All the Comforts of Home

Quality, Availability, Affordability and Accountability

• Multi-age care, so siblings can stay together

• 15% lower cost than facility based care

• Options for hourly, evening, weekend & flexible care

• Weekly home monitoring & oversight

• Offers developmentally appropriate curriculum

• Unannounced inspections to ensure a safe, healthy environment for your children

• Providers receive ongoing training and professional development

FCC is Your Child’s Home Away from Home.

Are you interested in running your own childcare business? Are you creative, energetic, and do you love working with children?

Own your Own Business & Make a Difference by Providing Quality & Affordable Child Care 

Benefits:

• Expedited background check clearance process

• Paid training

• Opportunities to increase your salary with training & education

• Business that moves when you move

• Stay at home with your children & earn a salary at the same time

A career in Family Child Care awaits you!

How can I become a certified FCC provider?

To become a certified FCC provider, you must complete a local background check; agree to have inspections conducted by the Fire, Safety and Preventive Medicine Offices; as well as attend a minimum of 38 hours of training.  The training includes child abuse identification and prevention, first aid and Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) training.

1.    Complete FCC Application (DA Form 5219).  Submit application to the local FCC office for processing.

2.    Family Interview-conducted in the home of the applicant.  All family members should be present for the interview.

3.    Background checks-Investigations are completed on the applicant, military sponsor, and children or any bono fide resident in the home 12 years of age and older.

4.    Orientation Training- Minimum one week.

5.    Home Inspections- Fire, Safety, Health and Sanitation proponents.

6.    Provisional Certification!  Open for Business!

An explanation of the Family Child Care ten hour rule

1. At Child and Youth Services, we provide safe child care for military Families – at Child Development Centers, and in Family Child Care (FCC) settings, where certified providers offer child care in their on-post homes.

2. The Army has a responsibility to balance the ability of families to rely on one another to meet their short term child care needs with protecting the safety and well-being of children.

3. It is not — and never has been — the intent of CYS to eliminate such “good neighbor” favors.
 

4. There is a difference between caring for children a few hours a week and providing child care services on a regular basis.

Know the Rules
A 10-hour child care limit has been established by the Department of the Army to protect children from being in unregulated child care settings on a regular basis.

This means any Family member living in government quarters providing child care for more than 10 child care hours per week on a regular basis must be certified as a Family Child Care provider.

“10 Child Care Hours means 1 child for 10 hours per week, 2 children for 5 hours per week, etc.”

“Regular Basis” means routinely, for an extended period of time.

SO …
If you care for your neighbor’s child all day, 5 days per week for 9 hours per day, that is a total of 45 child care hours. You must be a certified FCC provider.

OR …
If you care for 6 different children per day, 5 days per week, even if it’s only an hour per day each, that is STILL a total of 30 child care hours. You must be a certified FCC provider.

It pays to be a certified FCC provider! Certified FCC providers receive FREE training & support, FREE referrals, FREE materials & equipment AND qualify for child care subsidies!

Become a certified FCC provider today!
Contact your local CYS FCC Office.

Transferring your FCC business from one post to another is a snap!

Don’t stress over a PCS move! A few steps can get you set up as an FCC provider at your next duty station.

Here’s what to do:

• First, make sure your future garrison has an active FCC program. If it does, you may be able to transfer your business.
• Submit an FCC Transfer Request to the losing garrison’s FCC director/administrator, who will review and send it on to HQ, IMCOM G9 CYS.
• Receive initial email or phone contact from the gaining garrison’s FCC director/administrator less than 30 days after they receive your inbound transfer.
• Continue to stay in touch until you arrive and are set up as an FCC provider.

Meanwhile, your gaining garrison’s FCC director/administrator submits a transfer work order ticket to the supporting CDE office. A background check administrator also coordinates with the losing garrison for your file, determines whether re-verification is needed, and issues an updated Background Verification Checklist to the gaining installation.

We want to make the transfer process as easy as possible for you. Because of that, we’re implementing this guidance across all IMCOM garrisons and spreading the news to all current and newly on-boarded FCC providers.

Announcing new bonuses for FCC Providers!

We’re offering two new bonuses to qualified FCC providers:

Relocation Bonus: Up to a $1000 relocation bonus will be provided to FCC Providers who successfully relocate their home business to a gaining installation. Providers will receive payments over a twelve month period. Payments will begin upon home certification and enrollment of at least two children who are unrelated to the provider. Payments will be disbursed monthly with an initial payment of $120 and $80 thereafter (for the next eleven months). If the home closes or certification is lost during this time, all remaining payments will be forfeited.

Recruitment Bonus: Up to a $1000 recruitment bonus will be provided to FCC Providers who successfully open their homes. Providers will receive payments over a twelve month period. Payments will begin upon home certification and enrollment of at least two children who are unrelated to the provider. Payments will be disbursed monthly with an initial payment of $120 and $80 thereafter (for the next eleven months). If the home closes or certification is lost during this time, all remaining payments will be forfeited. This is a one-time incentive. 

Talk with your local CYS for more details!

Army Family Child Care (FCC) is available both on-post and in government leased housing by trained childcare providers who work as home-based independent contractors for CYS Services. FCC Homes provide full-day, part-day and hourly care for children in a home environment.

Family Child Care - FCC

FCC Unauthorized Child Care

Own Your Own Busiensss - FCC

Steps for choosing Home-based Child Care

Step 1 – Call the Parent Central Services Office to make an appointment to register your child in CYS Services. Bring completed registration forms and updated shot records to your registration appointment. Place your child(ren) on the appropriate waiting list through the Parent Central Services Office. When called by the Parent Central Services Office you will receive names of the providers with openings.

Step 2 – Conduct a phone interview with the provider. A telephone interview allows you the chance to gather information and form a first impression of the provider.

Step 3 – Schedule a personal home visit to the FCC provider’s home. You should bring along your child(ren) to see how he or she responds to the provider and environment.

Step 4 – Decide on a child care arrangement with your new FCC provider and complete necessary forms.

Telephone Interview Questions Before you start asking questions, it’s a good idea to introduce yourself, give your child’s name, age, and sex, and make it clear when you need child care.

• FCC provider’s name:
• Telephone number:
• Address:
• Housing Area:
• Designated Elementary School:
• Hours:
• How many children are currently in care?
• How many full-time?
• How many part-time?
• How long have you operated a FCC home?
• How long do you plan to continue an FCC home?
• How much do you charge? $ per (hour, week, day)
• How do the children spend the day? Indoor play? Outdoor play? Television?
• Where do the children play?
• What types of meals and snacks do you provide?
• Are the meals/snacks included in the fees?
• Will you accommodate a child’s special needs, such as transportation to preschool or receiving medication?

 Home Visit Interview Suggested Questions

• How do you handle discipline problems?
• What are your policies about (e.g., toilet training, and pacifiers)?
• What is your contingency plan for times when you are sick or on vacation?
• How many children (including your own) will be in the FCC home when my child(ren) is/are here?
• What is your sick-child care policy?
• Do you provide night-care or extended-hours care?

Observations

• Does you child seem to like the provider?
• Does the provider talk to your child?
• Does the home appear childproof?
• Does the provider involve your child with the other children?
• Request a tour of the home.

Concluding the Interview

Decide whether you will finalize arrangements with the FCC provider, enroll your child(ren) for a two week trial basis, call the FCC provider back after you consider some other options, or that the FCC provider will not work out.

FCC Provider Booklet pdf

Are you interested in running your own childcare business? Are you creative, energetic, and do you love working with children?

The CYS Services FCC Program might be for you! Subsidy and housing incentives are available for special needs care, extended care, obtaining CDA and NAFCC accreditation, and many more! Housing incentives include, free electricity, yard service and an additional refrigerator. Providers may also check out toys and equipment from the FCC Lending Library for use in the FCC Program.

There are additional benefits as a provider in our FCC program for those adults who want to make a difference in the lives of our children and youth in an FCC home:

• Self employment – be your own boss and stay at home with your child and augment family income by taking care of additional children in your home
• Free training
• Professional resources are available
• Continuing educational credits are available
• Save gas and wear and tear on your vehicles commuting to work each day
• Finally, job mobility – when you PCS to a new duty station, you will already be certified to register at your gaining station for employment

1. Attend New Applicant Briefing (NAB) - New applicant briefings are held once a month from 9 a.m. to11:30 a.m. at the Schofield Barracks FCC Office.

2. Submit application - Applications are to be turned in no later than a week from the brief.

3. Family Interview - Conducted in the home of the applicant. All family members should be present for the interview.

4. Background checks - Investigations are completed on the applicant, military sponsor, and children or any other authorized resident of the home 12 years of age and older. This process takes an average of two months.

5. Orientation Training -  One week.

6. Prepare for inspections - Registered providers must turn in all documents on the certification checklist (given and explained in orientation training) within 30 days. Certain documents must be reviewed and approved by their subject matter expert. Once all documents are received, reviewed and approved, the registered provider may begin borrowing items in order to prepare home for inspections. 

7. Inspections - Pre- inspection by FCC staff, safety inspection, fire inspection, health inspection

8. Training Requirements - Pre-certification visit by Training and Curriculum Specialist (TACS), USDA Child Care Food Program Application, pre-certification visit by USDA Nutrition Technician

9. Review of Personnel File by - FCC Director

10. Receipt of License - Provisional Certification

11. Open for business

Are you a current FCC Provider interested in transferring your FCC certification to your new home? USAG Hawaii, CYS Services Family Child Care can assist with ensuring a smooth and expedited transition.

FCC-Provider-Transition-Checklist