FCC providers are vital to the Gunfighter mission

  • Published
  • By Airman First Class Hailey Bivens
  • 366th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
MOUNTAIN HOME AIR FORCE BASE, Idaho --  They say it takes a village to raise a child.

This statement couldn’t be truer for military families.

Whether it’s the night shift, deployment or temporary duty, Airmen and families are faced with tasks that require them to be away from home outside of normal duty hours.

For this reason and many more, the 366th Force Support Squadron child and youth programs office is always looking for family child care providers.

Cassaundra Grace, 366th FSS child and youth programs flight chief, said the family child care program picks up where the CDC or school age programs are unable to support.

“The child and youth mission is to support the mission of the base and we do that by providing quality care that is affordable and accessible,” Grace explained. “It allows quality care to be provided outside of normal duty hours for those who work different shifts.”

The responsibility of an FCC provider holds more weight than that of a date-night babysitter. The program also offers training to give providers the opportunity to be certified.

“The provider can earn money watching their own children as well.” said Dana Williams, 366th FSS FCC coordinator. “It’s not babysitting. You have a curriculum to follow. You also follow menus and feed your children nutritional meals.”

While there are rules and regulations to follow, the FCC program gives providers a lot of freedom. Providers are encouraged to participate in their normal day-to-day activities.

Along with the perk of working from home, subsidized rates for both general and accredited providers were recently increased to over $200 a week per child.

Grace encourages those interested in becoming an FCC provider to remain motivated and understand that they can impact the lives of children in their care.

“Sometimes it seems really small but what we do has an impact every day,” Grace said. “We can teach you the regulations but you have to love children and want to provide what’s best for them and the families here at Mountain Home Air Force Base.”

For more information on becoming an FCC provider contact Mountain Home Air Force Base Family Child Care at (208) 828-6715.