Child care fee changes coming

  • Published
  • By Austin Thomas
  • 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE --  The Defense Department announced that changes to the child care fee policy will be implemented no later than Sept. 30. The changes will affect families that have children enrolled in child development centers and school-age programs.

These fee changes are being made in accordance with The Military Child Care Act of 1989, which requires the department to establish uniform child care fees based on total family income.

An in-depth study in 2008 determined that fee ranges were no longer in sync with the total family income for the majority of program users.

"As a result of this adjustment, we broadened and added income ranges to achieve greater equity within our military community," said Robert Gordon, deputy under secretary of defense, military community and family policy.

Since the last fee change in 2004, salaries have increased approximately 19 percent, further reducing the viability of the program.

"This is the first increase of parent fees in six years and is essential to provide the training and salaries needed to meet stringent accreditation and certification standards," said Deb Iverson, 56th Force Support Squadron, Airman and Family Services.

Three new fee ranges have been added for families earning more than $85,000, with the top range for families earning more than $125,000.

"Other changes include a multiple child discount of 10 percent for families with more than one child in care," Ms. Iverson said.

The majority of families earning $85,000 and below will see relatively minimal changes to their child care fees, and some families may have lower child care fees.

"The new fee calculations indicate that most Luke families received very small increases," Ms. Iverson said. "And some families saw a reduction in fees due to the new income ranges and the discount."

If child care fees are not increased, there will be an impact to child care programs, such as limiting infant and toddler care services, because it takes more staff to supervise and care for children under three years old.

Ninety-eight percent of the DOD's child development centers are nationally accredited, which differs significantly from the 10 percent of community child care centers that are accredited. Being nationally accredited means having a commitment to provide high quality services. This includes an appropriate curriculum, a healthy and safe environment, a sufficient number of staff members to care for the children, and strong communication between staff and families.

"We are committed to high quality care for our military children," Mr. Gordon said. "Ensuring the health, safety and well-being of the military children entrusted to our care is a number one priority."