The Department of Defense's dedication to adequate funding, strict oversight, improved training and wage packages, strong family child care networks, and commitment to meeting national accreditation standards is laudatory. I believe that the military has important lessons to share with the rest of the nation on how to improve the quality of child care for all our nation's children. The Defense Department program cares for more than 200,000 children daily, with more than 800 child development centers and school age facilities worldwide, and almost 10,000 family child care homes on more than 300 installations. There are five factors that contribute to the military's success story.
All components have equal partnership in the system.
Training standards, inspections, and background clearances are equivalent. Second, the Department recognizes the unique child care needs of service parents who are subject to extended training exercises, deployments, separations and special stresses. The third element is strict oversight of all programs and strict adherence to standards. There are comprehensive, unannounced inspections. Non-compliance with standards can, and has, resulted in closure.