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My Coast Guard
Commentary | April 10, 2024

Finding childcare just got easier

By Rose Neel, Family Services Division Chief

The Coast Guard has partnered with the Depart of Defense (DoD) to offer our Coast Guard families an easier way to find care in Coast Guard Child Development Centers (CDC).   

Coast Guard families have been able to use MilitaryChildCare.com (MCC.com) to sign-up for childcare spaces in the Coast Guard’s Military Child Care in Your Neighborhood (MCCYN) Fee Assistance program and DoD CDCs. As of April 1, 2024, we have added our Coast Guard Child Development Centers to the program, making MCC.com a one-stop shop for finding military childcare.   

The MilitaryChildCare.com web site is designed to help families make informed childcare choices. The site explains how to request and manage childcare options and provides parents information about all their military childcare options.  

DoD assigns a priority for care to each family type and uses this when placing children into care. To ensure parity access to DoD childcare programs, the Coast Guard CDCs are aligning with the DoD priority access to childcare. The site explains enrollment priorities and how this impacts waitlists for families requesting a childcare space. Please review the priority guidelines at Family Eligibility and Priority Guidelines | MCC Central (disa.mil)   

FAQ’s about Assignment Priorities: 

Q: If I am already enrolled in a Coast Guard Operated Child Development Center, will my family type and priority change due to the Coast Guard aligning with the DoD priority access to childcare? 
A: No, existing enrollments will not be impacted by this transition.  

Q: If I am already enrolled in Coast Guard Operated Child Development Center, what do I need to do based on this transition to MiltaryChildcare? 
A: No action is required to maintain your enrollment. Coast Guard sponsors with children enrolled in a Coast Guard Operated Child Development Center are not impacted by this transition.  

MilitaryChildCare.com offers the Coast Guard workforce a more robust, flexible, and user-friendly portal that is available 365 days a year through their personal devices. It simplifies and streamlines the search for childcare and connects families to quality childcare options within the Coast Guard and DoD.   

Families currently stationed or moving can easily search for and request childcare through MilitaryChildCare.com (MCC). The site is an online gateway to all Coast Guard and DOD military-operated or military-subsidized childcare options worldwide across Services. MCC enables families to submit requests for care at any time for any location.  Members may search where they live or at any installation they might be moving to next – even before their orders are issued. Families are encouraged to start the childcare search process as early as possible. Relocating families can get on waitlists far in advance and then easily update their requests on MCC when their permanent change of duty station is confirmed. 

FAQ’s about PCSing: 

Q: When I PCS to my next assignment or, as a civilian, have a change of duty location and require childcare how can access to MiltaryChildcare help my family? 
A: Coast Guard families can conduct unlimited, customized searches to find childcare providers close to home or work and request care at any time from any location. This flexibility allows Coast Guard families to identify available childcare options wherever their mission takes them through one portal. 

Q: Can I request a waitlist space at multiple Coast Guard and DOD childcare programs at the same time?  
A: Yes, a family can request a waitlist space at multiple programs at the same time. A family can request a space for each child simultaneously in a Child Development Center, Family Childcare Home, Military Child Care in Your Home fee assistance, school-age care (before and after school), school year camps, and summer camp.  

Q: Can I request space prior to PCSing or when I am pregnant? 
A: Yes, once you know your PCS location, you should submit your requests and once you know you are pregnant you should request a projected care waitlist space based on when care is needed.   

Please review the video and information on the MilitaryChildCare web site at the following link: https://public.militarychildcare.csd.disa.mil/mcc-central/mcchome  

Coast Guard specific information, can be found at the following link:  https://public.militarychildcare.csd.disa.mil/mcc-central/mcchome/coast-guard-child-care 

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