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Office of Work-Life Programs : Child Development Services (CDS)

Coast Guard offer a variety of Child Development Services (CDS) and Programs. These programs are provided to Coast Guard personnel to assist in supporting family life while continuing to meet the Coast Guard Mission. The purpose of the CDS is to assist eligible Coast Guard sponsors in balancing demands of child care and the accomplishment of the Coast Guard mission. This may be done through nine (9) onsite Coast Guard Child Development Centers (CDC), Coast Guard certified Family Child Care (FCC) Providers, Military Child Care in Your Neighborhood (MCCYN) Fee Assistance (FA) where a monthly subsidy is paid directly to a child care provider to help offset the cost of community based child care and access to DoD child care facilities and referral to child care programs in the local community regardless of status

You will find the contact and resources links below for Coast Guard CDC, FCC providers and how to enroll in MCCYN Fee Assistance and DoD CDC, school-age centers and FCC providers.  In addition, there are over 400 local Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R) agencies across the United States. Your local CCR&R can help families find child care options near your home or work. CCR&R can also connect you to your state family assistance programs based on your needs.

Definitions The following definitions apply to the Child Development Center Programs:

  • Military Child Development Centers (CDC) are facilities that provide on a regularly scheduled basis, developmentally appropriate programs designed to foster social, emotional, physical, creative, and intellectual growth to groups of children from age 6 weeks to kindergarten that are Federally licensed and nationally accredited.
  • Military School-Age Centers (SAC)  are facilities that provide on a regularly scheduled basis before and after school and summer full day care , developmentally appropriate programs designed to foster social, emotional, physical, creative, and intellectual growth to groups of children from age 6 years old -12 year old /6th grade that are Federally licensed and nationally accredited.
  • Military Family Child Care (FCC) child care takes place in a home that is owned or leased by the military branch for family residence.   A military spouse may become a certified provider to care for a maximum of six children. To become a certified provider, a spouse must complete and maintain appropriate training and the home must undergo and pass regular inspections.
  • Military Child Care in Your Neighborhood (MCCYN) Fee Assistance (FA) where a monthly subsidy is paid directly to the child care provider to help offset the cost of child care within their local communities with no or limited military child care availability.
  • Military Child Care Subsidy or Fee Assistance Program (CCSP or CCFA) where a monthly subsidy is paid directly to the child care provider to help offset the cost of child care within their local communities with no or limited military child care availability.
  • Federally Licensed or Certified is acknowledgment that the service branch conducted inspection based on a sets of standards for program and issued a license or certified to operate.   
  • Accreditation is an acknowledgement by an outside nationally recognized accrediting agency the center meets standards of quality child care program.

Program Eligibility CDC, SAC, and FCC

  1. Active duty member and Reserve on 180 + days orders, CG civilian employees (paid from either appropriated or non-appropriated funds), and Public Health Services (PHS) Officers who are on active duty orders to the CG who signal, dual military, married with a full-time working spouse , married with full-time spouse in enrolled in school, and married with spouse looking for employment.  
  2. Federal employees
  3. Military Child Care in Your Neighborhood  (MCCYN) Free Assistance Serving U.S Coast Guard Active Duty Families.  Fee Assistance program offsets the cost of child care for eligible members with dependents ages 6 weeks to 12 years old/6th grade. The assistance is paid to the provider after the sponsor pays the total monthly child care fee, and is not paid in advance. The program provides a subsidy that helps offsets the cost of community based child care. For program information visit:  http://militarychildcare.com/USCGFeeAssistance

The CG does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, age, disability, color, religion, or national origin.

Program Confidentiality Limitation

Child Development Service personnel and providers are mandated reporters of child abuse and neglect. They are required to report such incidents to the appropriate reporting authorities: Military and State Child Abuse Hotline, State Child Protective Services Agency and Family Advocacy Specialist on the servicing Work-Life Staff.

Program References The following references provide details of the Child Development Center Program:

For Additional Information on Programs, Services, visit the links below. 

These services or resources can be obtained by contacting the Family Resource Specialist at your Regional Work-Life Staff. Regional Work-Life Staff. Work-Life Staffs are located at Integrated Support Commands CG-wide and at the Headquarters Support Command. Child Development Center Directors may be contacted at the Child Development Center.

To locate National, Regional, State, Local Resources and Referral you may contact:

CG Support is standing by 24/7/365 at 855-247-8778 or www.cgsuprt.com to assist you and your family with information as well as vetted resources and referrals based on your needs.

 

 

Contact a Family Resource Specialist (FRS) M-F to assist you and your family with information as well as vetted resources and referrals based on your needs.

Enroll in the Child Care Subsidy Program to complete the Family enrollment packet.

Enroll in the Military installation based childcare program to create an account, search for care, request care across services, submit unlimited requests for care, and remain on the waitlists for a preferred program even after being offered care by another program.

Points of Contact for Commanders of Sponsors with issues/concerns that could not be resolved at the Program Level

Contact the HQ Child Development Program Manager, Ms. Renee Podolec at Renee.L.Podolec@uscg.mil 

Related Websites The following websites provide information related to the Child Development Service Program:

  • Enroll in the military installation based childcare program go to Military Childcare.com to create account, search for care, request care across services, submit unlimited requests for care, and remain on waitlists for a preferred program even after being offered care by another program at: https://public.militarychildcare.csd.disa.mil/mccu/ui/#/
  • Enroll in the Child Care Subsidy Program by completing the Family enrollment packet at https://elibrary.cnic-n9portal.net/familyenrollment/community-programs/
  • National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) - http://www.naeyc.org. The site provides listings of NAEYC accredited child care centers by location and is a source for books and brochures on early childhood education.
  • ChildCare Aware of America Resource & Referral (CCR&R) - Over 400 local Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) agencies across the United States. Your local CCR&R can help families find child care options near your home or work. CCR&R can also connect you to your state family assistance programs based on your needs go to: https://www.childcareaware.org/resources/ccrr-search-form/
  • Boys and Girls Club of America (BGCA) Mission Youth Outreach (MYO) Awesome opportunity for our families.  The MISSION: Your Outreach partnership supports military youth, ages 6-18, by creating a positive, supportive network.  Through this partnership, children of Coast Guard Selected Reserve and Active Duty families who do not have access to a CG or DoD military Youth Center can receive a membership at no cost to their local Boys & Girls Club.  Sponsors can go to any BGCA Club in the community, mention that they are military, fill out the form to obtain a membership, and they are good to use the local BGCA facilities.  The CG MWR program is paying the membership fees to support access to youth programing where families reside.  For families at Kodiak, Petaluma, Cape Cod, and Borinquen, encourage your to use your CG Youth Centers as your first choice! 
  • Coast Guard Mutual Assistance provides support to CG Families visit https://www.cgmahq.org/covid19.html
  • Child Car Grant - up to $500
  • Child Care Loans - up to $600
  • SEG-C Grant (Fall 2020 Semester) - up to $500
  • in Person Tutoring Grant - up to $1000
  • Supplemental Special Needs Grant - up t $1000
  • Lost Wage LOANS - UP TO $6000
  • tUTOR.COM - free tutoring for military families go to https://www.cgmahq.org/programs/tutor.html

 

 

Point of Contact If you are unable to contact the Family Resource Specialist on your Regional Work-Life Staff or need additional assistance beyond the information provided here, please contact the Headquarters Child Development Program Manager, Ms. Renee l. Podolec at 202-475-5160 or Renee.L.Podolec@uscg.mil