Stacey K. Young

Stacey K. Young assumed the duties of director of the newly formed Child and Youth Programs directorate in the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy on Nov. 6, 2023. As director, Ms. Young is responsible for programs and policies that promote military families’ well-being, readiness and quality of life. In this capacity, she has oversight for Defense Department programs and policies that support the availability of quality child care for military families worldwide in addition to youth development and school liaison programs. This portfolio serves 700,000 children annually at more than 300 locations worldwide.

Prior to assuming her current duties, Ms. Young served as the director of the Office of Military Family Readiness Policy beginning in April 2019. In addition to her current portfolio, she had purview over military family readiness programs, including military family life cycle and transition support and community capacity building to support geographically dispersed military members and their families, and the Exceptional Family Member Program.

Ms. Young has more than 32 years of experience working with children and youth in nonprofit and federal child care systems. Her work within the federal system includes direct care and management experience in home-based and center-based child development programs at the installation level. She also served at both the Air Force Major Command and Headquarters level. An ardent advocate for support to geographically dispersed military families, she served as the chief of child and youth programs for the Air Force Reserve Command Headquarters where she provided oversight of programs that served the children and youth of Air National Guard and reserve families. During her time with the reserve component, she developed and executed the first-ever Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard teen leadership summits. These annual summits bring together Air Reserve Component youth for week-long camps to explore and develop their leadership skills, build self-confidence, and develop a sense of connection to the Air Force community. Her experience in the civilian sector includes work in National Association for the Education of Young Children-accredited nonprofit child care centers in local community and university settings.

Ms. Young is a three-time recipient of the Air Force Exemplary Civilian Service Award. She has also received numerous installation and command-level awards and performance awards.

Ms. Young graduated with honors and distinction from Penn State University with a Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Family Studies. She completed the dual Air Command and Staff College and Master of Military Art and Operational Science program from Air University in December 2011.

The Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy is directly responsible for programs and policies that establish and support community quality-of-life programs for service members and their families worldwide. This office also serves as the focal point for coordination for a broad range of quality-of-life issues within the Defense Department.