One benefit that has been sorely missing for Selected Reservists – especially single parents with small kids – was affordable childcare during weekend drills.
The Childcare Problem
Part of the issue in finding viable childcare during weekend drills is that many child-care centers don’t work weekends. So Reservists and National Guard parents have been relying on family members or friends to care for their kids during drills. To demonstrate the need for good childcare, a 2021 Blue Star Family survey found that overall only 22% of military spouses reported they had child-care that worked for their family.
What compounds the problem is during many drills, the parent must not only be away Saturday and Sunday during a MUTA 4 drill, but also some Friday nights as is the case of MUTA 5 drills of which most units have a few each year.
New Pilot Program
But that is changing. The Army Reserve partnered with Upwards – the largest childcare network in the nation – in a pilot program to provide free childcare for its members during drills.
Originally the pilot was to run for a year and then re-evaluated. But because Army National Guard members also have the same childcare issues as many Army Reservists, Upwards wanted to extend the program to the Army National Guard members now instead of waiting a year.
So, on May 13, 2024, The Pentagon announced the Army National Guard Weekend Drill Child Care program or WDCC. Under the pilot program, eligibility is currently offered in these 20 states:
- Arkansas
- Colorado
- Georgia
- Idaho
- Iowa
- Illinois
- Kansas
- Louisiana
- Massachusetts
- Maryland
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- New Hampshire
- New Mexico
- Ohio
- Oregon
- Virginia
- Vermont
- Washington
- Wisconsin
Program Eligibility
For Army National Guard members to qualify for free childcare, they must be a member in good standing in their drill unit of assignment and the child must be between six weeks and 12 years old and registered in DEERS. Soldier’s parents can be single, dual military, or married with a spouse but that spouse is unavailable due to work or school to care for the child during drills.
Childcare Provider Benefits
The upside for WDCC providers is that it gives them an extra consistent income stream from their military clients. And because not all units drill the same weekend, a provider could end up with several weekends a month providing childcare for drilling parents.
This extra income can also benefit non-military parents using the same childcare facilities as evidenced by Vickie Miller from A Child’s Place Daycare in Olathe, KS: “Everything is so expensive right now, so partnering with Upwards for military families has helped so I don’t have to raise my prices for my regular kids. This really is a win-win-win for everyone.”
Upwards Details
For Army National Guard members in the 20 states listed with kids meeting the age and DEERS requirement and wanting to participate in the WDCC program, go to the Upwards website and check for eligibility.
This is a step in the right direction to reduce this stress for drilling Army Reserve and National Guard parents. The next step would be to expand the program by offering it to the other Reserve branches and Air National Guard parents.
