.

To meet this need, the Department of Defense has asked NACCRRA to partner with state and local Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies to refer military families to nationally accredited child care/school age programs and help additional programs in selected communities become accredited.

What care options are available?

• Child Development Centers, Family Child Care Homes and Out of School Programs that are nationally accredited or working toward accreditation through Military Child Care in Your Neighborhood.
• Full-day, part-day and extended hours care needs in support of the Military Mission subject to geographic location and child space vacancies/services.

What age groups are served?

Care options serve children 6 weeks – 12 years.

How much will fees be reduced?

Fee reductions will vary depending upon total family income, geographic location, Department of Defense fee policies and available funding. Generally families will pay rates comparable to those charges for on-base child care/school age programs.*

Eligibility

Children of geographically dispersed Active Duty families with no access to on-base care e.g. children of Active Duty Recruiters, ROTC Instructors, MEPCOM personnel, Service Members on independent duty assignments and service members living in communities that are not within reasonable commuting distances to military bases.

Children who are wait-listed and not currently enrolled in on-base care. Eligibility is subject to the Service Policy regarding length of waiting list and waiting period for care.

Military Child Care in Your Neighborhood is limited to single parent families, families with a working spouse, or a spouse who is enrolled in school. Spouses looking for work are eligible for fee assistance for 60 days.

How Does the Program Work?

1. The service member, spouse or legal guardian contacts Child Care Aware, a division of NACCRRA,
• toll-free at 1-800-424-2246 or
• via the web at www.naccrra.org
2. Staff will ask for some initial information to determine eligibility and child care needs.
3. When the child’s eligibility is determined, NACCRRA staff will link the service/family member to their local Child Care Resource and Referral Agency for help locating an available quality child care/school age space.
4. Once the child care/school age space is found, the family will complete an application.
5. The following documents (copies) must be provided as part of the application process:
• Service member’s military ID
• Service member’s military orders
• Most recent Leave and Earnings Statements (LES) for both the service member and spouse.
• Child(ren)’s birth certificate(s)
6. As soon as the application and documents are received, the enrollment process begins.
7. The enrollment process takes approximately 1-5 business days to complete following receipt of the family’s completes application and information from the participating civilian child care/school age program.
8. The Service/family member pays a reduced fee directly to the child care/school age program. The fee assistance is paid to the program by the Military Service.

For More Information Contact the National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (NACCRRA).

• toll-free at 1-800-424-2246 or
• via the web at www.naccrra.org

*Military Child Care in Your Neighborhood services are not an entitlement, and are subject to geographic availability of care and Department of Defense/Military Service funding.

Operation: Military Child Care – While they’re deployed... Finding and paying for child care can be a challenge

Operation: Military Child Care – is a Department of Defense (DoD) initiative to support the child care needs for parents who are mobilized/deployed in support of the Global War on Terrorism.

WHY is Child Care needed? – When military parents are mobilized/deployed, their need for child care often increases and so does their out of pocket child care expense.

HOW does Operation: Military Child Care support mobilized/deployed parents?

• Helps eligible families locate care options in local communities
• Reduces child care fees of eligible families who are already using licensed or legally operating sponsored community child care programs and providers

WHO is eligible to participate?

• Families/Child Guardians of National Guard & Reserves Service Members mobilized/deployed for the Global War on Terrorism
• Families/Child Guardians of geographically dispersed deployed Active Component Soldiers, Sailors, Airman and Marines unable to access care on military installations

HOW much will fees be reduced? - Fee reductions will vary for each family depending upon Total Family Income, geographic location, Army child care fee policies and available funding. Family circumstances are considered when determining fees.

For More Information Contact the National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (NACCRRA).

• Call Toll Free – 1-800-424-2246 or
• Log on at www.childcareaware.org

Note: Army Sponsored Community Based Child Care services are not an entitlement and are subject to geographic availability of care and Army funding.

Operation: Child Care & Operation: Military Child Care R&R Program

Reuniting with your family?

Then take advantage of Operation: Child Care & Operation: Military Child Care and receive a few free hours of child care while you’re on R&R leave.

WHO is eligible? – All Service Members to include National Guard and Reserves serving in OIF and OEF.

WHO Provides the Care?

• Licensed/legally operating child care programs in local communities
• Trained 4-H Members and Volunteers

For Operation Child Care:

• Schedule By-Phone: Call Toll Free – 1-800-424-2246
• Schedule On-Line: Go to – www.ChildCareAware.org

For Operation Military Child Care:

• Schedule By Phone: Call Toll Free – 1-800-464-8107
• Schedule in Person: Go to your local Army installation Child and Youth Services Program
• You DO NOT have to be currently enrolled in a CYS program.

Have a copy of your Military orders, DD 31 (official leave form) and the date and time you would like care.

Operation: Child Care is a voluntary deployment support service sponsored by NACCRRA (National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies) and the Child Care Aware Program.

Operation: Military Child Care is one of the deployment support services sponsored by Army Child & Youth Services. For more information on other available options, please contact the CYS installation program.

Note: While every effort is made to fill your child care request, there is no guarantee that every request can be met.

Operation: Military Kids

When National Guard, Army Reserves and other military parents living in civilian communities are mobilized, their children suddenly become different. Now they are "military kids" but they still "look the same" to teachers, friends and the rest of the community. Their lives are turned upside down!

Many of their usual support systems may no longer be adequate. Extensive media coverage of on-going military operations creates daily anxiety. These "new" military kids need to connect with other youth in similar situations. They seek friends and adults who can empathize and can help them cope with their new world.

State and County Cooperative Extension staff, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, the American Legion, community agencies, schools and 4-H Club youth are reaching out to military youth ... Before, During and After their parents are deployed.

Operation: Military Kids

• Creates community support networks for military youth "in our own backyard" when Soldier parents are deployed
• Delivers recreational, social and educational programs for military youth living in civilian communities
• Supports military kids coping with the stress of knowing their deployed parents may be in harm’s way
• Collaborates with schools to ensure that staff are attuned to the unique needs of military students
• Educates the public on the impact of the deployment cycle on Soldiers, families, kids and the community as a whole
• Becomes a part of the ongoing 4-H Program in the locations where there are military families

Operation: Military Kids "Hero Packs"

• Recognize the strengths of military connected children and youth
• Thank children and youth for the sacrifices they make when their parents are deployed
• Contain items to keep children and youth connected with their absent parent

Operation: Military Kids "Speak Out for Military Kids Program"

One of the issues facing military youth and families is the lack of community awareness of the unique stressors and challenges they face during times of conflict and war. This lack of understanding by the general public can make military youth feel isolated and misunderstood.

Speak Out for Military Kids (SOMK) is an educational program designed to raise the awareness of issues facing military families. Through youth-led simulations, interviews, and research participants find out first hand what military families go through. Based on their experiences, SOMK participants become members of speakers' bureaus and develop lectures, public service announcements, videos, and other materials to share their experiences with others in the community. In addition to building public awareness about issues facing military families during mobilization and deployment, SOMK provides its youth participants with the opportunity to gain valuable leadership, research, organizational, technology, and public speaking skills.

For more information contact your State 4-H Military Liaison online at www.operationmilitarykids.org