CHILD CARE SERVICE ESSENTIALS

Check out alternative child care services available to you both on and off base as well as determine the best services for your child or children.

Subsidized base child care services are fee-based ($50 to $130 per week, depending on your fee category), which you may want to compare (quality and price) to similar services available off base.

Here's what you need to do:

1. Consider your preferred options:
   • Base-sponsored daycare facilities
   • Government-sponsored daycare services
   • Private daycare facilities
   • At-home services
   • Church-sponsored
   • School-sponsored
   • Other: ______________________________________________

2. Contact your base Child Development Center (CDC) for information on available services:

   Most bases have a CDC, which provides:

   • Daycare services for eligible children ages 6 weeks to 5 years.
   • After-school programs for children ages 6 to 12 years.

   Here's how to learn about and contact your CDC:

   • Visit www.militaryinstallations.dod.mil and select "Child Develop-ment Centers" from the left "Program or Service" pull-down menu.
   • Enter your installation name or find it from the convenient locator link at the top of the installation box.
   • Now click on the "Search" button. You'll go directly to a page that links to the address and telephone numbers of your local CDC.
   • Just to the right of the CDC contact information is a link entitled Read More Information. When you click on this link, you'll go directly to a page with detailed information on services provided by your CDC. Just follow the instructions provided on this page for using the CDC services.

3. Consider other options:
   • Not all bases have a CDC. If there is no CDC nearby, use the same base locator website to search for your base's Child and Youth Registration and Referral office. Their job is to help military families find appropriate child care in the local area.
   • Family Support Centers also have a child care referral office where you can register for non-CDC programs as well as CDC programs.

4. Determine your child care costs:
   • Find out your costs by asking the CDC about the fees and categories for Military Child Care Services. Your costs will be determined by the service member's rank and pay grade. If you are in Fee Category #6 - the highest - you may find high quality private daycare services to be comparable in cost to CDC services.
   • The child care services office will often figure costs for you as long as you have a copy of

     -your spouse's most recent LES
     -your W-2 or a copy of your last taxes

5. Ask other important questions:
   1. How long is the waiting list? (Get on it as soon as possible!)
   2. Do I need a copy of my child's birth certificate?
   3. Other: ______________________________________________ ____________________________________________________

6. Compile documents you may need:
   • Birth certificate
   • Most recent LES
   • W-2
   • Copy of your last taxes

7. Consider non-CDC options:

   If the waiting list is too long, ask about other options which may include:

   • Family Child Care (FCC)
   • Child Development Homes (CDH)

   The hours for these services are typically more flexible, but expect to pay higher rates. You also have to register for these services. The child care services office will give you a recommended list of providers.

   Your next important job is to screen providers by:

   • Visiting their facilities
   • Observing their operations
   • Interviewing them

8. Assess and screen a provider:
   • Make an appointment to visit the site (make sure it's during child care hours)
   • Take your child or children with you
   • Ask lots of probing questions about the quality of services
   • Request at least three references of current clients and make sure you call them for their assessment of services
   • Develop a list a advantages/disadvantages based on your visit