Washington State Child Care for Military Families Workgroup

The Washington State Child Care for Military Families Workgroup is comprised of representatives from the Department of Defense, military installations in our State, Child Care Aware of Washington, Boys & Girls Clubs of Washington, YMCA of Washington, local school districts, childcare providers, and other partners.

In 2023, the workgroup published “Supporting the Child Care Needs of Military Families in Washington:  Quantifying Need, Identifying Barriers, and Establishing Recommendation, A Collaborative Approach to Support”. The purpose of the report is to calculate and quantify the military child care need in Washington, compare child care need to military child care program delivery, determine the amount of military child care being filled in the civilian community, and provide a tool for military family advocates and service providers to reference in their work.

The purpose of the Workgroup is:

• Examine barriers for military families to access high quality childcare
• Provide recommendations that will assist military families in accessing high quality childcare
• Develop resources in coordination with military installations and the Department of Children, Youth & Families to increase access to high quality childcare for military families – and create lists of existing resources to distribute

2023 Strategies Include:

1. Quantify the true military family childcare need in Washington State and at the installation and surrounding community level.
2. Spotlight childcare staffing issues at installation Child Development Centers and in the civilian community.
3. Increase childcare slots on installation and surrounding communities.
4. Advocate for the expansion of Department of Defense childcare fee assistance programs.
5. Increase collaboration and resource sharing among Federal, State, Installation, nonprofit, and corporate partners to address the military childcare need in Washington State.