Family Child Care

First and foremost, families will apply for and request child care through MilitaryChildCare.com (MCC). MilitaryChildCare.com is DoD-wide. The website has video tutorials for parents and a help desk to assist you in setting up your account! When the FCC Office is contacted for a care request either through email, in-person, or by phone; the Family Child Care Coordinator or Community Child Care Coordinator will first check MCC.com to verify the individual need of care. The FCC or CCC Coordinator will then reach out to all providers via their private communication system to ensure all providers are given information equitably and efficiently.

It is important to note, most families receiving care through FCC are enrolled in our Subsidy Program. This program enables a family to pay the same price for care that they would at the CDC while the provider receives their requested fee. For example: If a family generates $51,000 total income per year, that family would pay $93 for weekly child care. However, the provider (running her own business) charges $200 per week. Does this mean the family must find care elsewhere? No. The Air Force will pay the provider the difference: $107.

If interested in applying for the Subsidy Program, please fill out the following form and return to the FCC office in-person or through email: 5fss.fsyf.fcc@us.af.mil.

• Subsidy Registration Checklist (https://5thforcesupport.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/AF-FCC-Subsidy-Registration-Checklist.pdf )

Family Child Care is the perfect choice for parents who want quality child care in a small group, home-like setting. The goal of the FCC program is to meet the physical, social, emotional, and intellectual needs of children while providing a safe, healthy, and nurturing environment.

The Deployment Child Care Support allows families 16 hours for pre-deployment, 16 hours each month of the deployment, and 16 hours of post deployment. AF FCC Deployment Child Care Support may be used once the member has orders and ends 60 days upon return from the deployment.

Eligibility Requirements:

• Member of the Military Service
• Active Duty or Reserve/Guard Member in Active Status
• Assigned to or working on the installation
• Deployed in support of a contingency operation
• Deployed for a minimum of 30 calendar days or personnel who routinely deploy on a short-term basis (cumulative of 30 days in a 6 month period)
• Copy of deployment orders/PCS orders

Required Form:

• DCC ECC Form

PCS Care is designed to help relieve some of the stress felt by families in the process of a PCS move or transitioning from the military.

Eligible members with a Permanent Change of Station (PCS), Retirement, Palace Chase, or Separation from service order will apply for funding through the AFAS portal at https://portal.afas.org. Approved funds will be directly deposited into the member’s designated bank account via Zelle or ACH to cover allowable childcare expenses.

• $200 per dependent child up to age 12 (not to exceed $1,000 per family) will be provided to eligible members
• Funds can be used for the following childcare providers:
• Base Child Development/Youth Centers offering a monthly GPAB event with a minimum of 8 children in attendance
• Family Child Care (FCC) provider homes at assigned installations
• Day Care Centers or Day Care Providers on or off the installation

Field Guidance

Application Instructions

Eligibility Expansion:

• Active-duty Air Force and Space Force members. Must apply within 60 days of arrival or departure.
• Air National Guard and Reserve members activated under Title 10, USC for more than 15 days with a PCS order. Must apply within 60 days of arrival or departure.
• Air Force and Space Force members with retirement orders, including those on the Temporary Disability Retired List (TDRL), Palace Chase, or when separating from active-duty service. These categories are eligible within 60 days at the departure location.

The EDC Program is designed to assist families when weekly parental workloads, due to extended duty hours, exceed the normal operating hours of the facility where they are already purchasing full-time care. Examples: mission-related duty, extended duty days, temporary shift change (not to exceed 3 working days), rapid mobilization, dual military or single parent deployment until alternate child care is arranged, federal holidays, installation wide down days when AF Child and Youth Programs are closed and parents are required to work, mandatory PT.

Eligibility Requirements:

• Member of the Military Service, Reserve/Guard member in activated status, or DoD Civilian
• Assigned to or working on the installation
• Must be scheduled to work – work must directly impact the mission
• No other adult in the household available to provide care

Required Forms:

• EDC ECC Form
• A memo with schedule – this form is a template – or schedule signed by supervisor

Eligible members holding a GPAB Certificate of Eligibility will apply for funding through the AFAS portal at https://portal.afas.org. Approved funds will be directly deposited into the member’s designated bank account via Zelle or ACH to cover allowable child care expenses.

• $40 per dependent child per month for up to 3 months will be provided to eligible members.
• Funds can be used for the following childcare providers:
• Base Child Development/Youth Centers offering a monthly GPAB event with a minimum of 8 children in attendance
• Family Child Care (FCC) provider homes at assigned installations
• Day Care Centers or Day Care Providers on or off the installation

Field Guidance

Application Instructions

The DAF MC program is designed to assist a family’s utilization of a certified FCC home when the member is assigned to work in the missile field at F. E. Warren, Malmstrom, or Minot AFBs, when their work schedules are regularly outside the normal operating hours of the facility the facility/home where they are already purchasing full time care or the number of hours to meet their Before School Care, After School Care, or Before and After School Care needs or FCC Fits.

Eligibility Requirements:

• Member of the Military Service Active Duty, Reserve/Guard Member in an Active Duty status, or DoD Civilian
• Reserves/Guard Member in an Active Duty Status is defined as the Member must be performing full time duty in a military status
• Assigned to, living, or working on the installation
• No other adult member of the household is available to provide care
• Must be purchasing full time child care, Before School Care, After School Care, Before and After School Care, or FCC Fits
• Must be scheduled to work
• Standby is not an approved work status; however, arrangements may be made in advance if standby status converts to duty status
• Prior to utilizing DAF FCC MC child care, the family must use the hours purchased, unless it is outside the facility’s/home’s normal hours of operation or unless there are unique circumstances approved by AFSVC/VCYO

How to Request Care:

• Complete Standard ECC Form
• Complete enrollment paperwork with the DAF Certified FCC Provider (Enrollment paperwork with an FCC Provider is specific to her business and includes, but is not limited to, a signed Contract, 1181 Form, Topical Application, Field Trip/Video Release permission forms, etc.)

• If current child care is not in a military-based program, provide a copy of the contract from the facility/home
• If applicable, provide a copy of TDY/Deployment orders

Fees:

• There is no additional cost to the member when they have purchased full-time, before, after, before and after, or IT FITS child care.

Required Forms:

• Standard ECC Form
• A memo with schedule – this form is a template – or schedule signed by supervisor

The DAF FCC MSAC is designed to provide child care for spouses, whose sponsor is assigned to work, to attend approved appointments related to key aspects of military life.

16 hours of care per child each month

• Key Spouse and Ombudsmen appointments are limited to 12 hours of care per child per year and any hours used count towards the monthly allotment of 16 hours.
• Initial job training/new employee orientation appointments are approved up to 40 hours per child per year and any hours used do not count towards the monthly allotment of 16 hours.

Examples: medical appointments, classes offered by M&FRC, Chaplain, Family Advocacy, and Medical Agencies, job interviews, initial job training/new employee orientation.

Eligibility Requirements:

• Spouse of a member of the Military Service Active Duty or Reserve/Guard Member in an active duty status
• Reserves/Guard Member in an Active Duty Status is defined as the Member must be performing full time duty in a military status
• Assigned to, living or working on the installation
• No other adult member of the household is available to provide care
• Spouse must be attending an approved appointment

How to Request Care:

• Complete DAF FCC ECC Request, sponsor’s supervisor signature not required
• Provide appointment documentation
• Complete enrollment paperwork with the DAF Certified FCC Provider and/or complete enrollment paperwork to have at your home for the approved DAF Respite Child Care Provider to review​

Fees:

• There is no cost to the member or requirement to purchase full time care.

Required Forms:

• MSAC ECC Form
• Appointment Verification (Appointment card, email, text with your name and date/time of appointment)

​ The DAF FCC POCC is designed to support FCC applicants, while completing the orientation process of becoming a FCC certified provider, and DAF FCC Certified Providers, while completing their annual requirements (training and background investigations) at a DAF installation

• DAF New Provider Orientation/Requirements – Families receive up to 32 hours per child
• DAF Certified FCC Provider Annual Training/Requirements – Families receive up to 12 hours per child

Eligibility Requirements:

• Must be a DAF FCC Applicant or DAF Certified FCC Provider
• No other adult in the household is available to provide care
• Must be attending New Provider Orientation or completing Annual Requirements

How to Request Care:

• Complete DAF FCC ECC Request, sponsor’s supervisor signature not required
• Complete enrollment paperwork with FCC Provider

Fees:

• There is no cost to the FCC provider applicant or DAF Certified FCC provider and no requirement to purchase full time care.

Required Form:

• POCC ECC Form

Are you interested in obtaining licensure to watch up to six children in your home? Are you a military spouse or new parent looking to help generate additional income? Are you retired, living on base, and have a heart to help Minot Air Force Base’s growing need for child care? In a mere four weeks, we can get you licensed and ready to go! If interested, please stop by our office to get started!

To operate an FCC home, applicants must meet numerous requirements. In addition to thorough background screenings performed by local base agencies, applicants are required to obtain liability insurance and must pass home inspections which include Health, Fire, Program, and Safety components. Applicants must also complete a two-week orientation training, part of which includes instruction on AF guidelines and certification in First Aid and CPR.

Certification through Virtual Lab School is highly beneficial to all FCC Providers. This training program covers the following fifteen early childhood functional areas: Child Abuse – Identification and Reporting, Child Abuse – Prevention, Positive Guidance, Safe Environments, Healthy Environments, Learning Environments, Physical Development, Cognitive Development, Communication and Language Development, Creative Expression, Self and Cultural Understanding, Social and Emotional Development, Family Engagement, Program Management, and Professionalism. The first three modules must be completed prior to licensure (during our two-week orientation training). The additional twelve modules are completed while the FCC Provider runs his/her business.

It is important to note, all modules are completed online and each module contains a certificate of completion. The benefit of this online platform is accessibility (as most providers complete work during their children’s naptime) and transferability, as the provider’s account may be accessed at an alternate base/location. The Family Child Care Coordinator assists the provider in his/her completion of these modules.

We live in a world where “mother” or “father” cannot be included on a resume, one household income falls short of providing all needs, and families are diverse. The Family Child Care Provider can maintain a business while watching his/her own children. Personally and professionally, the provider is able to be his/her own boss while working to assist his/her spouse in growing the family’s income. With regard to society, the Family Child Care Provider supports developmental growth in a homelike atmosphere or “family:” an American value.

Ways in which the Family Child Care Coordinator and Community Child Care Coordinator support the provider:

• Supplying care requests to whom the provider can reach out
• Reminding the provider of renewal dates for fingerprints, CPR, Insurance, etc.
• Providing monthly training
• Providing a monthly newsletter
• Determining “Provider of the Month” and bestowing a gift
• Inspecting the provider’s home monthly to ensure safety
• Providing curriculum resources
• Providing professional development opportunities
• Assisting with VLS FCC Certification

These are just some of the benefits! When a provider becomes licensed, he/she joins a group of over 24 providers who are dedicated professionals focused on personal and societal growth.

The FCC Panel, which includes the Deputy Mission Support Group Commander, 5th Force Support Commander, and Airman and Family Services Flight Chief, reviews all application packets. Those applicants who have successfully completed all requirements are recommended for licensing and are then forwarded on for final approval by the Mission Support Group Commander.

To ensure that high standards and quality are maintained in the FCC homes, each home undergoes unannounced observations by the Family Child Care Coordinator and Community Child Care Coordinator and the providers conduct self-assessments that are verified by the coordinators during their observations.

The FCC program also offers a Resource Center to all licensed providers. This center provides a variety of equipment, supplies, materials, indoor/outdoor toys, and games for use in FCC homes. This center benefits both the provider and the children in care by providing access to items that may otherwise be unaffordable.

Licensed FCC Providers participate in the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Program which reimburses them for serving nutritious meals.
For more information about the USDA Food Program, please call our Food Program Coordinator at 723-2604.