HOME

Child Youth Services helps Families save money

By Norman Shifflett, Fort Carson Public Affairs OfficeSeptember 9, 2022

Child Youth Services helps Families save money
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — A billboard advertises the 50% off child care for Child Youth Services direct care employees located off South Academy Boulevard Sept. 6, 2022. This is in support of CYS’s effort to fill roughly 200 direct care positions on Fort Carson. (Photo Credit: Norman Shifflett) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT CARSON, Colo. — If you’ve wanted to go back to work but were worried about the cost of child care, the Fort Carson Child and Youth Services (CYS) has a job for you.

CYS is offering Direct Care employees a 50% discount on child care as an effort to fill roughly 200 positions.

Child and youth program assistants, lead child and youth program assistants and the supervisory program specialist qualify for the discount program. Those who fall under this category will also get priority placement for child care along with an opportunity to earn their Child Development Associates Credential.

Once an employee has completed a certain amount of training, they can start working on getting their CDA Credential, which will make them eligible for CYS lead positions. Even though there is a cost to get the CDA credential the employee doesn’t have to pay it.

“There is a cost involved in getting your CDA credential, the Army will pay the cost for the credentialing,” said Tara Paprzycki, program operations specialist. “The Council for Professional Development will come and evaluate the employee and administer a written test.”

If the employee passes, then they will receive their CDA credential.

Valerie Reyna, a CYS caregiver assistant is grateful for this program because it lifts a big financial burden off her Family’s shoulders while also allowing her to work towards getting her CDA credential, which will open more opportunities for her.

She and her husband moved to Fort Carson and had to adjust to the new area and the economy. They were expecting a new baby and she knew that would mean either staying at home to take care of the baby or going to work just to pay child care.

Now that she works for CYS under the new program, Reyna thinks the savings she receives as a CYS caregiver is amazing, and the training and experience she is obtaining is very rewarding and helps her in other ways.

“What I have learned in child care has improved my way of handling situations with my own child,” said Reyna. “I am learning how to teach him better and help him grow emotional and social skills.”

Anyone interested in applying for a CYS Direct Care position can visit https://carson.armymwr.com/CYS/cys-discount-program for more information.

RELATED STORIES