Action line #80604 - Daycare

  • Published
  • By Anonymous
  • 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey --  Complaint:

Daycare here on Incirlik has always been a concern for the families stationed here but even more so now that the nannies may not be as easily accessible. So you can imagine my surprise when I called the Child Development Center to ask about becoming a part time home day care provider and was told no.

I was informed that the only way they would license me would be if I were open the same days as the CDC. I cannot do this as I also will be finishing my degree and have young children of my own. I understand that many dual military families are in need of full time care but if I could provide for the families PCSing or the moms who wanted to volunteer at the school or the wife whose husband is deployed and needs a break wouldn't that help our community?

I've heard complaints that a family had no care for their children but were required to attend the newcomers briefing and the CDC was, of course, full. The hourly drop in care at the CDC is always full but if a couple of us worked part time we could easily fix that problem. At every other base I have been stationed at the CDC allows the home day care provider to not only pick their hours but also pick their age group, so if a mom could only do before and after school care she could. I think that there would be many more interested in becoming providers if they were given this freedom. I believe strongly that at this point in time any help in daycare would be an asset to our community.


Response:
You're right: any help in our daycare system is welcome, and I appreciate you bringing this issue to my attention. The Family Child Care (FCC) office is working hard to recruit individuals interested in providing full- and part-time care to meet the needs of Incirlik families. Full-time child care availability, which usually consists of 5 days a week during normal duty hours, is vital to ensuring our military and civilian members fulfill the mission. Part-time care is also needed, and within the Family Child Care program, an individual may offer PCS and/or Volunteer care. This type of care is provided on an "as needed" basis. Your offer of part-time care for families PCSing, moms who want to volunteer at the school, or the homemaker whose spouse is deployed and needs a break are all valid needs in the community. There is always room for individuals who wish to be licensed and desire to offer care on a part-time basis. The FCC office apologizes for the incorrect information you received and encourages you to contact them again to begin the home licensing process.