Child Care Programs

The Defense Department recognizes that child care is a critical support for military families with children. As a service member, you have many affordable, quality and licensed child care options. Learn about the different types of care available to you, as well as referral services and other resources, to help you make the best choice for your family and find affordable, quality and licensed child care.

The child development center is a facility-based program that cares for children ages 6 weeks to 5 years of age. The centers typically operate Monday through Friday, during standard work hours year-round. The CDC programs offer full-day, part-day, hourly child care (availability permitting) and part-day preschool. The cost is based on your total family income.

The family child care programs operate with certified child care professionals known as FCC providers. Providers offer care for infants and children up to age 12 in their homes, located on or off an installation. FCC providers typically offer a flexible schedule to support parents with a variety of care needs, including full-day, part-day and school-year care, summer camp, and in some cases, 24/7 and extended care.

The school-age care program is a facility-based program that cares for children ages 6 to 12 years old. The SAC programs provide school-year care, including before- and after-school care and coverage for parents during scheduled school breaks and school-year vacations. These programs also provide summer camp. The cost is based on total family income.

The Defense Department recognizes that traditional child care programs don’t always fit with the demands of military life. That’s why supplemental and alternative care options are available to make sure you’re covered. Through Military OneSource, parents can now access a nationally recognized caregiver database to search for hourly, flexible and on-demand child care. The nationally recognized subscription service lets you search based on your own needs and criteria, check references, review background checks and even interview caregivers through the service.

The DOD offers a variety of resources to help families find the child care they need, including families with special needs. Use these resources to help find the right care for your child:

Explore the wide range of Defense Department-approved youth and teen resources which can help your child make friends, stay active and develop new skills.

Military OneSource specialty consultations enable parents to speak to specialists with various areas of expertise, including adoption, education, special needs and more. They include the New MilParent specialty consultation, designed for expectant parents and parents of children up to the age of 5 which provides support for a wide range of parenting issues. If it takes a village to raise a child, you’re in luck as a service member. Your military community offers you a broad range of resources and services to help you be the best parent you can be.