DoD childcare fees will soon change

  • Published
  • By Ian Graham
  • Department of Defense
WASHINGTON (AFNS) --  The Department of Defense announced recently the school year 2010/2011 child care fee policy that will help pay for childcare services, including staff for child development centers and school-age care programs. The policy, a change in the income and fee ranges, is designed to have as little impact as possible on families. Whether the change is a decrease or an increase depends on their income, said Barbara Thompson, director of DoD's office of family policy/children and youth.

The new fee policy will be implemented on or before September 30 of this year. The department has broadened child care fee ranges, raised the income cap on each fee range, and established the top range at $125,001 a year and above to adjust for higher salaries in the military and to better represent different income groups. Previously, families earning $70,001 a year and above all paid the same fee for child care.

"'What are the economic realities of providing high quality child care?' We recognized that our families' incomes were not in sync with our current fee ranges," Thompson said.

Salary range is based on total family income, not rank, Thompson said. Each service will still have its own guidelines for installations in addition to the department-wide policy. Installation commanders can set the price for each salary segment within a range, depending on local economy and what he or she sees is needed at the installation level.

"If you look at what you're getting for your childcare fee, it's a wonderful opportunity to take care of your child in a high-quality environment," Thompson said.

Defense Department childcare facilities provide families with 50 hours weekly of care, including two meals daily and up to two snacks. The increased fees amount to a small hourly increase, Thompson explained.

"[Under the current fees] if you're in the lowest income category at your installation, you're paying 86 cents an hour for childcare. At the high end, you're paying $2.52 an hour," Thompson said. "The next iteration of our fee ranges, if you're in the very lowest range, you'll be paying 88 cents an hour, and the very high end will be paying $2.78 an hour."

The policy comes as costs for providing childcare are on the rise. Caregivers' salaries have risen, and there is increased demand for well trained and professional staff. In addition more than half of the children in the department's child care programs are under the age of three - an age group that requires a higher ratio of staff to child to meet their needs.

Thompson said there has been some concern that parents who see a fee increase will opt to have their child placed in a non-DoD program. She said that could be problematic for parents, because there's no uniformity of care between states; a highly rated center in one state may be considered subpar in another state. The Defense Department's program meets or exceeds most standards.

Ninety-eight percent of DoD's child development centers are nationally accredited, a rate which dwarfs the eight to ten percent accreditation rate among community childcare centers. Accreditation ensures the highest quality services, environment, curriculum and staffing.

"We have a childcare program that's called 'the model of the nation' because of our commitment to quality and level of oversight," she said. "It's the department's commitment to provide that for our children. We're hoping our families recognize that it is a partnership between the DoD and parents as well as their investment in their child."