Program offers subsidized child care to Guard, Reserve Published March 7, 2005 By Samantha L. Quigley American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON (AFPN) -- Department of Defense officials have joined forces with national agencies to help Guard and Reserve families in finding and affording child care while a parent is deployed supporting the war on terrorism.“Child care, as you know, is one of the top (concerns) voiced by families as well as by commands on what’s needed,” said Jan Witte, director of the Pentagon’s office of children and youth. Her staff monitors the new program, dubbed Operation Military Child Care.DOD officials, who are working with the National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies, designed this initiative to benefit those who do not live near military installations, Ms. Witte said.“We have a contract with (the association) to assist us in finding spaces outside the military community for those Guard and Reserve (servicemembers) who are deployed and active-duty (people) who are not near a military installation,” she said. “We also hope to assist in reducing the out-of-pocket expense to the servicemember.”When a parent is deployed, she said, the remaining parent may discover that child care is something the couple had not had to think of before. And need is not the only consideration. The extra expense can be shocking.While Mr. Witte’s office does not fully subsidize child care, it does work to reduce the financial burden, she said. The fees are based on a sliding scale that takes into consideration total family income and the care provider’s actual cost, among other things.To take part in the program, a family member can apply through the association on the operation’s Web site or by calling toll-free at (800) 424-2246. The child-care provider also must apply -- an important step because of how the subsidy is paid out, Ms. Witte said.“The subsidy goes to the program, not to the individual,” she said.The program officially kicked off March 3, but has been operational as a pilot program since November, Ms. Witte said. About 40 families have completed the application process.“We feel like this is one area to provide assistance for the total force,” she said. “We had not been doing much prior to this time for the Guard and Reserve as far as child care and school-age programs have gone.” She said the new program could get about 5,000 Guard and Reserve servicemembers’ children into child care.But that number could fluctuate if there is a change in the funding, she said, which comes in the form of supplemental funding through Congress. Congress has funded the program for $7 million, Ms. Witte said, though officials hope to expand the program in the future to try and accommodate some of the 38,000 children of active-duty servicemembers in need of child care.The association also supports Guard and Reserve servicemembers through a program called Operation Child Care. It is a voluntary program that provides up to six hours of free child care to Guard and Reserve families whose deployed servicemember is returning home for rest and recuperation.“(The association) felt it was service back to the nation to thank the servicemembers for their sacrifices,” Ms. Witte said.