The Department of Defense (DoD) recognizes the critical role that affordable and quality child care plays in the lives of military families. To address this need, the DoD has established the Military Child Care in Your Neighborhood (MCCYN) program, effectively acting as a Dod Civilian Child Care Subsidy Program. This initiative partners with community-based child care providers to expand access to care for families connected to the military. For providers to participate in the MCCYN fee assistance program, they must hold a state child care license and achieve national accreditation or participate in the MCCYN-PLUS program.
These stringent requirements ensure that children within the MCCYN program receive a comparable standard of care to those in military-operated facilities.
The Importance of Child Care Licensing
While not a guarantee of exceptional care, child care licensing is a fundamental regulatory framework employed by states to safeguard the health and safety of children in child care settings. A valid state child care license, covering all age groups served, is mandatory for providers participating in the MCCYN program. Although specific licensing standards can vary from state to state, federal regulations mandate baseline health and safety requirements that all licensed providers must meet to operate legally. For detailed information on child care licensing within your state, ChildCare.gov provides resources and links to individual state pages.
National Accreditation: A Mark of Higher Quality
National accreditation in child care signifies a program’s commitment to exceeding basic state licensing standards and achieving higher benchmarks of quality. This rigorous process involves in-depth self-assessment, continuous program improvement, and external evaluation by an independent national accrediting agency. Providers seeking to participate in the DoD-funded MCCYN program must secure accreditation from one of the nationally recognized organizations listed below.
Note: Accreditation must specifically include an early learning component to satisfy MCCYN program requirements.
For Family Child Care providers, the following credentials also meet the MCCYN requirements:
- Child Development Associate (CDA) credential from the Council for Professional Recognition.
- Associate degree or higher in Early Childhood Education or Child Development.
- Accreditation from the National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC) or one of the nationally recognized accrediting bodies mentioned previously.
MCCYN-PLUS: Expanding Access in Specific Locations
Recognizing that access to nationally accredited child care can be limited in certain areas, the DoD developed the MCCYN-PLUS program. This extension of the DoD civilian child care subsidy program enables providers to participate in MCCYN if they meet the designated state quality rating level. This ensures military families have access to subsidized child care even where nationally accredited options are scarce.
State Quality Rating Systems Explained
Many states utilize child care quality rating systems (QRIS) to assist families in identifying high-quality child care programs more easily. These systems evaluate programs based on criteria that go beyond basic licensing, focusing on elements that contribute to enhanced care quality. Similar to rating systems used for schools or hotels, states assign quality ratings, often using star symbols, to indicate different levels of quality. Higher ratings are awarded to programs that demonstrate adherence to more stringent quality standards set by the state. More information on state quality rating systems can be found on ChildCare.gov.
MCCYN-PLUS Availability
The DoD is actively expanding the reach of MCCYN-PLUS in collaboration with various states. Currently, MCCYN-PLUS is available in Arkansas, Colorado, Florida (Miami-Dade County), Kentucky, Maryland, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas, Virginia, and Washington.
Eligibility for Community Providers in MCCYN-PLUS
To be eligible for MCCYN-PLUS participation, community providers must meet specific minimum criteria:
- Hold a valid state license.
- Participate in the state’s Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) and achieve the minimum rating level defined by the DoD.
- Demonstrate ongoing efforts towards quality improvement, with the goal of achieving the highest rating or national accreditation.
For comprehensive details about MCCYN-PLUS, the MCCYN-PLUS Parent Pamphlet is a valuable resource.
