HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. (AFNS) —
The Military Child Care in Your Neighborhood fee assistance program, available to active-duty and certain reserve members of the Department of the Air Force is now being extended to federal civilian families.
The program aims to make affordable, high-quality childcare accessible to more families, addressing a critical need within the Air Force.
“The program includes civilian employees who either do not live near an installation with child and youth programs or are stationed at installations pre-identified as eligible for fee assistance, such as Hanscom Air Force Base,” said Rachel Washington-Freeman, Child Development Center director.
The MCCYN program supports families by ensuring they pay no more for off-base childcare than they would for on-installation care, up to a set ca
“Fee assistance goal is to have family’s pay the equivalent to or as close as possible to the cost of care on military installations,” Washington-Freeman said.
This initiative significantly reduces the financial burden on Hanscom AFB families.
“This is critical support for our civilian personnel who have long faced challenges in accessing affordable childcare,” Washington-Freeman said. “By extending this program to civilians, we’re making it easier for them to balance their professional and family responsibilities.”
DAF civilians interested in the program can visit here to determine their eligibility, explore qualifying providers and apply for assistance.
According to officials, this secure online portal simplifies the process, providing a centralized resource for families navigating their childcare options.
Initially, the program was available to active-duty DAF personnel, full-time or deployed Guard/Reserve Airmen and Guardians, Air Guard/Reserve technicians, survivors of combat fallen warriors and wounded, ill, or injured servicemembers who lacked access to on-base childcare.