Air Force officials work to resolve child-care issues Published March 20, 2008 By Staff Sgt. Monique Randolph Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs WASHINGTON (AFPN) -- The shortage of qualified child-care providers is a major concern for Air Force families, and the Air Force is working to resolve it, the chief of Airman and Family Services at the Pentagon said. While the Air Force offers Airmen quality, affordable child care at on-base facilities throughout the world, providing full staffing at those facilities is an issue, Eliza Nesmith said. The Air Force has specific rules about how many children can be in a single provider's care, so when there is a staffing shortage, child-care centers cannot accept additional children who are on the waiting list. Over the past two years, 2,400 child-care spaces have been made available to Air Force families, but about 4,000 spaces are still needed. "The impact is really critical when we don't have enough staff to care for the children," Ms. Nesmith said. "Without child care, there is significant mission impact. Airmen can't go to work. Quality child care is expensive outside the gate, if it's available. The Air Force looks at quality, availability and affordability. That's what we owe the workforce. Their work is important and we need to be able to support that mission. "Families overseas are particularly hard hit when child-care facilities have staffing shortages because Airmen have fewer options outside the gate," she said. "Even if child care is available (off base), it can be very expensive, there can be language barriers and the operating hours may not support Airmen's needs." To combat these manning shortages, Air Force Personnel Center officials in San Antonio are working aggressively to assist bases in filling child-care positions as quickly as possible, Ms. Nesmith said. The chief of staff of the Air Force provided additional funds from the fiscal 2008 budget for child-care manpower positions as well. This year, three child-care facilities will be built at Patrick Air Force Base, Fla., Charleston AFB, S.C., and Scott AFB, Ill., which will add about 800 spaces, she said. In addition to building child-care facilities on bases, the Air Force continues to work with national partners and referral agencies to identify licensed off-base home-care providers for children on the waiting lists. "We also provide family-child-care subsidy where fees are based on total family income, so the Airman pays what they would at the on-base child development center," Ms. Nesmith said. The same provision applies to families who use family child care through a licensed home-care provider on base. Additionally, there are several expanded child-care programs designed especially to meet Airmen's unique needs, including: -- Air Force Extended-Duty Child Care Program, which enables Airmen and their families to obtain quality child care at no cost for extended duty hours or nontraditional hours. It is also available to spouses of Airmen on temporary duty or deployed who require additional child care due to the absence of spouse. -- Air Force Home Community Care Program, which provides free in-home quality child-care services to Guard and Reserve members during their scheduled drill weekends. -- Air Force Missile Care, which provides free child care to Airmen working at missile sites. This care is provided for the 24-hour care needed as these Airmen work in the missile sites. -- Air Force Returning Home Care Program, which supports Airmen returning home from deployments lasting 30 days or more and for Airmen who routinely deploy on a short-term basis (cumulative of 30 days in a six-month period) in support of contingency operations. Airmen receive 16 hours of free child care upon their return to their home station. -- Air Force Child Care for PCS Program, which is intended to help relieve some of the stress felt by families in the process of a permanent-change-of-station move. The Air Force Aid Society pays up to 20 hours of child care (per child) in licensed family child-care homes on base. -- Air Force Give Parents a Break, which is supported by the Air Force Aid Society and offers one day or night per month in a child development center to provide eligible parents with a few hours break each month from the stresses of parenting. -- Mission Youth Outreach, which is a partnership between Air Force Services and Boys & Girls Clubs of America that provides one-year free membership for children of active-duty, Guard and Reserve Airmen who do not live near an installation to attend any local Boys & Girls Club in their community. For more information about the child care program, contact the local services family member programs flight chief. Comment on this story (comments may be published on Air Force Link) View the comments/letters page