Need to know: child care class provides mandatory licenses

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Chad Thompson
  • 90th Space Wing Public Affairs
F.E. WARREN AIR FORCE BASE, Wyo. --  A free three-day orientation class is available through the family child care office for anyone in base housing who wants to become a child care provider.

The purpose of an established family child care program for an Air Force installation is to ensure child care is available to military members so they can perform their mission, said Mara Lackie, family child care coordinator.

"Not only is it our job to provide child care; it is also our job to approve the providers on base and ensure that we restrict those who do not have a license from providing child care," Mrs. Lackie said.

According to Air Force Instruction 34-276, Family Child Care Programs, any individual caring for other families' children more than 10 hours a week must be licensed to provide care on base.

This does not include occasional care for a friend or neighbor, teenagers who provide evening or weekend baby-sitting for families, or having a nanny or other child care provider in the parents' own home.

"Our intent is to prevent military spouses from providing unlicensed child care in their homes without the proper fire, safety and health training, and monthly oversight by the family child care staff," Mrs. Lackie said.

"Military children are priceless, and ensuring they are in the best possible environment and being provided the best possible care is what we are striving for," she continued.

Anyone who doesn't abide by these guidelines has the chance of getting removed from base housing.

Mrs. Lackie said there is an initial assessment completed to determine if someone has broken any rules. Then the household member is given a chance to sign up for the three-day orientation to get a license and have all the proper safety inspections completed.

The three-day orientation briefings are held by representatives from fire, safety, health and family advocacy.

The providers are trained on all aspects of running their home child care center to include child development milestones, child guidance skills, Air Force forms, parent relationships and aspects of running a home business. During the last day of orientation, they are trained on CPR and first aid.

For more information or to find out about an upcoming class, call the family child care office at 773-3317.