Operation Just Cause... ...for as long as it takes
From: Marjorie Preston
WASHINGTON -- Defense officials recently announced the
range of fees for school-age child care programs for the
1999-2000 school year.
The fees reflect a 1.6 percent increase, based on DoD
family policy officials' March review of child care fees.
The increase accommodates the inflation rate in the
president's Fiscal 2000 budget, according to Carolee Van
Horn, a Family Policy Office specialist here.
School-age care programs are offered for children in
kindergarten to 12 years of age before and after school,
during holidays and summer vacations. Fees are based on the
number of weekly program hours a child attends and a
family's total annual income. Total income includes all
wages, salaries, tips, long-term disability benefits,
combat pay, housing and subsistence allowances, and more.
This year's fees include a new category for families making
$70,000 and above.
Commanders may reduce fees by 20 percent for each
additional child in the same family. They may also adjust
fees on a case-by-case basis if special financial
circumstances warrant.
The rates include meals and snacks when provided. Fees must
be reduced by 20 percent if food is not provided during
full-day summer programs.
The optional high-cost fee may be used in areas where
higher wages are paid to compete with local wages or at
installations where wages are affected by high cost of
living allowances or locality pay.
At present, the services provide 38,139 spaces, thus
meeting 51 percent of the DoD-wide need for care, Van Horn
said. To expand school-age care spaces, family policy
officials are encouraging use of youth centers, on- and
off-base schools, community centers and other facilities,
she said.
She said several installations recently formed partnerships
with local public schools to provide after-school child
care in off-base schools attended by large numbers of
military youth. Family policy officials are also
encouraging partnerships and affiliations with such
national programs as the Boys and Girls Clubs of America
and the 4-H Council. These programs provide training,
technical assistance and program materials, Van Horn said.
Sent in by Veterans News and Information Services
By Linda D. Kozaryn
American Forces Press Service
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