Child Care for Frontline Workers

With COVID-19 restrictions in place, Child Development Centers on military installations limited service to essential personnel only and implemented instructor-to-child ratios unique to the COVID-19 environment. Recognizing that our members continue to serve, both at home and deployed, their families face unique challenges and need us now more than ever – as we work collectively toward Strengthening Our Military Family®. Armed Services YMCA Branches in multiple locations continued existing programs or started new ones to support local essential personnel, while ensuring the safety of both the children and the staff.

Our Children’s Waiting Rooms – drop-off child care in Military Treatment Facilities (MTFs) – have continued in multiple locations in order to provide opportunity for military spouses to care for their own health needs. Other locations curtailed operations due to the limited access allowed by the hospital, and instead repurposed their physical spaces for use as a child care center for the MTF to provide other services.

In Q2, Armed Services YMCA served 2,372 military children and provided 13,232 points of service (the number of times an individual child participates in that program during the prescribed period). We are honored to serve and will continue to innovate programs and services to meet the needs of military families.

Here is what some our families have to say about Armed Services YMCA child care programs:

"You guys are wonderful and without you I know I would no longer be a working Mom."

"Professional and attentive to all my families needs."