LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. –
Beginning Oct. 1, families using the Child Development Centers at Joint Base Langley-Eustis could see a change in their child care fees for School Year 2010 to 2011. This is the result of a new Department of Defense policy.
"DOD has issued new fee ranges for child development centers, subsidized family child care and school-age care programs," said Col. Edward Shock, Air Combat Command chief of Services Division.
Marion Taylor, 733d Force Support Division deputy director, said fees are based on total family income rather than the service members' rank.
"One of the purposes of the military child care program is to improve the economic viability of military families. Those families with the lowest incomes are those most in need of assistance with their child care expenses," said Ms. Taylor.
"Some customers will pay $11 less and some may pay up to $10 more each week," said Roland Taylor, 633d Force Support Squadron chief of Airman and Family Services.
According to Mr. Taylor, the DOD is not making changes in the quality of the child care offered on Langley or Fort Eustis. Rather, the DOD decided to do an across-the-board evaluation because it has been several years since the rates have been reviewed.
The DOD conducted an in-depth study of the child development fee policy in 2008. It was determined that fee ranges were no longer in sync with the total family income for the majority of program users. As a result, income ranges were adjusted and several new income ranges were added to address families in higher income categories. These changes reflect families' salary growth over the past five years, as well as the increased cost to provide care.
In the Child Development Centers, parent fees pay for only three-fourths of the caregivers' wages and benefits, some consumable supplies, and the costs of the food program not paid for by reimbursements from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In the School Age Program, parent fees are used only for the wages and benefits of the school age staff who work directly with children.
There are six fee categories, including a minimum fixed rate and five income-based categories, each with a range of fees. The SY 2010-2011 Child Care Fee Policy will contain nine categories, with three added at the top to address higher incomes. The policy includes a five percent increase in the income ranges and contains three additional income categories, so families may fit into categories different from those under the current policy.
Under existing policy, families earning $70,001 pay the same fees as those making more than $100,000. However, under the new policy, three additional categories will raise fees incrementally to cover families earning $125,001 or more annually. Those earning $85,000 and below will see smaller increases.
Families experiencing financial hardships may receive assistance through hardship fee waivers, which must be approved by commanders, and multiple child discounts. Both the Army and Air Force now require a 10 percent reduction of fees for each additional child of the same family.
The National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies, the country's leading voice for child care, issues a biennial report on the quality of nationwide child care, including the DOD. The study found that the DOD child care system "stands alone as a model for states." In that report, military child care ranked first among the 50 states and the District of Columbia and was the only entity to score in the top 10 for both standards and oversight criteria.
"The Air Force has a lifelong commitment to protecting the well-being of our Airmen and their families and access to affordable, quality childcare remains a top priority. The fee policy revision represents a balanced solution to the issue of adjusting fees to pay caregiver salaries while limiting the financial impact to the family," said Colonel Shock. "This includes the ability to recruit and retain quality staff with competitive salaries, maintain initial and ongoing professional development for the direct care staff, and continue achieving national accreditation for our centers."
Families will receive information about their specific fee changes at their Youth Center or CDC. For more information about child-care rates at Fort Eustis, contact the Child, Youth and School Services Central Registration Office at 878-4025, or go online to
www.eustismwr.com. Personnel whose children attend child care at Langley can call 764-3585, or go online to
www.fsslangley.com.