Child Care: Availability for Civilian Dependents at Selected DOD Installations

As more mothers of young children enter the work force, the availability of high-quality child care that is affordable and convenient becomes an increasing concern not only to the family unit, but often employers as well. Many employers now believe that the availability of adequate child care services directly affects their ability to hire and retain good employees. The Department of Defense (DOD) recognizes the importance of reliable child care for its military personnel, and DOD policy and regulations have long provided for the support of child care programs for children of service members. For example, an installation may use appropriated funds to provide space for a child care center and pay the salary of the center's director, and the services have regulations to ensure the health and safety of children enrolled in installation programs. Over 200 DOD installations in the contiguous United States have day care centers for military dependents; about 140 of these centers have civilian dependents enrolled also. The centers are financed by a combination of appropriated and nonappropriated funds, the latter coming from revenues generated by Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) programs and by user fees paid by parents. DOD officials told us that they expect to initiate a policy late in 1988 that specifically permits installations to sponsor child care services for civilian employees.