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Subsidy offsets Family Child Care costs

Parents will receive a high-quality product at a reasonable cost, and the providers will receive a worthy wage

By Jack Ekstrom
Parents needing care for their children can place them in one of several licensed homes on base that offer Family Child Care, and parents are now eligible for subsidized support.

According to Donna Head, Family Member Support Flight Chief, a new Air Force Services family member program initiative will change how some family child-care rates are set for families with fulltime children 3-5 years old currently enrolled in FCC homes on base.

PHOTO: Parents placing their children in Family Child Care in homes on base will now received subsidized support.

" The family child-care subsidy program will help working parents find high-quality and affordable child care," she said. "Parents seeking full-time child care may soon pay the same rates in FCC homes as they would at an Air Force child development center. Those seeking care often face long waiting lists at installation centers and are forced to pay higher rates elsewhere."

Under the new subsidy program, she said, fees for full-time care in FCC homes will be set in one of six categories based on the family's annual income.

This mirrors the way Air Force child development centers and school age programs determine rates.
For most FCC customers, this will significantly reduce the child-care fees currently paid to home providers.
Fees for care in FCC homes now range from $80 to $185 per week, per child. Costs to parents will drop $42 to $124 per week, per child, under the subsidy program.

Air Force family member program officials will pay the home providers the difference.

" Providing quality, affordable child care for working parents is a priority for Air Force Services," Mrs. Head said. "This new program is yet another way to help installations meet their mission requirements, while improving the quality of life for our active-duty members and Department of Defense civilians."

Home providers will also see an incentive in the program, she said. Many FCC homes are not operating at full capacity. Under the new program, more parents will be able to afford high-quality care in a home environment.

" The parents will receive a high-quality product at a reasonable cost. The providers will receive a worthy wage for their services, and the installations will benefit from the affordable child care made available so members can focus on their duties," Mrs. Head said.

Initially, families eligible for the subsidy include those with children younger than 3 years old, children with special needs, and children needing care during swing and midnight shifts at installations with waiting lists for CDC care, she said. As additional funds become available and waiting lists continue at installation centers, other age groups will be added.

For more information, call 333-7957.