Moving to a new area can be challenging when you have young children needing child care. Many families turn to caregivers who provide care in their own homes to have a more family-like atmosphere. But how can you be sure it is a safe environment?

At Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Family Child Care (FCC) providers care for children ages 4 weeks to 12 years old in their on-base homes. According to Bea Westcott-Curl, division chief, Child and Youth Services,

"The misnomer about FCC is it "isn't as good" as the care in the Child Development Center (CDC) or it isn't as safe, is far from the truth. FCC is regulated by the same standards as well as they have more because of the home setting.  FCC providers receive the same early childhood education training: health, safety, fire prevention and child abuse identification/prevention, as do the center-based staff. In fact, the FCC providers get more training and are not certified to open until they have passed the USDA requirements: health, safety, fire and food, and sanitation requirements. FCC providers go through the same background check process as the center-based staff do as well as any family member over the age of 13 in the household is also subject to background checks. Several of our providers have Masters degrees, Bachelor degrees, AA degrees as well as Child Development Associates certificates."

There are currently 24 FCC providers certified by JBLM Child and Youth Services. "Family child care is very important to the mission especially for servicemembers who work non-traditional work hours (evenings, weekends, and early morning hours)," she said.

For more information and to register for JBLM Family Child Care, please visit the JBLM CYS Parent Central Services office. Parent Central is located in building 2295, on Lewis Main. Call 253.967.3039 or visit JBLMMWR.com/cyss.

Off-base child care presents more difficulties for parents who are new to the state of Washington. One of the ways to ensure safety and standard of care is to search for child care licensed by the Washington State Department of Early Learning (DEL). DEL provides licensing for family home child care providers. DEL inspectors perform health and safety checks to ensure homes are safe for children. Providers must undergo criminal background checks for themselves, family members and any additional staff. There are also state rules which must be followed to have safe indoor and outdoor play spaces. Training requirements include first aid and CPR.

Early Achievers is Washington's quality rating and improvement system. This is a voluntary program that allows providers to earn ratings which are based on the quality of care they provide. Participants receive free coaching and training to improve the quality of their care. They also have the opportunity to earn scholarships for college classes and expenses.