Help Support Our Families
Thank you for your interest in supporting our families’ child care needs. Child Care Aware® of America administers a Fee Assistance Program for families on behalf of the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps. If you have a valid state license, an approved national accreditation, and annual licensing inspection, you may be eligible to participate in the program. Please see below for detailed information concerning which programs are available and how to apply.
Providers, please follow the steps below.
Step One: Determine Your Eligibility
Must be state-licensed
Must meet eligibility criteria outlined by the military branches and the Department of Defense (DoD)
Must have a state licensing inspection in the last 12 months free of disqualifying incidents
FBI Background Check
Read more about these eligibility requirements.
Step Two: Select a Program
Military Child Care In Your Neighborhood with Exception (MCCYNEx) – state-licensed, serves deployed Army service members.
Military Child Care in Your Neighborhood – state-licensed AND nationally accredited, serves deployed and active duty service members, and full-time NGA employees
Army Respite Care – hourly care for Army families
Read more about these programs.
Step Three: Collect Necessary Supporting Documents
Provider Fee Assistance Application
Copy of state license & state licensing inspection report
W-9 Form
EIN Instructions
Provider Discount Verification Form
Provider User Agreement Form
Copy of national accreditation certificate
Check out the details on the documents you need.
Step Four: Apply & Submit Your Documents
Great work! You’ve got everything ready – now it’s time to apply and submit your documents. You can do so by submitting your paperwork to the Provider Services Department (see below).
Step Five: Receive Approval Within 7-10 Business Days of Completed Application
You’ll hear from us a few days after you submit your application, and then if you’re approved you’ll know within 7-10 business days. For more information about the process, check out the links below:
Fee Assistance Approval
Fee Assistance Payment Policies
Why Accredited Care is Important
Determining Your Eligibility
State License and Inspection Report
Child care providers and family child care homes wishing to participate in the Fee Assistance Programs must have a valid license issued by their state. The license should cover all ages served at the facility or home. In addition, providers must also present a copy of their state licensing inspection report from within the last 12 months. The inspection report must be free of any disqualifying incidents to participate in the Fee Assistance Programs.
Navy, Air Force and NGA Provider Background Check Requirement:
If you are a child care provider that is interested in serving Navy, Air Force, or NGA families you will need to complete Advanced FBI Fingerprint Checks and State Child Abuse and Neglect Registry Checks for all employees if you are located in one of the following states:
- Maine (FBI Check)
- Nebraska (FBI Check)
- New York (FBI Check)
- Oklahoma (Child Abuse & Neglect Registry Check)
If your facility has received these checks from the state, you may submit documentation showing the completion of the required background checks for approval.
Child care providers in Maine, New York, Oklahoma, and Nebraska may still receive fee assistance for Army and Marine Corps families without completing these additional background check requirements.
Please click here(hyperlinked) https://www.childcareaware.org/fee-assistancerespite/feeassistancerespiteproviders/background-check-requirement/ for more information about the background check requirement.
What Programs Are Available?
Military Child Care In Your Neighborhood with Exception (MCCYNEx)
The Military Child Care In Your Neighborhood with Exception (MCCYNEx) program provides fee assistance for families of deployed Army or mobilized Army National Guard service members during the duration of the deployment. Providers may be eligible for the Military Child Care In Your Neighborhood with Exception (MCCYNEx) program if they have a valid state license and annual licensing inspection report.
Military Child Care In Your Neighborhood (MCCYN)
The Military Child Care in Your Neighborhood program provides fee assistance for families of Active Duty Service Members and full-time NGA employees who are unable to access on-post child care. Providers may be eligible for the Military Child Care In Your Neighborhood program if they have a valid state license, annual licensing inspection report, and a national accreditation. (Please see the Supporting Documents section for accreditations that are accepted.)
MCCYN-PLUS
On October 1, 2019, The Military Services expanded the MCCYN program to include MCCYN-PLUS. In locations where nationally accredited care is unavailable, military families that wish to participate in the fee assistance program will be referred to community child care centers that are quality rated by their state Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS). MCCYN-PLUS currently operates in select states – please click here for more information.
Army Respite Care
The Army Respite program provides no-cost, hourly child care to support the unique child care needs for Army Families who meet certain criteria.
Respite Care can be used for any of the following:
- Attending appointments
- Running errands
- Taking a much needed break
- Nights, weekends, and overnight care
Respite care may also be used during the day, but it must be outside of the regularly subsidized care if the family already participates in the Army Fee Assistance Program.
Respite Provider Eligibility
- Provider must fill out a Provider Respite Application and be willing to provide an hourly rate for the families interested in using the facility for Respite Care
- Provider must submit the supporting documents listed on the Provider Respite Application if not already a part of the Fee Assistance Programs
- Provider must be able to provide care in 2 hour increments
- Care can be used at different times for a family with multiple children
What Supporting Documents Are Needed?
Providers who would like to be eligible for the Military Child Care in Your Neighborhood (MCCYN) program need to meet the criteria listed above AND have one of the following approved accreditations or are currently enrolled in self-study pursuing accreditation with an approved agency:
Child Care Centers:
- National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
- National Accreditation Commission (NAC)
- National Early Childhood Program Accreditation (NECPA)
- Council on Accreditation (COA)
- Cognia – NCA/SACS/NWAC (formerly AdvancED)*
- Middle States Association (MSA)
- Maryland State Dept. of Education (MSDE) Accreditation (Maryland ONLY)
- Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI)*
- Accredited Professional Preschool Learning Environment – APPLE (Effective 1-1-2022)
- American Montessori Society – AMS (Effective 1-1-2022)
- Association Montessori International/USA-AMI/USA (Effective 1-1-2022)
*Please note – accreditation must include early learning component to be approved for the fee assistance program
Family Child Care:
In order for family child care providers to meet MCCYN requirements, they must be state licensed, inspected annually, and have achieved one of the following:
- Child Development Associate (CDA) credential awarded by the Council for Professional Recognition
- Associate’s degree or higher in Early Childhood Education (ECE) or Child Development (CD) *Transcript showing 24 or more credit hours in ECE or CD also accepted*
- National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC) accreditation
Non-accredited facilities operating in select states may click here for more information about qualifying for MCCYN-PLUS.
Please submit all documentation and/or questions regarding provider eligibility via email to providerservices@usa.childcareaware.org or via fax at 703-341-4146. You may also call us at 1-800-424-2246, option 4.
Change of Information Form:
Child care programs currently enrolled in the Fee Assistance Program but needing to update their file with new contact information, addresses, or email addresses must submit a copy of the Change of Information Form. Please submit this document and/or questions regarding updated information via email to providerservices@usa.childcareaware.org or via fax at 703-341-4146.
Documentos en Espanol
Por favor vea abajo algunos formularios frecuentemente solicitados para Proveedores. Si tiene alguna pregunta, por favor comuníquese con nosotros al 1 (800) 424-2246.
Documentos para Proveedores
- Formulario de Cambio de Información
- Verificación de Descuentos
- Números de Identificación del Empleador
- Formulario W-9 (SP)
- Solicitud de Elegibilidad Para el Programa de Subsidio Militar Para Proveedores
- Requisito de Documentación de Cuidado Basado en la Escuela
Fee Assistance Approval
When Will I Receive a Response from Child Care Aware® of America?
You will receive a response about the status of your application within 3-5 business days from the submission of your application.
When Will I Receive Approval to Participate in the Fee Assistance Program?
You will receive an approval certificate within 7-10 business days of the completion of both the family and provider applications.
When Are Fee Assistance Payments Made?
Fee assistance is paid to the provider at the end of the month within 7-10 business days of Child Care Aware® of America’s receipt of the completed attendance sheets.
Fee Assistance Payment Policies
Each branch of service and DoD agency participating in the Fee Assistance Program at Child Care Aware® of America is provided with a payment policy guide once they receive their approval certificate for fee assistance. These payment policies help families and providers understand the payment process, how to fill out and submit attendance sheets, and more. Below you will find a copy of each guide, in addition to the attendance sheet submission calendar and instructions to assist you in filling out the attendance sheets. If you have any questions about the payment policies, please contact the Payment Department at paymentdept@usa.childcareaware.org or 1-800-793-0324, extension 365.
Navy and Air Force Payment Policies
- Navy and Air Force Attendance Sheet Instructions
- Navy and Air Force Payment Calendar 2022
- Air Force Payment Calendar 2023 – 2024
For more information on our payment policies, completing attendance sheets, reconciling payments, and more, view our Provider Payment Webinar.
In addition to the Payment Webinar, we have also compiled a list of frequently asked questions to help parents and providers understand the payment policies more clearly. To access our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), click here.
Why is Accredited Care Important?
National accreditation is an additional criteria used to determine the quality of a child care program. Family child care homes and child care centers may pursue accreditation in order to increase the quality of their care. Accredited providers must meet higher standards than those set forth by licensing. These programs offer the kind of care, attention, and educational activities parents look for in quality child care programs, in addition to offering activities and experiences that will aid in a child’s growth and development and that will help prepare them for school.
The Military Child Care in Your Neighborhood (MCCYN) fee assistance program is an extension of the child care services offered through the various installations within the United States. Qualifying military sponsors for the MCCYN program must be connected to an accredited child care provider to ensure their children are receiving community child care of comparable quality to the type of care administered at installation-based Child Development Centers or Child Development Homes.
Sponsors who qualify for the Military Child Care in Your Neighborhood (MCCYN) program must select a child care provider that meets one of the following requirements for accreditation:
Child Care Centers:
- National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
- National Accreditation Commission (NAC)
- National Early Childhood Program Accreditation (NECPA)
- Council on Accreditation (COA)
- Cognia – NCA/SACS/NWAC (formerly AdvancED)*
- Middle States Accreditation *
- Maryland State Dept of Education (MSDE) Accreditation
- Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI)*
- Accredited Professional Preschool Learning Environment – APPLE (Effective 1-1-2022)
- American Montessori Society – AMS (Effective 1-1-2022)
- Association Montessori International/USA – AMI/USA (Effective 1-1-2022)
*Please note – accreditation must include early learning component to be approved for the fee assistance program
Family Child Care:
Non-accredited facilities operating in select states may click here for more information about qualifying for MCCYN-PLUS.
In order for family child care providers to meet MCCYN requirements, they must be state licensed, inspected annually, and have achieved one of the following:
- Child Development Associate (CDA) credential awarded by the Council for Professional Recognition
- Associate’s degree or higher in Early Childhood Education (ECE) or Child Development (CD) **Transcript showing 24 or more credit hours in ECE or CD also accepted**
- National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC) Accreditation
In addition to the provided national accreditation agencies and their corresponding websites, please feel free to visit Child Care Aware® of America’s list of providers who have at one time participated in fee assistance. If your family selects a child care provider from this search engine, you must first verify that the facility meets the current eligibility requirements set forth by your branch and program before approval for monthly tuition assistance can be awarded. If you have questions about your selected provider’s eligibility, please contact us at 1-800-424-2246.
