Fort Jackson is a unique military installation. Not only are more than 60,000 of America’s future fighting force trained here each year, many more Soldiers attend school on-post to become human resource specialists, civil affairs specialists, religious services specialists, master fitness trainers and the most commonly associated drill sergeants.
Permanent party Soldiers have some of the most unusual and sometimes longest work schedules due to the nature of being a drill sergeant. This can mean issues for child care for single parents and dual military Families.
The U.S. Army Family Child Care sticker is a visual way for parents to know that a home offering child care on-post is certified and protected.
Parents can expect to find a provider who is equipped to provide child care in a comfortable home with a provider who knows how to deal with typical injuries inquisitive children often encounter. The provider will also have a wealth or resources from CYS at their disposal.
“CYS will help every step of the way,” Bolton said. “We will help with everything from training to furniture needs.”
Bolton said anyone interested in becoming a certified in-home Family Child Care Provider can call her to begin the process. She also encourages military housing residents and parents to let her know about unauthorized in-home child care practices.
“Residents can be removed from housing for operating unauthorized child care in their homes on post,” Hankins said. “Also, they are legally culpable for child-related incidents that may occur while under unauthorized care.”
While the thought of reporting a neighbor for unauthorized child care can leave some feeling awkward or on the fence, Bolton said it’s an opportunity to ensure a child’s safety and potentially save a life.
“There are several Facebook pages out there that cater to child care and babysitting on Fort Jackson. Some people (unauthorized care providers) are even saying they work for CYS and that’s not true,” Bolton said. “Uncertified providers can be dangerous and we have three certified providers on post right now.”
To begin the process of becoming a certified in-home Family Child Care Provider, call Sunny Bolton at 751-1672 or (803) 908-8182.
She also said more information about becoming a certified provider will be available during an information sharing session on Feb. 24 at the Joe E. Mann Ballroom from 5 – 6 p.m. Addition information about future information sharing sessions can be found at: facebook.com/JacksonCyss.
“Unauthorized childcare is no joke,” Bolton said. “Please take care of your children and only use certified child care.”
Fort Jackson is one of the only Army installations that offers extended child care in addition to traditional child care options found at a child development center. The post also offers certified in-home child care services with fully-trained Family Child Care Providers. Unfortunately, unauthorized in-home child care can also be found here.
“Children can get hurt. (Across the military) there have been two incidents happen in military housing in the past 18 months where a child has died,” said Sunny Bolton, Fort Jackson Child and Youth Services Coordinator. “One was Army and one was Navy.”
While these deaths did not occur on Fort Jackson, the chance of injury or death of a child is possible in a setting where providers are untrained and not supervised.
“Each of our in-home Family Child Care Providers goes through a pretty extensive background check, their homes are inspected and they are given extensive training to become certified,” Bolton said. “It protects the child, parent, provider and Garrison office.”
It is important to understand that child care is defined by Army regulation as a person who provides more than 10 hours of care in the same week. Teens who provide this kind of service are not considered professional child care providers, they are babysitters. Training however is available for babysitters through Child and Youth Services to learn adult and infant CPR and first aid.
“I absolutely believe all babysitters should pursue first aid, CPR, child abuse detection and prevention, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and other available training,” said Fort Jackson Garrison Commander Col. John “Wes” Hankins. “The CYS Sitter training is a 16 hour training class for teens 13-18 years old. Skills in these areas will enhance a babysitter’s ability to ensure a child’s well-being.”
For spouses or dependents residing in military housing on the installation, unauthorized in-home child care can be a lucrative opportunity. According to Bolton, certified in-home child care can be even more lucrative for those who complete the certification process to become Family Child Care Providers.
“A certified provider can make up to $2,000 - $3,000 a month,” Bolton said. “As of January 2020, certified child care providers can carry over their certifications to other military installation as well.”
While becoming certified as a child care provider will require time and patience, the payoff can be well worth more than a few dollars made “under the table.”
To start the process of becoming a certified care provider, a candidate will need to begin a background check. Following that, each candidate will need to complete detailed training covering first aid, CPR, SIDS, medication administration and child abuse detection and prevention. During training, CYS will offer hourly daycare free of charge to training participants.
The final process of becoming certified will include a home inspection by representatives from CYS, a fire team, Army Public Health nurse team, Environmental Health and Fort Jackson Safety Office. Bolton said the inspections ensure “a home is safe.”
Once all training, inspections and the background check is complete, the Fort Jackson Garrison Commander’s Office signs a memorandum qualifying the new in-home Family Child Care Provider for certification and the ability to display the “Rainbow Sticker” in their home.
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