Being a new military spouse might feel overwhelming enough, but what if you add children into the mix? Don’t fear! There are resources that are in place to support you and your kids! Military Child Development Centers help to support spouses by providing quality childcare. If you are balancing a home and career, are heading back to school, or simply need a break in the day, CDC’s intrinsically understand the demanding, occasionally unpredictable world of military life.
The Department of Defense runs 800 Child Development Centers worldwide, so there’s bound to be a care center on your installation. Child Development Centers typically operate on a full day, part day and even hourly schedule, and they are available for children ages six weeks to 12 years.
Child Development Centers are typically open Monday through Friday between the hours of 6:00AM and 6:30PM. Commanders may make an exception to those hours and extend them to meet work and deployment needs of their installation population.
Childcare fees vary from family to family and they are subsidized by the DoD and calculated on a tiered scale based on family income.
Because CDC’s are known to provide high quality programs and teachers with the added bonus of geographic convenience, there are often wait lists. These lists are managed at the installation and are based upon local priority policies. If you wish to enroll your child in a CDC, the first thing to do is reach out to the installation CDC as soon as possible, especially directly after a PCS. If there is a wait list, you may need to seek out alternative childcare arrangements until a space opens.
Did You Know? CDC’s are known across the board to uphold a strong standard of excellence. Nearly 93% of the facilities are accredited by the National Associated for the Education of Young Children.