Army Family Child Care offers options

By Rita Clare Hall; Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation; U.S. Army Garrison-HawaiiMay 22, 2012

Family Child Care
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, Hawaii -- Many military families are unaware of the Army's Family Child Care Program, or FCC, as a viable child care option.

The program provides certified, trained family child care providers who offer high quality child care for up to six children, including their own under age 8, in their homes. All providers are military family members.

FCC homes offer trained providers who engage children in developmentally appropriate activities designed to enhance their social, emotional, cognitive and physical development.

A typical FCC program day includes breakfast, music, story time, arts and crafts, outdoor play, games. Family-style dining is practiced and all food served is healthy and follows U.S. Department of Agriculture nutritional guidelines.

"If you have a passion for children, this is the job for you," said Marta Rivera, an AMR FCC provider.

Rivera learned about the program in 1999 when her family was stationed in Germany. She applied and became a certified FCC provider.

She said she gets great satisfaction from helping military parents, and in the trust they place in her to provide safe, quality child care for their children.

Interested in becoming a certified Army FCC provider or finding out when the next new applicant briefing is? Call 808-655-8373.

Currently, the program is available at Schofield Barracks and at Wheeler Army Airfield, Helemano Military Reservation and Aliamanu Military Reservation. In the near future, the program will be available at Fort Shafter. Most FCC provider's homes are open 6 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Monday-Friday.