Fort Riley Child and Youth Services Family Child Care program is seeking adults looking to work from home. The Army Family Child Care program is a child care option offered in homes on and off post by authorized military family members and qualified civilians working as independent contractors, according to program materials.
"We are looking for providers that are going to provide quality care," said Tara Hill, Family Child Care director. "When caring for our children, we know that we are here to support the mission of our Soldiers. And those Soldiers need to have peace of mind knowing that their children will be taken care of the right way."
Anyone on post who cares for children more than 10 hours a week must be certified through Family Child Care or there could be consequences, she said.
"Any person that is reported to be providing unauthorized child care puts themselves at risk of loosing their government housing," she said.
The free process of becoming a certified Family Child Care provider begins with attending one of the upcoming Family Child Care provider orientations, Thursdays at 1:30 p.m. at CYS Parent Central, 6620 Normandy Dr., Hill said. At the orientation, attendees will get information about the program and they can determine if it is something they want to do. If a person wants to become a provider, they are given an application packet which includes a background check.
"When they bring the packet back, I will set up the home interview," Hill said. "After I do the home interview, their background is processing. It could take about a month and a half for the background to come back depending on how extensive they have (to go)."
Those who are selected to become Family Child Care providers must attend 40 hours of training annually in home safety, fire prevention, food sanitation, menu planning, food principles and nutrition; CPR and First Aid, Child Abuse Identification and Prevention, Special Needs, Parent and Public relations, Character Counts, Business Practices, and Positive Guidance, according to riley.armymwr.com/programs/family-child-care. Additionally, providers must complete ongoing training in child development and guidance, to become fully certified.
Home providers have flexible hours and comfortable family settings, according to the program materials. They offer full-day, part-day and hourly care. Providers care for children from 6 weeks to 12 years of age, making it possible for all siblings to be cared for in the same home.
These homes participate in the Army Family Child Care subsidy program and follow the same fee schedule as the Fort Riley Child Development Center and School Age Services program. This makes Family Child Care homes a competitive alternative to other childcare services on post and in the surrounding communities.
For more information on becoming an Family Child Care provider, call Family Child Care at
785-239-4313 or attend the next Family Child Care Provider Orientation, Thursday March 28 at 1:30 p.m. at CYS Parent Central, 6620 Normandy Dr.
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