Military Childcare

Child development centers are facility-based programs providing care for children 6 weeks to 5 years of age. The centers typically operate Monday through Friday, during standard work hours year-round. CDCs offer full-day, part-day and hourly childcare (availability permitting) and part-time enrichment programs, such as preschool. The cost is based on your total family income.

Family Child Care homes operate with certified childcare professionals known as FCC providers. FCC providers can offer care to infants and children up to age 12 in their homes. The FCC homes may be located on or off installation, depending on your branch of service. Each FCC provider determines what care they offer and may include full-day, part-day, school year and out-of-school care. In some cases, FCC homes offer care outside typical operating hours, such as weekends, evenings, nights and 24/7 care.

School-age care programs are facility-based programs that care for children ages 6 to 12 years old. The SAC programs provide school-year care, including before- and after-school care, and summer and holiday camps. The cost is based on total family income.

To expand childcare options for military families, the War Department is partnering with qualified nonprofit organizations to open and operate childcare centers in areas with high demand. In the initial expansion in 2025 and 2026, DOW contracted the Armed Services YMCA to manage one center along the Pentagon commuting routes in Arlington, Virginia, to expand options for eligible DOW families in the National Capital Region, and two facilities near military installations in the Norfolk and Virginia Beach, Virginia, areas. Each center has 200 new spaces. All centers are now open.

To learn more and sign up for childcare, visit MilitaryChildCare.com.

Military Child Care in Your Neighborhood, or MCCYN, is a DOW program that provides fee assistance to eligible military families using community childcare centers and Family Child Care homes when on-installation care isn’t available or accessible. MCCYN-approved providers must be licensed, inspected annually and meet DOW-approved accreditation standards.

U.S. military and DOW civilian families are eligible. Visit MilitaryChildCare.com for detailed information on eligibility requirements.

MCCYN-PLUS is an extension of MCCYN, designed to increase access to quality childcare nationwide. MCCYN-PLUS uses the state quality rating and improvement systems as a quality indicator, allowing more providers to receive fee assistance on behalf of military families.

The Child Care in Your Home fee assistance pilot program provides fee assistance to service members who use in-home childcare providers.

• The CCYH program is offered in select locations, and spaces are limited in each location/region.
• The pilot program covers full-time care from 30 hours to 60 hours of childcare weekly.
• Parents are the employer of their childcare provider. They must find and employ their provider.
• The Military Child Care Fee Assistance Management Team manages the administration of the CCYH fee assistance pilot program for all families.

Learn more about the CCYH fee assistance pilot program.

Commercial travel reimbursement for a designated childcare provider during a PCS move within the U.S. or overseas is another way the DOW assists families with their care needs.

PCSing service members are eligible for reimbursement of up to $1,500 for travel expenses for a designated caregiver to provide temporary childcare services at their new duty station if they:

• Have requested full-time childcare at their installation child development center
• Have been waitlisted and informed childcare will not be available within 30 days

Learn more about this benefit at MilitaryChildCare.com.

MilitaryChildCare.com is the DOW’s online request-for-care management system that helps families in any service branch find and request military-operated or military-approved childcare anywhere in the world. The website provides a single gateway for parents to search for full- and part-time care at child development or Family Child Care programs, including before- and after-school care, as well as summer and holiday camps.

An hourly childcare database is available to meet the growing and complex childcare needs of military families residing in the U.S. This national database allows you to search for hourly, flexible and on-demand childcare that’s available beyond the typical 9-to-9 workday. Access the database through your Military OneSource account. Account registration and login information is listed below.

Log in to your Military OneSource account to learn more about eligibility and to register for this free, nationally-recognized subscription service that lets you:

• Search for care based on your unique needs and criteria
• Find potential care providers
• Check references
• Review background checks

Once you log in to your account, you’ll be prompted to call Military OneSource, where you will be given a one-time code to register for this subscription service. If you’ve already received a code, you’ll need to find the one-time code that was sent to you.

This service is available to anyone who is eligible for Military OneSource services.

A number of childcare podcasts are available to help service members and their families explore the best childcare options for their family. Listen to these podcasts for an overview of military childcare, explanation of DOW fee assistance, and guidance in placing a request and searching for childcare.

• Military Child Care Overview: Accessibility, Availability and Affordability
• MilitaryChildCare.com: Placing a Request and Searching for Child Care
• Military Child Care in Your Neighborhood-PLUS Expansion: Fee Assistance for Community Child Care