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Support for Families

Learn about programs and resources available to support military-connected families and help them navigate the challenges of military life.

A uniformed service couple sit with their children in a child care center

DoD Supports for Military-Connected Families

Military-connected families face unique challenges as they serve.

This page connects you to a range of helpful resources and programs that help military-connected families like yours navigate the complexities of military life.

Military Child Care Options

The military child care system is a national model for quality and affordability, designed to provide a range of child care options to address the unique child care needs of military-connected families, wherever the mission takes them.

To make sure child care services are affordable to all military-connected families, programs that participate in the military child care system use the DoD’s sliding fee guidelines to determine fees for eligible families, so a family’s share of the child care cost is based on their total family income.

Learn more about military child care.

Children smile and show art work at military child care

Family Eligibility & Priority

The Department of Defense (DOD) funds military child care to support eligible military-connected families so they can be mission ready. DOD assigns a priority status to each family based on their DOD-approved sponsor type, spouse status, and other factors.

Learn more about eligibility requirements and priority guidelines set by the DOD, and how these factors are used to determine when your child may be able to access care.

Learn More

Early Learning and School Resources

DoD provides programs and resources to help military-connected families with children in grades PreK-12 navigate school transitions and find local educational programs and support where they are stationed. Learn about these resources today!

Military kids arriving at DoDEA school

Additional Family Resources

Here are some helpful resources to help you manage challenges of military life. To learn about more resources and supports available to you as a military family, please visit Military OneSource.

Marine family walking out of child care and smiling