Child Care: A Fifteen Minute Difference

National Guard

April 27, 2005 -- Fifteen minutes. What difference does fifteen minutes make? Fifteen minutes can be the difference between keeping a high paying job and qualifying for food stamps for some families of National Guard service members who have been through deployments.

"If only the day care could have opened fifteen minutes earlier, I would not have been consistently late to work after dropping off my infant," remarked a woman who was dealing with one of the unavoidable challenges of today's Guard families.

"I cannot fit in an eight hour day at work between my commute and the day care center's hours," said another spouse whose deployed husband used to see their three children off to day care and school in the morning. Finding affordable, quality day care that works for the family during deployment, weekend drills, and annual training has been a frustration and a stumbling block for many Guard families.

The availability of solutions can impact the family long after the service member has returned-especially when it comes to sacrificing a primary or secondary income to meet the needs of their children.

Just let us know what YOUR needs are. Whether you have been directly impacted by deployment and childcare issues, or if you anticipate these needs in the future, we need to hear from you. Please participate in the National Guard Child and Youth Program Child Care Assessment at:

http://www.AdvancedSurvey.com/default.asp?SurveyID=21294

It takes just fifteen minutes-fifteen minutes that can make a difference.

For more information, contact NGChildANDYouthProgram@mpscrc.com

Respondents can request results of the assessment by supplying their email or postal address in Question 17. Final results of the survey will be posted on http://www.GuardFamily.org, and with other online and news media this summer. Results will also be distributed to the State Family Programs, Youth Coordinators and Family Assistance Centers across the county.