Subsidy Child Care Program

The Department of Defense (DoD) currently provides child care for approximately 200,000 children of Active Duty personnel each day. Active Duty military personnel using DoD child care facilities receive subsidized child care. The government pays a portion of the cost for all children in DoD child development centers and family child care homes. The 200,000 does not include the children of recently activated Marine Reserve, Marine Reserve during weekend drill training and geographically displaced personnel, who often do not live near a military installation. Consequently, there is a need to establish a nation-wide subsidy management program to provide local child care arrangements for children of activated Marine Reserve, Active Duty, deceased, wounded, ill and injured and Marine families who do not live on or near a military installation. Over the years, deployments have steadily increased in frequency, length and risk. Now more than ever families require additional support during prolonged deployments. Families need occasional child care to accomplish household errands, assist the Wounded, Ill or Injured Marine during recuperation and respite from the stress of constant child care responsibilities. A National Service Provider is needed to administer child care subsidies for eligible members of Department of Defense Military Services.