Improving the Delivery of Military Child Care

Improving the Delivery of Military Child Care PDF Author: Gail Zellman
Publisher: RAND Corporation
ISBN:
Category : Child care services
Languages : en
Pages : 112

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Book Description
This study was undertaken to identify ways to improve the delivery of Child Development Services on military installations. Interviews with policymakers and visits to military installations revealed that 1) the goals of Child Development Services Systems are multiple and not clearly defined, and consequently do not always translate into practice; 2) demand for child care needs to be more carefully assessed, and decisions about how much child care to provide and to whom should be made; and 3) heavy reliance on Child Development Centers promotes "fair weather" readiness, providing care as long as children are not ill and their parents are working regular hours. Ill children and irregular working hours create significant care gaps. A more systemic approach to the provision of care that addresses inevitable gaps in care should be undertaken.

Improving the Delivery of Military Child Care

Improving the Delivery of Military Child Care PDF Author: Gail Zellman
Publisher: RAND Corporation
ISBN:
Category : Child care services
Languages : en
Pages : 112

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Book Description
This study was undertaken to identify ways to improve the delivery of Child Development Services on military installations. Interviews with policymakers and visits to military installations revealed that 1) the goals of Child Development Services Systems are multiple and not clearly defined, and consequently do not always translate into practice; 2) demand for child care needs to be more carefully assessed, and decisions about how much child care to provide and to whom should be made; and 3) heavy reliance on Child Development Centers promotes "fair weather" readiness, providing care as long as children are not ill and their parents are working regular hours. Ill children and irregular working hours create significant care gaps. A more systemic approach to the provision of care that addresses inevitable gaps in care should be undertaken.

Options for Improving the Military Child Care System

Options for Improving the Military Child Care System PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 79

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Book Description
The U.S. military child care system is the largest employer-sponsored child care system in the nation, widely recognized for providing high-quality care. A range of different settings enables the system to meet military parents' needs for reliable, high-quality care while recognizing parental preferences concerning environment, size (the number of children cared for in that provider setting), and flexibility. Subsidies based on family income ensure affordability. Despite its size, the military child care system serves only a small percentage of eligible families needing child care assistance. Care in Child Development Centers (CDCs) is quite costly for DoD to provide; care for the youngest children is particularly expensive since parent fees are based on family income and not on the cost of care. Care in Family Child Care (FCC) homes is substantially less costly. There is little evidence that the care provided in DoD-run CDCs and FCC homes addresses DoD employer goals of increased readiness, retention, and recruitment. Moreover, families that cannot or choose not to use CDC or FCC care receive no help covering their child care expenses. Moreover, they may rely on care that is mediocre, given their often limited financial resources and the fact that the average quality of care in civilian communities is generally not high. The Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness asked RAND researchers to use the insight they have gained during several previous studies on military child care to reexamine military child care as a compensation issue and evaluate options for transforming the current military child care system. In this paper, we provide an overview of the military child care system and assess the system's success in cost-effectively meeting DoD readiness, retention, and recruitment goals. In particular, we consider the logic of DoD offering military child care as an in-kind benefit.

Providing Child Care to Military Families

Providing Child Care to Military Families PDF Author: Joy S. Moini
Publisher: Rand Corporation
ISBN: 083303927X
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 154

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Book Description
The Office of the Secretary of Defense asked the RAND Corporation to assess the Department of Defense (DoD) child-care demand formula as a tool for translating information on military families into measures of potential child-care need and to suggest ways that the tool might be improved. The authors assess the validity of the DoD formula in meeting child-care needs, analyze the factors that influence key child-care outcomes, and address the broader issue of how DoD can refine its goals for military child care.

Examining Child Care Need Among Military Families

Examining Child Care Need Among Military Families PDF Author: Susan M. Gates
Publisher: Rand Corporation
ISBN: 0833039024
Category : Family & Relationships
Languages : en
Pages : 127

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Book Description
The Department of Defense (DoD) supports the largest employer-sponsored system of high-quality child care in the country. Through accredited child development centers (CDCs), family child care (FCC) homes, youth programs, and other before- and after-school programs, the DoD provides care to over 174,000 military children aged 0 through 12 years. To evaluate the system's ability to meet the child care needs of military families, DoD needs information on the magnitude of potential need. For a number of years, the DoD has been using a formula that translates the basic demographic characteristics of the military population into an estimate of the potential need for child care (see the companion monograph Providing Child Care to Military Families: The Role of the Demand Formula in Defining Need and Informing Policy, MG-387-OSD, by Joy S. Moini, Gail L. Zellman, and Susan M. Gates). The Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) asked the RAND Corporation to collect data on child care need and child care use, assess the validity of the DoD formula, and recommend improvements to the formula. Data for the assessment came from a 2004 survey of military families about child care issues. This technical report describes and analyzes the data from that survey. It documents survey methods, defines three outcomes of potential interest to DoD (reported child-care usage, unmet child-care need, and unmet child-care preference), presents detailed results of an analysis of these outcomes among military families, and analyzes the relationships between these outcomes and military readiness and retention. For example, the data identified an important relationship between unmet child-care preference and propensity to leave the military: Families that express unmet child-care preference-that is, they are using one form of child care but would prefer another-are also more likely to report that child care issues might drive them to leave the military. This report will be of interest to officials responsible for DoD child-care policy and other quality of life issues. It should also be of interest to child care managers in other federal organizations, child care researchers, and child care policymakers at the national, state, and local levels who grapple with the issue of estimating the need for child care.

Strengthening the Military Family Readiness System for a Changing American Society

Strengthening the Military Family Readiness System for a Changing American Society PDF Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309489539
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 385

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Book Description
The U.S. military has been continuously engaged in foreign conflicts for over two decades. The strains that these deployments, the associated increases in operational tempo, and the general challenges of military life affect not only service members but also the people who depend on them and who support them as they support the nation â€" their families. Family members provide support to service members while they serve or when they have difficulties; family problems can interfere with the ability of service members to deploy or remain in theater; and family members are central influences on whether members continue to serve. In addition, rising family diversity and complexity will likely increase the difficulty of creating military policies, programs and practices that adequately support families in the performance of military duties. Strengthening the Military Family Readiness System for a Changing American Society examines the challenges and opportunities facing military families and what is known about effective strategies for supporting and protecting military children and families, as well as lessons to be learned from these experiences. This report offers recommendations regarding what is needed to strengthen the support system for military families.

Examining the Effects of Accreditation on Military Child Development Center Operations and Outcomes

Examining the Effects of Accreditation on Military Child Development Center Operations and Outcomes PDF Author: Gail Zellman
Publisher: RAND Corporation
ISBN:
Category : Family & Relationships
Languages : en
Pages : 64

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Book Description
This study explores the implementation of one provision of the Military Child Care Act of 1989. The MCCA aims to improve the availability and quality of child care services in the military. It also seeks to standardize the delivery and quality of care across installations and military services. Most changes focus on staffing, training, compensation, and funding, but one provision requires that at least 50 military child development centers (CDCs) be accredited in accordance with the standards of a national accrediting body for early childhood programs. This report analyzes the accreditation process, professionalism, and interactions; explores the perceived effect of accreditation on child outcomes; and assesses the incremental value of accreditation over the benefits associated with DoD certification of CDCs.

Military Child Care

Military Child Care PDF Author: Anne Staehr Johansen
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Child care services
Languages : en
Pages : 21

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Book Description


Improving the Quality of Child Care

Improving the Quality of Child Care PDF Author: United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Labor and Human Resources
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 112

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Book Description


The Determinants of Child Care Use and Retention in the U.S. Army

The Determinants of Child Care Use and Retention in the U.S. Army PDF Author: Hyder A. Lakhani
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Child care
Languages : en
Pages : 80

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Book Description


Child Care Quality Rating and Improvement Systems in Five Pioneer States

Child Care Quality Rating and Improvement Systems in Five Pioneer States PDF Author: Gail Zellman
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 98

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Book Description
Child-care quality rating and improvement systems (QRISs) are designed to make child-care quality transparent to child-care parents, providers, and policymakers and to help providers improve their quality. This monograph discusses the development and implementation of QRISs in Oklahoma, Colorado, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, highlighting lessons that the states learned and recommendations for QRIS development and refinement.