Child care providers must be authorized

By Fort Meade Public Affairs OfficeNovember 2, 2012

FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, Md. (Nov. 1, 2012) -- Are you providing child care out of your home on Fort Meade?

Are you certified through the Child, Youth and School Services Family Child Care?

If you answered yes to the first question and no to the second, you could be in violation of guidance for providing child care on an Army installation.

Those who provide child care out of their home on an Army installation for more than 10 hours per week on a regular basis must be certified through CYSS Family Child Care.

The FCC office is responsible for certification and monitoring of all family members on the installation who wish to provide child care out of their home.

Care provided by family members without certification through the FCC office is considered to be unauthorized care if it exceeds the 10 hours per week guidance.

Each year, there are two months that are considered amnesty months in which anyone who is providing unauthorized care can voluntarily come forward and start the certification process.

As long as this individual actively pursues certification by turning in the application and attending the next scheduled training, the person can continue to provide care to those families.

If the individual does not actively pursue certification and successfully complete the process, the child care must stop.

The next scheduled amnesty month is November.

Anyone wishing to pursue certification may attend a pre-orientation briefing Wednesday from 9 to 11 a.m. During this briefing, the certification process will be explained and the application packet distributed.

The next scheduled training is later this month. The dates will be given to those attending the pre-orientation briefing.

To sign up for the pre-orientation briefing, call the FCC office at 301-677-1160.

Certified homes can be recognized by a sign displayed in the front or side window.

If this sign is not displayed in a window that can be seen from the street or parking area and children are being dropped off regularly, it is possible the resident is providing unauthorized care.

Providing unauthorized care can jeopardize eligibility for housing as well as the military career of the sponsor.