Family Child Care

Our Mission Register for Care Become a Provider Provider of the Month Brochures Contact Information Additional Links

Family Child Care provides valuable in-home child care services to support the families of Minot AFB. The FCC program offers quality care for children ranging from birth to five years of age by licensed, professional child care providers. Due to the high demand for early child care, we encourage families to reach out to the School Age Care Program for children over five years of age and going into kindergarten. The School Age Care Program can be reached at 701-723-2838.

The quality of FCC cannot be understated. It is determined by our licensure requirements; as well as, our heightened focus on training and development. In addition, each provider is required to follow a curriculum, create weekly lesson plans, and show evidence of successful implementation of their designated educational program. Every provider is expected to know the developmental milestones of the children in their care and scaffold each child’s learning to increase skill-development. All providers must complete fifteen modules through our Air Force Virtual Lab School to assist in learning these important milestones and age-appropriate techniques.

Core Values

Our mission is to assist DoD military and civilian personnel in balancing the competing demands of the accomplishment of the DoD mission and family life by managing and delivering a system of quality, available, and affordable programs and services for eligible children and youth birth through 18 years of age.

Along with full-time, part-time, weekly, and hourly child care, some FCC providers offer care for weekends, evenings, shift work, TDY, PCS, special needs, and before and after school. In addition, there are several free expanded child care programs available to families (Extended Duty Care, Missile Care, Returning Home Care, and Supplemental Child Care Program). These programs require additional paperwork and parents are encouraged to reach out to our office for more details on how to qualify.

Registering For Care

27/4 & Extended Child Care

MilitaryChildCare.com (MCC) Is the one stop shop for capturing your family’s need for mission-related 24/7 and extended child care!

Requesting Care is Easy!

Visit MilitaryChildCare.com and login to your existing account, or create an account if you’re a first time visitor.
Click “Find Child Care”Select the child in need of care, the date(s) needed, and the location(s) where child care is needed.
If 24/7 Care and/or Extended Care are available, select the care needed from the list of care types and describe your work schedule.
Select “Next” to view the list of Family Child Care providers offering 24/7 Care and/or Extended care and submit your request for care.
You will receive an offer for care when space becomes available to meet your needs.

Military Child Care Website

Subsidy

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 forms 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/2022/12/FCC-SUB-Checklist-2022.pdf )
ECC Form ( https://media.5thforcesupport.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/14122855/Subsidy-Higlighted_AF-FCC-ECC-form-2020-11.08.11-PM-1.docx )
DD2652 ( https://media.5thforcesupport.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/21143545/2652-2020-NEW-USE-1.pdf )
Parent/Child Information Subsidy Form ( https://media.5thforcesupport.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/23112401/AF-FCC-Subsidy-Registration-Checklist-1.docx )

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.

Deployment Care

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
Completed AF FCC Expanded Child Care Request ( https://media.5thforcesupport.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/14122855/Deployment-Care-ECC-Form-1.docx )

PCS Care

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.

Eligibility Requirements:

Member of the Military Service
Active Duty
Active Duty Member Retiring
Copy of PCS orders or Transition Assistance Program Registration
Completed AF FCC ECC Request ( https://media.5thforcesupport.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/14122854/ECC-ONLY-Form-1.docx )

Prior to receiving PCS care through FCC, the family must contact the Military and Family Readiness Center for a certificate. MFRC can be reached at 701-723-3950. This certificate is then emailed to our office and we schedule your care!

Extended Child Care Tab (Missile, Extended Hours)

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
Completed AF FCC ECC Request ( https://media.5thforcesupport.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/14122854/ECC-ONLY-Form-1.docx )

Missile Care Specific Information

The MC is designed to provide overnight, weekend, and holiday child care for those members assigned to work for more than 24 hours in the missile field.

Eligibility Requirements:

Member of the Military Service
Active Duty or Reserve/Guard Member in activated status
Assigned to work for more than 24 hours in the missile field
No other adult in the household available to provide care
Must be purchasing full-time care
Copy of schedule
Completed AF FCC ECC Request ( https://media.5thforcesupport.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/14122854/ECC-ONLY-Form-1.docx )

Process for Obtaining Care

First and foremost, families will apply for and request child care through MilitaryChildCare.com (MCC).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.

Provider of the Month

March – Amanda Senft

What do you enjoy most about being an FCC Provider?

I enjoy that I am able to stay home with my children while providing reliable child care to other military families. I love seeing the kids running in each day excited to be at my house for another day in my program. I have met some amazing parents and children from our Minot AFB community through FCC.

What are your interests/hobbies?

Shopping at Target, spreadsheets for EVERYTHING, and bubble baths.

What advice do you have for new providers/those interested in being FCC Providers?

FCC or a career in child care was never on my radar before moving to Minot. Once we moved here and found how difficult child care was to locate, I looked into options for my own kids and found FCC. I’m so glad I stumbled upon FCC! It pushed me out of my comfort zone of the dental field, and I have found this job very rewarding in several aspects of life. It can be overwhelming at times, but the support from other providers has been amazing. If you’re on the fence, try it!

Become a Provider

Own your own business by becoming a Minot Air Force Base Family Child Care Provider! Check out our links below for details and incentives!

Becoming a FCC Provider

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.

Virtual Lab School

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.

Benefits of Becoming a FCC Provider

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.

Prior to Licensure

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.

Quality Assurance

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.

Resource Center

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.

USDA Food Program

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.

FCC Pre-Orientation Information

What You Can Earn as a Provider

Earn College Credit

Feel free to give our office a call at 701-723-6662 with any questions!