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Programs offered by Patrick AFB Family Child Care

To be eligible for any Expanded Child Care (ECC) program, at least one parent must be a member of the U.S. Military Service: Active Duty; Reserve or Guard member in activated status; dual employed (military married to civilian) or DOD civilian employee assigned to or working on the installation. Being provided care is a privilege, not a right, and the Family Child Care program will retain final approval authority on whether or not a child is accepted for care.

First priority is given to parents whose children are currently enrolled in the Air Force Child Development, School-age and/or Family Child Care programs.
Parents must complete the following:
AF Form 1181, Air Force Youth Flight Program Patron Registration
The name of the ECC provider should be listed on the AF Form 1181 to pick the child up from the CDC/FCC/SAP.
AF Form 357, Family Care Certification or equivalent (if applicable)
AF Form 1055, Youth Flight Medication Permission (if applicable)

NOTE: Copies of these forms are acceptable if completed forms are on file at CDC, SAP, or another FCC home

Expanded Child Care Program includes:

Home Community Care (HCC) ANG/AFR dual military parents, single military parents, and military parents married to a civilian working spouse are eligible to use the program. At least one ANG/AFR parent must report for training during the time care is being provided. In dual parent families, the non ANG/AFR parent must also be working. If another parent is available, the HCC program may not be used. This program is available for primary UTA weekends. Care during secondary UTA (SUTA) weekends and two-week annual duty may be provided on a space available basis only. HCC may not be used to support school attendance, off-duty employment or for any other child care needs other than official duty. Care for the Home Community Care program is provided by an Extended Duty Care FCC home.

Extended Duty Child Care (EDC) - The EDC program assists families in obtaining high-quality child care from licensed or affiliated providers at or near the base when weekly parental workloads, due to extended duty hours, exceed the standard 50 hours of care (typically 10 hours a day or 5-day work week) that families are already purchasing in child care programs on or off base. Families should establish a plan to meet all their child care needs e.g., short-term TDYs, shift work care where shift work is the typical assignment, family days, deployments, etc. The EDC program should be considered the “back-up plan”.

Extended Duty Care can be used:

On-base mission related duty
Extended duty days
Temporary shift changes (not to exceed 3-days)
Rapid mobilization
Dual military or single parent deployment until children are picked up by AF Form 357 designee (not to exceed 3-days)
No notice/short-notice TDY
Less than 1-week notice.
If no other family member is available
If verified with supervisor
Provides temporary assistance (not to exceed 3-days per calendar year) until other arrangements can be found.
Spouse of deployed or TDY member who is experiencing a short-term child care emergency created in part by the duty-related absence of spouse (not to exceed 3-days).
Requests to exceed the 3-day time limit are sent to the MAJCOM in advance for approval. Confirmation of approval is sent from the MAJCOM to Flight Chief, FCC Coordinator and HQ USAF simultaneously.

Extended Duty Care can not be used:

On a regular, recurring basis
To meet parents’ regular child care requirements
To provide shift work care where shift work is a typical assignment.
Mandatory PT
To provide hourly care for non-duty related reasons
For off-duty education and employment on a recurring basis.
For holidays, family days, CDC/SAP/FCC home closure, attend/watch air shows, etc.
FCC providers that have medical appointments, child care emergencies that impact on their ability to provide child care or need substitute care (Exception: Approved by MAJCOM and if EDC Provider has unused hours).
Child Development and School-Age staff required to work different shift, longer hours and who have other child care emergencies that impact on their ability to provide child care (Exception: Approved by MAJCOM and if EDC Provider has unused hours).

Family Member Program staff and FCC provider training (Exception: Approved by MAJCOM and if EDC Provider has unused hours---this is allowed on an extremely limited basis).

Returning Home Care (RHC) - The RHC program provides child care for children ages 12 and under. Up to 16 hours of care per child is available to those Active Duty members, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve members returning to their home stations after deployments of a minimum of 30 calendar days or personnel who routinely deploy on a short-term basis (cumulative of 30 days in a six month period) in support of contingency operations and members returning for a 2-week R&R leave. Care for the Returning Home Care program is provided by an Extended Duty Care FCC home. The program is designed to provide an opportunity for the deployed parent to become reacquainted with their family. The 16 hours should be used within 30 days from returning to their home station but not longer than 60 days. The Returning Home Care program is offered exclusively in an Extended Duty Care FCC home.