Working with Military Families: Department of Defense Child Care Initiatives

1. Working with Military Families: Department ofDefense Child Care Initiatives Barbara Thompson Director, Office of Family Policy/Children and Youth Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Military Community and Family Policy) Carolyn Stevens Program Analyst, Office of Family Policy/Children and Youth Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Military Community and Family Policy)

2. Challenges Facing Military Families • Military families face challenges that are not found in other work environments • Shifting work schedules that are often longer than the typical eight-hour day and often extend into the weekend • Deployments and deployment extensions • High operational tempo • Frequent relocation

3. Snapshot –Military Member A Young, Married Force with Children • 67% of the AD Force and 51% of the Reserves are 30 years of age or younger • 56% of the AD Force are married; 49% of Reserve personnel are married • Active Duty: 1.2M dependent children; 42% are 5 years old or younger • Reserves: 735K dependent children; 27% are 5 years old or younger Active Duty: 1.41M Service Members/1.95M Family Members Reserves: 854K Service Members/1.15M Family Members • Note: The term Reserve refers to both the Reserve and National Guard. • Data from 2009 Profile of Military Communities Demographic Report

4. Changes in Military Family Landscape • Military Child Development and Family Support programs have traditionally been installation-centric • Programs must now shift their focus outside the installation to the community • Two-thirds of those stationed in the United States do not live on an installation • Many Reserve component families live in remote areas and long distances from an installation • Families need programs and services that are flexible, accessible, and maintain high-quality standards

5. High Level Interest in Military Families First Lady and Dr. Biden • National call to action to address the unique challenges facing military families, build stronger civilian-military community ties, and highlight military families’ service and sacrifice. 

6. High-Level Interest in Military Families • Sub-IPCs: • Child Care • Spouse Employment • Psychological Health • Education • Military Family Caucuses • Co-chaired by U.S. Representatives Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Sanford Bishop (D-GA)-more than 100 members • Co-chaired by U.S. Senators Barbara Boxer (CA) and Richard Burr (NC)-32 members • Military Family Interagency Policy Committee (IPC) and the Presidential Study Directive • Chaired by the National Security Staff

7. Collaboration with Federal Agencies through the Military Family Interagency Policy Committee Child Care Sub-IPC Strategic Objective: Improve the awareness of and availability of quality child care that improves child outcomes by utilizing existing local, state, and federal resources.

8. Work Plan Strategy: Tasks: Identify a limited number of states to focus efforts Map initiatives and successes within the pilot states (to include child care, after-school care, and family child care) Analyze state licensing standards and oversight disconnects with Department of Defense subsidy programs in pilot states • Improve availability of quality child care programs by increasing the quality of existing programs

9. Work Plan Strategy: Tasks: Develop a communications plan related to the 13 pilot states Evaluate/compare state Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS) efforts and DoD Standards • Improve the awareness of quality indicators and their importance for creating and maintaining safe, healthy, and developmentally appropriate learning environments for children

10. Work Plan Strategy: Tasks: Contract for a Child Care Liaison in each of the pilot states will serve a single point of contact for both the state and the HQ-working group Develop a matrix of roles and responsibilities for liaison • Improve the communication between various partners and agencies across the federal government and within the states to ensure limited resources are used effectively

11. Expansion Efforts • Designed to: • Expand the number of civilian quality child care spaces for military families of the National Guard and Reserves, geographically dispersed active duty military families and active duty families who are unable to access child care programs on the installation. • Explore options in delivery systems to include existing child care facilities, schools, recreation and after-school programs, and home-based care.

12. Pilot States • Initial efforts targeted in 13 states: Alaska, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Vermont, and Washington.

13. 13 Pilot States Pilot States Indiana Kentucky Washington Alaska Vermont Delaware Virginia North Carolina California Colorado Kansas Texas Florida

14. Pilot States • States were identified through an analysis of multiple factors such as: • High level of interest in improving the quality of child care at the state level • Strong Joint Family Support Assistance Team (JFSAP) in place • Network of community partners willing to partner • High mobilization and deployment rates • Demographic data of families with children residing in concentrated areas

15. NC scattergram here

16. Role of Child Care Liaison • Work with child care stakeholders to promote and support quality child care policies, best practices and professional development.

17. Outreach through Collaboration • Sharing resources to leverage change and provide a greater impact to communities where families live • Advance the health, well-being, and quality of life for military Service members, families, and others in their communities through the coordination of research, education and outreach efforts.

18. Partners • Federal partners include: • The Child Care Bureau • Office of Head Start/Early Head Start • USDA - Land Grant University System • Other Partners include: • State regulatory agencies • Defense State Liaison Office • NACCRRA and the CC&RRs in the states

19. Implementation • Strategic Plan for the state is critical • Regulatory • Non-regulatory • Legislative • Use existing resources • Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning CSEFEL (HHS) • Better Kid Care (Penn State) • Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect (PCAN) (ZTT) • NACCRRA e-learning

20. Lessons Learned from the Military System • The systematic approach maximizes • return on investment • Quality depends upon oversight • Caregiver incentives and training are essential • Meeting accreditation standards leads to improved care

21. The Road Ahead Collaboration initiatives expand our reach to include families and the communities they live And are available to all components and their families You play a critical role in building capacity and linking resources throughout your state

22. Discussion • What other resources are available within the state? • Are there barriers to accessing these resources? • Where do you get information about resources available to support families? • What programs/services are you currently using? Are they provided by the military? By your community? Online? • What is missing and/or could be improved about these programs/services?

23. Key Web sites • Military HOMEFRONTwww.militaryhomefront.dod.mil • Military OneSource www.militaryonesource.com • State Liaison Updates www.usamilitaryfamilies.dod.mil

24. OSDMilitary Community & Family Policy barbara.thompson@osd.mil carolyn.stevens@osd.mil