Help Support Our Families
Thank you for your interest in supporting our families’ child care needs. Child Care Aware® of America administers a Fee Assistance Program for families on behalf of the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps. If you have a valid state license, an approved national accreditation, and annual licensing inspection, you may be eligible to participate in the program. Please see below for detailed information concerning which programs are available and how to apply.
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Policy Updates
The Department of Defense is implementing a pilot program that allows eligible families to receive a reduction in their parent fees. Certain restrictions apply to be eligible. Please complete the Discount Verification form found below in “Step Three” in order to collect information about your facility’s meal policies. You can send the completed form to providerservices@usa.childcareaware.org. Please note, families may see a change in the amount they are responsible for, but the total amount (parent responsibility plus fee assistance) will not be impacted.
Providers, please follow the steps below:
- Step One: Determine Your Eligibility
- Must be state-licensed
- Must meet eligibility criteria outlined by the military branches and the Department of Defense (DoD)
- Must have a state licensing inspection in the last 12 months free of disqualifying incidents
- FBI Background Check
- Step Two: Select A Program
- Military Child Care In Your Neighborhood with Exception (MCCYNEx) – state-licensed, serves deployed Army service members.
- Military Child Care in Your Neighborhood state-licensed AND nationally accredited, serves deployed and active duty service members, and full-time NGA employees
- Army Respite Care – hourly care for Army families
- Step Three: Collect Necessary Supporting Documents
- Copy of state license & state licensing inspection report
- Provider Fee Assistance Application
- W-9 Form
- EIN Instructions
- Provider Discount Verification Form
- Provider User Agreement Form
- Copy of national accreditation certificate
- Step Four: Apply & Submit Your Documents
Great work! You’ve got everything ready – now it’s time to apply and submit your documents. You can do so by submitting your paperwork to the Provider Services Department (see below).
*Please note, if you have an existing file with the military fee assistance program, please email your updated documents or questions to providerservices@usa.childcareaware.org to get in touch with our team and update your file. If you are a new provider who has never received military fee assistance on behalf of an Army, Air Force or Marine Corps family, please click the above link and follow the prompts to apply.
- Step Five: Receive Approval Within 7-10 Business Days of Completed Application
You’ll hear from us a few days after you submit your application, and then if you’re approved you’ll know within 7-10 business days. For more information about the process, check out the sections below:
Fee Assistance Approval
Fee Assistance Payment Policies
Why Accredited Care is Important
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Determining Your Eligibility
State License and Inspection Report
Child care providers and family child care homes wishing to participate in the Fee Assistance Programs must have a valid license issued by their state. The license should cover all ages served at the facility or home. In addition, providers must also present a copy of their state licensing inspection report from within the last 12 months. The inspection report must be free of any disqualifying incidents to participate in the Fee Assistance Programs.
- What Programs Are Available?
- Military Child Care In Your Neighborhood with Exception (MCCYNEx)
The Military Child Care In Your Neighborhood with Exception (MCCYNEx) program provides fee assistance for families of deployed Army or mobilized Army National Guard service members during the duration of the deployment. Providers may be eligible for the Military Child Care In Your Neighborhood with Exception (MCCYNEx) program if they have a valid state license and annual licensing inspection report.
- Military Child Care In Your Neighborhood (MCCYN)
The Military Child Care in Your Neighborhood program provides fee assistance for families of Active Duty Service Members and full-time NGA employees who are unable to access on-post child care. Providers may be eligible for the Military Child Care In Your Neighborhood program if they have a valid state license, annual licensing inspection report, and a national accreditation. (Please see the Supporting Documents section for accreditations that are accepted.)
- MCCYN-PLUS
On October 1, 2019, The Military Services expanded the MCCYN program to include MCCYN-PLUS. In locations where nationally accredited care is unavailable, military families that wish to participate in the fee assistance program will be referred to community child care centers that are quality rated by their state Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS). MCCYN-PLUS currently operates in select states – please click here for more information.
- Army Respite Care
The Army Respite program provides no-cost, hourly child care to support the unique child care needs for Army Families who meet certain criteria.
Respite Care can be used for any of the following:
- Attending appointments
- Running errands
- Taking a much needed break
- Nights, weekends, and overnight care
Respite care may also be used during the day, but it must be outside of the regularly subsidized care if the family already participates in the Army Fee Assistance Program.
- Respite Provider Eligibility
- Provider must fill out a Provider Respite Application and be willing to provide an hourly rate for the families interested in using the facility for Respite Care
- Provider must submit the supporting documents listed on the Provider Respite Application if not already a part of the Fee Assistance Programs
- Provider must be able to provide care in 2 hour increments
- Care can be used at different times for a family with multiple children
- Military Child Care In Your Neighborhood with Exception (MCCYNEx)
- What Supporting Documents Are Needed?
Providers who would like to be eligible for the Military Child Care in Your Neighborhood (MCCYN) program need to meet the criteria listed above AND have one of the following approved accreditations or are currently enrolled in self-study pursuing accreditation with an approved agency:
- Child Care Centers:
- Association for Christian Schools International (ACSI)
- Accredited Professional Preschool Learning Environment (APPLE)
- Association Montessori International/USA (AMI)
- American Montessori Society (AMS)
- Cognia (Formally known as AdvancED)*
- Council on Accreditation (COA)
- *International Council Advancing Independent School Accreditation (ICAISA)
- Middle States Association (MSA)
- National Association for the Education of Young Children, Academy for Early Childhood Program Accreditation (NAEYC)
- National Accreditation Commission for Early Care and Education Programs (NAC)
- National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC)
- National Early Childhood Program Accreditation (NECPA)
- *Western Catholic Educational Association (WCEA)
- Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE)
*Please note – accreditation must include early learning component to be approved for the fee assistance program.
- Family Child Care:
In order for family child care providers to meet MCCYN requirements, they must be state licensed, inspected annually, and have achieved one of the following:
- Child Development Associate (CDA) credential awarded by the Council for Professional Recognition
- Associate’s degree or higher in Early Childhood Education (ECE) or Child Development (CD) *Transcript showing 24 or more credit hours in ECE or CD also accepted*
- National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC) accreditation
Non-accredited facilities operating in select states may click here for more information about qualifying for MCCYN-PLUS.
Please submit all documentation and/or questions regarding provider eligibility via email to providerservices@usa.childcareaware.org or via fax at 703-341-4146. You may also call us at 1-800-424-2246, option 4.
- Change of Information Form:
Child care programs currently enrolled in the Fee Assistance Program but needing to update their file with new contact information, addresses, or email addresses must submit a copy of the Change of Information Form. Please submit this document and/or questions regarding updated information via email to providerservices@usa.childcareaware.org or via fax at 703-341-4146.
- Documentos en Español
Por favor vea abajo algunos formularios frecuentemente solicitados para Proveedores. Si tiene alguna pregunta, por favor comuníquese con nosotros al 1 (800) 424-2246.
Documentos para Proveedores
- Child Care Centers:
- Fee Assistance Approval
- When Will I Receive a Response from Child Care Aware® of America?
You will receive a response about the status of your application within 3-5 business days from the submission of your application.
- When Will I Receive Approval to Participate in the Fee Assistance Program?
You will receive an approval certificate within 7-10 business days of the completion of both the family and provider applications.
- When Are Fee Assistance Payments Made?
Fee assistance is paid to the provider at the end of the month within 7-10 business days of Child Care Aware® of America’s receipt of the completed attendance sheets.
- When Will I Receive a Response from Child Care Aware® of America?
- Fee Assistance Payment Policies
Each branch of service and DoD agency participating in the Fee Assistance Program at Child Care Aware® of America is provided with a payment policy guide once they receive their approval certificate for fee assistance. These payment policies help families and providers understand the payment process, how to fill out and submit attendance sheets, and more. Below you will find a copy of each guide, in addition to the attendance sheet submission calendar and instructions to assist you in filling out the attendance sheets. If you have any questions about the payment policies, please contact the Payment Department at paymentdept@usa.childcareaware.org or 1-800-793-0324, extension 365.
