Family Child Care Programs

Returning Home Care

The RHC program provides child care for children ages 12 and under. Up to 16 hours of care per child per six-month period is available to those Active Duty members, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve members returning to their home stations after deployments of a minimum of 30 calendar days or personnel who routinely deploy on a short-term basis (cumulative of 30 days in a six month period) in support of contingency operations and members returning for a 2-week R&R leave. Care for the Returning Home Care program is provided by an Extended Duty Care FCC home.

The program is designed to provide an opportunity for the deployed parent to become reacquainted with their family. The 16 hours are to be used within 6 months from returning to home station. The Returning Home Care program is offered exclusively in an Extended Duty Care FCC home.  

Parents requesting Returning Home Care must obtain verification of eligibility from the Military Personnel Flight or the Member’s Command Section prior to using the care.

Missile Care

The Missile Care program is available at select missile site installations and is designed to provide overnight, weekend and holiday child care for those members assigned to work for more than 24-hours at the missile field. Parents are permitted to use the Missile Care home only when they are on official duty and they have a need for the service. Missile Care shall not substitute for regular child care arrangements or be the sole child care arrangement. Parents using the program must utilize their regular child care thereby using Missile Care as a supplement.

• Missile Care use is not permitted if there is another adult/parent in the child’s home that can provide his or her care. Missile care may not be used to support school attendance, off-duty employment or for any other child care needs other than official duty at a missile site.
• Parents using Missile Care are expected to arrange their schedules and those of their children so their children have opportunities to be with them during the week. Failure to balance the parent’s personal needs with that of the child’s need for care is sufficient reason to terminate a parent’s eligibility for Missile Care.
• Active duty members who work in the missile field must use the Missile Care program rather than EDC since EDC is not for recurring child care needs. If the Missile Care provider has exceeded the agreement hours, the MAJCOM must be notified before EDC is used or additional missile hours are approved.

Before providing Missile Care, ensure parents provide written verification from their supervisor stating that he/she is required to work (official duty) for more than 24-hours at the missile site. If after 3-months, the parent is still required to work more than 24-hours at the missile site, the parent will need to get written re-verification from their supervisor. The parent is required to provide written re-verification every 3-months until they no longer work more than 24-hours at the missile site.

Extended Duty Care

Extended Duty Child Care (EDC) - The EDC program assists families in obtaining high-quality child care from licensed or affiliated providers at or near the base when weekly parental workloads, due to extended duty hours, exceed the standard 50 hours of care (typically 10 hours a day or 5-day work week) that families are already purchasing in child care programs on or off base. Families should establish a plan to meet all their child care needs e.g., short-term TDYs, shift work care where shift work is the typical assignment, family days, deployments, etc. The EDC program should be considered the “back-up plan”.

Extended Duty Care can be used:

• On-base mission related duty
• Extended duty days
• Temporary shift changes (not to exceed 3-days)
• Rapid mobilization
• Dual military or single parent deployment until children are picked up by AF Form 357 designee (not to exceed 3-days)
• Spouse of deployed or TDY member who is experiencing a short-term child care emergency created in part by the duty-related absence of spouse (not to exceed 3-days).
• Requests to exceed the 3-day time limit are sent to the MAJCOM in advance for approval. Confirmation of approval is sent from the MAJCOM to Flight Chief, FCC Coordinator and HQ USAF simultaneously.
• No notice/short-notice TDY

  • Less than 1-week notice.
  • If no other family member is available
  • If verified with supervisor
  • Provides temporary assistance (not to exceed 3-days per calendar year) until other arrangements can be found.

Extended Duty Care can not be used:

• On a regular, recurring basis
• To meet parents’ regular child care requirements
• To provide shift work care where shift work is a typical assignment.
• Mandatory PT
• To provide hourly care for non-duty related reasons 
• For off-duty education and employment on a recurring basis.
• For holidays, family days, CDC/SAP/FCC home closure, attend/watch air shows, etc.
• FCC providers that have medical appointments, child care emergencies that impact on their ability to provide child care or need substitute care (Exception:  Approved by MAJCOM and if EDC Provider has unused hours)
• Child Development and School-Age staff required to work different shift, longer hours and who have other child care emergencies that impact on their ability to provide child care (Exception:  Approved by MAJCOM and if EDC Provider has unused hours).
• Family Member Program staff and FCC provider training (Exception:  Approved by MAJCOM and if EDC Provider has unused hours---this is allowed on an extremely limited basis).

Before providing EDC care, ensure parents provide written verification from their supervisor stating that he/she may need to work in excess of their 50-hour workweek or will experience temporary shift changes.   Ensure specific dates and times are listed. The care could be for single-use, weekly, or more depending on the need. The FCC Coordinator will make reservations with the EDC provider for the days and times care is needed.   In case of short notice requirements on weekends, parents may contact the EDC provider directly and provide an EDC Parent Statement following the weekend.

Expanded Child Care

To be eligible for any Expanded Child Care (ECC) program, at least one parent must be a member of the U.S. Military Service: Active Duty; Reserve or Guard member in activated status; dual employed (military married to civilian) or DOD civilian employee assigned to or working on the installation. Being provided care is a privilege, not a right, and the Family Child Care program will retain final approval authority on whether or not a child is accepted for care.

First priority is given to parents whose children are currently enrolled in the Air Force Child Development, School-age and/or Family Child Care programs.

Parents must complete the following:

• AF Form 1181, Air Force Youth Flight Program Patron Registration

  • The name of the ECC provider should be listed on the AF Form 1181 to pick the child up from the CDC/FCC/SAP.
• AF Form 357, Family Care Certification or equivalent (if applicable)
• AF Form 1055, Youth Flight Medication Permission (if applicable)
• NOTE: Copies of these forms are acceptable if completed forms are on file at CDC, SAP, or another FCC home

The Expanded Child Care (ECC) program is administered through the Family Member Programs Flight and is currently provided at no cost to families. The FCC Coordinator is the POC and supports the program by ensuring Family Child Care providers are screened, trained and licensed/affiliated to provide child care. The FCC Coordinator works with the contractor in RECRUITING, MARKETING, SCHEDULING, MONITORING, ENROLLING PROVIDERS, VERIFYING TIMESHEET, etc. The FCC Coordinator monitors the homes and conducts unannounced inspections during the hours of operation of the home. The ECC homes are required to meet all of the requirements of the Air Force FCC Program.  

All cancellations must be made by calling and/or emailing the FCC office and the provider.

Parents who are considered no-shows will receive an email from the FCC Coordinator informing the parent of the procedures to follow when canceling a reservation. The coordinator shall inform the parent that the email is their 1st notice. Within the next 6 months, if they fail to cancel according to required cancellation procedures, they will not be allowed to use the ECC program until the FCC Panel approves their continued use of the program.

Home Community Care

Home Community Care is available for primary Unit Training Assembly (UTA) weekends.  Care during secondary UTA (SUTA) weekends and two-week annual duty may be provided on a space available basis only.  For guard/reserve of other military branches, eligibility is determined if the family is assigned to or living on the installation.  HCC may not be used to support school attendance, off-duty employment or for any other child care needs other than official duty.  Care for the HCC Program is provided by an EDC or EDC-Temp home and is free to the families.

Supplemental Child Care

The Supplemental Child Care Program (SCC) is designed to augment a member's existing child care by providing care during the official duty hours at the beginning/end of a 12+ consecutive hour shift that fall "outside of" the primary care arrangement for children 6 weeks - 12 years of age.  The goal of the SCC Program is to reduce out-of-pocket child care expenses by providing overnight, weekend, and holiday care at no charge to parents. Program participation is voluntary for Providers and parents.  Use of SCC will be authorized:

1. For those members designated as "emergency responders" or those who have similar work shifts of 12+ consecutive hours
2. Only during official duty hours when there is a need for care
3. As a supplement for parents who have utilized and continue to pay for their regular child care arrangement

Use of SCC will NOT be authorized:

1. When there is another adult in the child's home that could provide the care
2. To be used as a substitute for regular child care arrangements typically defined as 50 hours/wk (e.g. 10 hour/day for 5-days per week)
3. To support school attendance, off-duty employment, and shall not be a substitute or sole source for regular child care arrangements