Child Care—What’s Available on Base

If you’re a parent, you’ve probably noticed the shortage of Child Care on base. It’s a perennial problem, but here’s a primer that may help you navigate your choices. (More details at http://www.laafbservices.com/family/index.html.)

The Child Development Center (CDC) is in El Segundo (Bldg 281) and serves pre-school age children. It is designed for full-day child care, but some part-time and hourly slots may be available. Call 310-653-6800 for more info.

The Youth Center is at Ft Mac (Bldg 425) and serves school-age children. It features before- and after-school care for K-12 and enrichment programs (sports, open recreation, special interest clubs) for children 9 and up. Call 310-653-8383.

Family Child Care provides in-home accredited and certified providers both on- and off-base for ages 2 weeks-12 years. Currently, LAAFB has only TWO ladies participating in the program. For more information about using Family Child Care or becoming a provider, call 310-653-6802.

Parents’ Night Out provides monthly evening babysitting at the CDC and Youth Center for their respective ages from 6-10pm for $20 per child. Reservations are required at least one week in advance. The remaining dates for the year are 16 October, 20 November, and 18 December.

Give Parents a Break runs concurrently with Parents’ Night Out, but is a voucher program requiring referral. It is designed to provide free child care to families under stress due to deployment, special needs, illness, etc. Due to its funding source, it is limited to Air Force families, however, if you are from another service and need this type of service, the base may be able to make the appropriate arrangements. Contact the Airman and Family Readiness center at 310-653-5428 for more information.

If you only need occasional child care, you may be able to form a co-op with your neighbors. Drop me a line at member.at.large@laafsc.com if you’d like to see forms that I used during our last tour.

The Community Center maintains a list of youngsters who have taken the Red Cross Babysitting course with them. An updated list should come out in October. I’ll send it out when I receive it.

If you’re daunted by the task of finding the right fit for your family, there are MANY more resources to help you weigh your options, to include the Airman & Family Readiness Center, the Child and Youth Services Military Family Life Consultant, and MilitaryOneSource.com. Best of luck, and drop me a line if I can be of any assistance!

By Nancy H.