Child Care Resources and Programs
Child Care Resources and Programs
There are a lot of different options out there when it comes to finding child care for your children!
One resource we have used is a website called childcare.gov that can assist you in finding child care in your location. They also have links to child care fee assistance programs for each branch of the armed forces that you can see if you qualify for.
Some organizations also offer military families discounted rates that are pretty reasonable. One gym that I use offers child care while working out for the service members and their spouse which is great, as not all gyms offer this.
It’s also important to get to know your neighbors and coworkers! Currently we live on a military installation, our neighbor runs a military affiliated in-home day care that provides PCS and deployment care for free with registration. You would be surprised what you can find at any and every location the military sends you!
MilSpouse Money
Mission Response:
Thank you for providing this wonderful tip and this great picture of your family! Child care costs can be a major expense for military families. Frequent moves, employment changes, and high demand for care are factors that can impact your search. The good news is that you are not alone and there are resources out there to help! Here are a few additional resources to help:
- Child Care Aware of America – This organization partners with the DoD to provide fee assistance to military families, click here for more information and links to your branch of service.
- MilitaryChildCare.com – Use this DoD resource to create a household profile account and search for care based on your needs and location.
The DoD just launched a new child care pilot program to help military families in areas with especially high demand and long waitlists. Check out our blog for details to see how this program may be able to help you!
Like May mentions in her tip, get to know your local community through resources available on your installation like the Child Development Center and Family Readiness Center. The military community is one of the best tools out there so get to know your neighbors and coworkers. They can help direct you to even more local organizations!
