The Army Fee Assistance Program has fully transitioned to Child Care Aware® of America. Thank you for your patience as we work to make the transition as simple as possible for all Army families and child care providers.
Get Help Finding and Paying for Child Care
Thank you for your interest in the Army fee assistance programs offered through Child Care Aware® of America. If you do not have access to an on-base child care provider, you may be eligible to participate in one of our child care fee assistance programs.
Army Child Care Fee Assistance was created to provide authorized Reserve and Active Duty personnel assistance in locating, selecting, and offsetting the cost of civilian child care when on-base child care is not available or a viable option for the service member and their family. The programs available through Child Care Aware® of America provide subsidies for eligible military dependents enrolled in quality commercial child care programs throughout the United States. Child Care Aware® of America authorizes subsidy amounts based on Total Family Income (TFI) for those eligible Army families, and supplies monthly payments directly to the prospective child care provider.
In order to participate in the Army Fee Assistance Program, non-school age children must be enrolled in a minimum of 16 hours of care per week. School age children must be enrolled in a minimum of 6 hours of care per week during the school year and a minimum of 16 hours of care per week during summer break.
Army fee assistance does not cover the drop-in care for non-school age children or school age children on breaks (winter/spring break, snow days, holidays, etc.). Care must be consistent and must have a fixed schedule.
Parents, please follow the steps below.
Step One: Determine Your Eligibility
Active Duty/Deployed Active Duty
Guard/Reserve Activated
Guard/Reserve Activated Deployed
Army Civilians
Guard Technicians/Reserve Technicians
Step Two: Select a Qualifying Program & Child Care Provider
Military Child Care in Your Neighborhood – Active Duty, Civilians, Guard/Reserve, Guard/Reserve Technicians
Operation Military Child Care – Deployed, Recruiter, Deployed Guard/Recruiter
Respite Care – Wounded Warriors, Survivors of Fallen Warriors, ROTC Cadet Cadre
Read More about these Programs.
Step Three: Collect Necessary Supporting Documents
LES/CLES
Orders/SF-50
Spouse paystubs/school schedule
Self-certification form
Statement of Non-Availability
Provider Application documents
Check out the details on the documents you need.
Step Four: Apply Online & Upload Your Documents
Great work! You’ve got everything ready – now it’s time to apply.
Click here for the paper application!
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 Timeline
How Fee Assistance is Calculated
Why Accredited Care is Important
When you’re ready, click here to start your application!
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For Additional Assistance, Contact Us:
| Department | Phone Number | Fax Number | |
| Child Care Aware® | 1(800) 424-2246 | (703) 341-4101 | info@usa.childcareaware.org |
| Fee Assistance | 1(800) 424-2246 | (703) 341-4103 | msp@usa.childcareaware.org |
| Payments | 1(800) 793-0324 | (703) 341-4199 | paymentdept@usa.childcareaware.org |
| Provider Services | 1(800) 424-2246 | (703) 341-4146 | providerservices@usa.childcareaware.org |
| Conflict Resolution | 1(844) 658-1747 |
What Programs Are Available?
Operation Military Child Care (OMCC)
The Operation Military Child Care program provides fee assistance for families of service men and women with a status of Deployed, Recruiter, or Deployed Guard/Recruiter. Active duty orders are required to be submitted with the application for verification purposes.
Eligible providers for the OMCC fee assistance program must have a state child care license, a state inspection report dated within the last 12 months, and they must submit a complete provider fee assistance application. Scroll down to the Frequently Requested Forms section below for additional information regarding the provider application and eligibility materials.
To search for eligible OMCC child care providers who are already enrolled in the program, click here. Once you have located a provider, please contact us to verify their eligibility (1-800-424-2246).
Military Child Care in Your Neighborhood (MCCYN)
The Military Child Care in Your Neighborhood program provides fee assistance for families of Active Duty Sponsors, Civilians, Guard/Reservist, and Guard/Reserve Technicians who are unable to access on-installation child care.
Eligible providers for the MCCYN fee assistance program must have a state child care license, a state inspection report dated within the last 12 months, a complete provider fee assistance application, and must meet additional high quality accreditation standards (for more information on provider qualifications, click here).
To search for eligible MCCYN providers who are already enrolled in the program, click here. Once you have located a provider, please contact us to verify their eligibility (1-800-424-2246).
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 is available for the following Service Members:
- Deployed
- Wounded Warriors (must be assigned to a WTU or WTB)
- Survivors of Fallen Warriors
- Army Recruiters
- ROTC Cadet Cadre (trainer)
For Service Members with eligible deployment orders, Fee Assistance for Respite Care is authorized for 30 days prior to deployment and 90 days after returning from deployment. Deployed Service Members, Wounded Warriors, and Survivors of Fallen Warriors are eligible for up to 16 hours of no-cost, hourly child care per child per month. Effective January 13, 2017, Wounded Warriors must be assigned to a Warrior Transition Unit or a Warrior Transition Battalion in order to be eligible for the program. For more information on this policy update, please click here.
Army Recruiters and ROTC Cadet Cadre are eligible for up to 5 hours of no-cost, hourly child care per month for each child up to the age of 12 during the assignment period. ROTC Cadre participants are eligible during the months of May to September.
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 Family Eligibility
Service Members must submit the following documents to determine eligibility:
- Orders
- Online Application or paper copy of the Army Respite Child Care Parent Application
- Child(ren)’s Birth Certificate or Self-Certification Form
- For Service Members who are a single parent: Must provide a Power of Attorney (POA) and the POA’s contact information
The spouse/second parent does not have to be working, going to school, or looking for work to qualify for the Respite Care 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?
Supporting documentation for proof of eligibility may vary by program. Below is a list of commonly required documentation:
- Self Certification Form for children listed on the application, or a copy of each child’s birth certificate (children eligible for fee assistance must be listed as a legal dependent in the sponsor’s DEERS. Fee assistance programs are provided for children ages birth through 12 years).
- Spouse/Non-Military Parent information (applies to unmarried parents living in the same household) If the spouse/non-military parent is employed, one month’s worth of pay stubs with verification that they are working between 16-40 hours per week is required. If they are unable to provide pay stubs due to recent employment, please have their supervisor complete the Employment Verification Form for a 60 day approval period while we wait for the spouse/non-military parent to submit one month’s worth of their pay stubs. If a spouse is on maternity leave, please have their employer complete the Maternity Leave Verification Form.
- For spouses/non-military parents who do not have a traditional work schedule, please click here for more information.
- If the spouse/non-military parent is enrolled in school, a school schedule verifying enrollment, with 6-12 credit hours for undergraduate or 3-9 credits at a graduate level is required. The school schedule must include the student’s name, the school’s name, the number of enrolled credits, and the period of the current semester.
- Spouses/non-military parents that do not have a traditional school schedule, please click here for more information.
- A one-time 90 day certification of looking for work approval period may be utilized by the spouse/non-military parent if they are currently searching for employment. The Looking for Work Form must be completed in order to take advantage of the approval period.
- LES for all Service Members activated to full time duty. A current copy of the Service Member’s LES dated within the past 90 days will be required.
- Military orders for all Service Members activated to full time duty from the Reserves or Guard, as well as all applicants eligible for the OMCC program.
- SF-50 for all Army Civilians, and Guard and Reserve Technicians. Please supply your current year SF-50 form.
- Provider Documents– All eligible providers for the assistance program must have a state child care license, a state inspection report dated within the last 12 months, and a complete provider fee assistance application. For the MCCYN program, providers must meet additional high quality standards. Applications for fee assistance will not be processed until the selected provider meets all program eligibility requirements and has submitted a complete application.
- Statement of non-availability- for families living within 15 miles or 20 minutes of their assigned garrison that offers on-post child care. Before applying to the Army Fee Assistance Program with CCAoA, new families must contact CYSS Parent & Outreach Services to see if there are child care options available on-post. If on-post care is unavailable a statement of non-availability must be completed and signed by a CYSS Parent & Outreach Services representative and be sent to CCAoA as part of your application packet. Families will not have to provide a statement of non-availability if they reside further than 15 miles or 20 minutes from their assigned garrison.
- Exempt Populations include: School age children, geographically dispersed ARNG and AR, Wounded Warriors, SOS Sponsors, and rare cases requiring Army-Approved exceptions to policy.
- PLEASE NOTE: Families are required to submit an updated copy of the statement of non-availability if they make a permanent change of station (PCS) to a new location. This is required in order to determine if space is available on the new installation.
Please note that you will have 90 days from the date on which your application is submitted to complete your application (including all your required supporting documents) and meet all eligibility program requirements. If your application is not completed within 90 days of your initial submission, then you may not be eligible for any retro-active subsidy payments and your application may be subject to deactivation. This program is not an entitlement program and is subject to the availability of funds, which may be discontinued at any time.
- If you are unable to apply online, you can download the Parent Application here.
Frequently Requested Forms
- Change of Provider Form
- Information Change Request Form
- Self Certification Form
- Spouse Employment Verification Form
- Spouse Looking for Work Form
- Spouse Maternity Leave Verification Form
- Provider Fee Assistance Application (only required for Providers who have not previously participated)
- Provider W-9
- EIN Instructions
- Rate Verification Form
- Provider Change of Information Request Form
- Statement of Non-Availability
- Army Respite Family Application
Documentos En Español
Por favor vea abajo algunos formularios frecuentemente solicitados para Padres. Si tiene alguna pregunta, por favor comuníquese con nosotros al 1 (800) 424-2246.
Documentos para Padres
When Will I Receive Fee Assistance?
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 for Fee Assistance?
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.
Child Care Aware® of America Payment Policies
How Is Fee Assistance Calculated?
Army Fee Assistance Program Fee Ranges and TFI for School Year 2016-2017
Effective January 1, 2017, Child Care Aware of America will implement the updated School Year 2016-2017 fee charts to determine your fee assistance eligibility amount. Any changes made to existing approval certificates will result in a recalculation of your fee assistance based on the SY 16-17 fee charts.
This policy provides the new parent fees and Total Family Income (TFI) categories for calculating care in military Child Development Centers and School Age Programs. Parent rates for families receiving Army fee assistance in Community Based Child Care Programs will be impacted because the parent share of the child care provider rate is based on the DoD rates for similar services.
The Sponsor’s Army Fee Assistance Subsidy is the difference between what the Sponsor would pay for on-post child care and the community-based child care provider’s rate, up to a provider rate cap of $1500 per child per month. The Army Sponsor is responsible for the on-post child care parent fee and any amount over the provider rate cap of $1500. If the difference between the Army monthly fee and your provider’s rate is determined to be less than $20 a month, then a monthly amount of child care fee assistance will not be authorized.
In addition, Child Care Aware® of America does not make adjustments to the fee assistance amount due to annual rate changes, unless notified about the changes before fee assistance is calculated and approval certificates are sent out. When completing your application or recertifying, please notify CCAoA of ALL rate changes that will occur throughout your certificate period. These may include, but are not limited to, rate changes for change in age, Before & After School, summer care, and annual provider rate changes. This will ensure that all rate changes are implemented for the certificate period and avoid any inaccurate payments.
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 military 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 military 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:
In order for child care centers to meet MCCYN requirements, they must be accredited by one of the approved national accreditation agencies listed below:
- National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) https://www.naeyc.org/accreditation/search
- National Accreditation Commission (NAC) https://www.naeyc.org/accreditation/search
- National Early Childhood Program Accreditation (NECPA) https://www.necpa.net/
- Council on Accreditation (COA) https://coanet.org/accreditation-search/
- AdvancED Accreditation
*Please note the agencies listed above are the only approved national accreditations that are accepted for the military fee assistance programs.
Family Child Care:
In order for family child care providers to meet MCCYN requirements, they must have achieved one of the following high-quality credentials listed below:
- Child Development Associate (CDA) credential awarded by the Council for Professional Recognition
- Associate’s degree or higher in Early Childhood Education or Child Development
- 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 https://naccrrapps.naccrra.org/navy/directory/search.php?program=mccyn for a list of MCCYN accredited providers who are either currently enrolled in the program, or who have been enrolled in the fee assistance program in the past.
Enhanced Referral
If additional assistance in locating nationally accredited care in a specific area is required, a qualifying military sponsor may receive an Enhanced Referral from a member of Child Care Aware® by calling 1-800-424-2246.
During the referral process, an Enhanced Referral Specialist will conduct a customized child care search within 5 business days. This search will take into consideration the parents’ work and home addresses, transportation route to and from work, hours of care needed, ages of the children, and the provider’s eligibility for the fee assistance program. Military sponsors who receive an Enhanced Referral will also be provided with the option to use providers who are in the CCAoA preferred provider network. This network currently hosts nearly 3,500 pre-approved MCCYN providers. The call with the Enhanced Referral Specialist will link families to providers and include consumer education, eligibility screening, and information about available child care subsidy.
