The Defense Department recognizes that quality, affordable child care is critical for military families with children. That’s why the department’s fee assistance program Military Child Care in Your Neighborhood, also known as MCCYN, has expanded its child care program eligibility requirements for civilian providers in the local community.
MCCYN requires both center and home-based community child care providers receiving fee assistance to be licensed, to be inspected by an oversight agency once a year and to meet the requirements of a DOD-approved national or state accreditation agency.
DOD expands child care access
The DOD is expanding the Military Child Care in Your Neighborhood-PLUS program to increase access to quality child care providers. MCCYN-PLUS is available in Arkansas; Colorado; Kentucky; Maryland; Miami-Dade County, Florida; Michigan; Minnesota; Nebraska; Nevada; New York; North Carolina; Oklahoma; South Carolina; Tennessee; Texas; Virginia; Washington; and San Diego County, California.
When on-installation child care is unavailable or when families are geographically dispersed from a military installation, MCCYN helps eligible families access child care that meets their needs and reduces the out-of-pocket expenses for community child care. For more information about MCCYN, visit MilitaryChildCare.com.
MCCYN-PLUS program expansion
The DOD expanded the MCCYN program, creating MCCYN-PLUS, to bridge the gap in locations where accredited care is unavailable. This initiative utilizes the states’ Quality Rating and Improvement Systems, or QRIS, as an indicator of provider quality in lieu of national accreditation, broadening the pool of providers eligible to receive fee assistance on behalf of military families.
San Diego County, California, Launches MCCYN-PLUS
On April 15, 2025, San Diego County, California, will be the second county approved to qualify community providers participating in their quality improvement program, San Diego Quality Preschool Initiative. Participation in the quality improvement program enables providers to receive military fee assistance on behalf of eligible military families through MCCYN-PLUS.
MCCYN-PLUS is available in Arkansas; Colorado; Kentucky; Maryland; Miami-Dade County, Florida; Michigan; Minnesota; Nebraska; Nevada; New York; North Carolina; Oklahoma; South Carolina; Tennessee; Texas; Virginia; Washington; and San Diego County, California. Additional states continue to join the initiative.
Families can search for and select an eligible child care provider through the DOD request-for-care website, MilitaryChildCare.com.
Providers can learn more about becoming a state-approved MCCYN-PLUS child care provider by visiting Child Care Aware® of America.
Support for Military
