Child care subsidy programs continue to gain popularity in the federal government, with two more agencies adding the family-friendly measure to their benefits rosters. The Department of Veterans Affairs and the Food and Drug Administration have announced that some of their employees will be eligible for subsidies to help cover child care expenses under pilot programs. More than five years ago, the Clinton administration pushed agencies to establish programs to make it easier for workers to balance their home and work lives. In September 1999, Congress approved legislation allowing agencies to use appropriated funds to help lower-income employees cover the costs of child care in licensed centers. The FDA worked with the National Treasury Employees Union, which represents many of its employees, to implement its program.
Employees can enroll in the program immediately.
Both the FDA and VA programs provide benefits on a sliding-scale basis, with employees at lower salary levels eligible for higher benefits. Other agencies offering child-care subsidies include the Labor Department, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration at the Department of Health and Human Services, the General Services Administration and the Office of Personnel Management. The Defense Department has had authority to subsidize child care expenses since 1989.