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Military Child Care in Your Neighborhood

SERVING DOD CIVILIAN FAMILIES

Program Information

MCCYN is a fee assistance program that keeps affordable child care in reach for eligible families. It’s intended for families who cannot access military-operated care due to distance or waitlists. With fee assistance, a portion of your child care cost is paid to reduce the cost of using community-based care. The goal is to make it easier for you to afford quality child care from local community providers when you cannot access child care on a military installation.

Fee assistance is available for:

  • Families working within the continental United States, Hawaii, and Alaska.
  • Children from birth through age 12.

Who's Eligible?

DoD has several MCCYN programs available to DoD civilians. To find the program available for your family, refer to the information below.

DoD Civilian Groups

Army MCCYN is available to Army civilians who

  • Are stationed as an installation that has been pre-identified as fee assistance eligible, or
  • Do not live near a DoD installation with a Child and Youth program.

If married, your spouse must be employed, actively seeking employment, or a student enrolled in a minimum number of hours.

Visit the Army MCCYN page for more details, including documentation requirements.

Air Force Civilian MCCYN is available to Air Force civilians who

  • Have a total family income (TFI) of $140,000 or less, and
  • Are stationed at an installation that has been pre-identified as fee assistance eligible, or
  • Do not live near a DoD installation with a Child and Youth program.

If married, your spouse must be employed, actively seeking employment, or a student enrolled in a minimum number of hours.

Note: Air Reserve Technicians do not have a TFI restriction and should request Air Force MCCYN.

Visit the Air Force MCCYN page for more details, including documentation requirements.

USMC Civilian MCCYN is available to Marine Corps civilians who

  • Have a total family income (TFI) of $90,000 or less, and
  • Are stations at an installation that has been pre-identified as fee assistance eligible, or
  • Do not live near a DoD installation with a Child and Youth program.

If married, your spouse must be employed, actively seeking employment, or a student enrolled in a minimum number of hours.

Visit the Marine Corps MCCYN page for more details, including documentation requirements.

Navy MCCYN is available to Navy civilians who

  • Are stationed at an installation that has been pre-identified as fee assistance eligible, or
  • Do not live near a DoD installation with a Child and Youth program.

If married, your spouse must be employed, actively seeking employment, or a full-time student.

Visit the Navy MCCYN page for more details, including documentation requirements.

Other DoD Civilians

NATIONAL RECONNAISSANCE OFFICE (NRO)  

NRO MCCYN is available to National Reconnaissance Office employees.

  1. Your total family income must be less than Level IV of the Executive Schedule.
  2. If married, your eligibility is not based on your spouse’s status (i.e., you are eligible whether your spouse is employed, seeking employment, a student, or not employed).

OFFICE OF NET ASSESSMENT (ONA)

ONA MCCYN is available to Office of Net Assessment employees regardless of income. If married, your eligibility is not based on your spouse’s status (i.e., you are eligible whether your spouse is employed, seeking employment, a student, or not employed).

OTHER DEFENSE AGENCY or FIELD ACTIVITY

DoD Civilian MCCYN is available to employees of other DoD Agencies and Field Activities.

  1. Your total family income must be $90,000 per year or less.
  2. If married, your spouse must be employed, actively seeking employment, or a full-time student.
  3. In addition, employees must be either:
    • Employed at an installation that has been pre-identified as fee assistance eligible, or
    • Not living near a DoD installation with a Child and Youth program.

Required Documentation

When you complete your MCCYN registration, you must submit documentation to verify your eligibility. What's required is based on your sponsor type and spouse’s status if you are married.

Note: If you are affiliated with the Air Force, Army, Navy, or Marine Corps, visit your Service's MCCYN page for required documents.

  1. All sponsors must provide a Self-Certification Form that includes all your dependent children who will receive fee assistance.
  2. In addition, you must provide either a
    • Personnel Action Request Form (SF-50 form) which shows annual income, or
    • Most recent Civilian Leave and Earnings Statement (CLES)

If you are applying for DoD Civilian MCCYN, the required documents are based on your spouse's status.

Working Spouse must provide one of the following.

  • One month or 4 weeks of pay stubs,
  • If newly employed, a letter from your employer with the date of hire, hours worked per week, and weekly/monthly salary, or
  • If self-employed, a Certification of Self Employment Form PLUS a gross earnings statement from your business’s tax information, or if you do not have a tax return for the business, a signed, written estimate of anticipated annual earnings. You can estimate your annual earnings by multiplying your 90-day income by 4.

Student Spouse must provide a school schedule that includes the student’s name, the school’s name, the number of enrolled credits, and the period of the current semester.

Spouse Seeking Employment do not provide documentation. You may receive fee assistance for a one-time 90-day period while you look for work. You must then provide proof of employment to continue to receive benefits.

Before benefit payments can be issued to your provider:

  1. They must be approved to participate in MCCYN.
  2. You must submit an MCCYN Cost Worksheet for each provider that will care for your child(ren). The MCCYN Cost Worksheet collects all required information about the child care rates your family will be charged, including discounts, effective dates, rate changes, rate frequency, and the schedule of care.

How to Get Started? It's Easy!

How to Get Started? It’s Easy!

    Create an Account

    If you don’t already have an account, select "Create an Account" at the topic of this page. Once you create an account, set up a Household Profile so you can search for care at any time from any location.

    Search for and Request Care

    MilitaryChildCare.com allows you to search the full range of military child care options. Search for care, and if it’s available, submit a request for MCCYN for each of your children. Review the list of MCCYN providers to find participating providers in your area.

    Wait for an Offer

    You will receive an offer for care if space becomes available, but no more than 30 days before the date you need care. Keep your email address up-to-date in your Household Profile so you do not miss these important messages.

    Choose a Provider

    While you wait for an offer, start looking for a provider. Choose a provider from the MCCYN Provider List or select a preferred one from your community. Your selected provider must meet the requirements and apply to participate.

    Complete Registration and Upload Required Documents

    If you receive an offer for MCCYN, you will receive a notification from MilitaryChildCare.com with instructions on how to accept the offer, complete your registration, and upload eligibility documents.

Family Resources

TOTAL FAMILY INCOME CALCULATION

Your Total Family Income (TFI) will be verified if you accept an offer for fee assistance. If your income exceeds the income restriction, you will not be eligible for benefits. TFI is the total annual gross pay for you and your spouse, if applicable. Refer to the TFI Family Tip Sheet for guidance on what income to include when calculating your TFI.

PARTICIPATING MCCYN PROVIDERS

You may access the most current list of participating MCCYN providers when searching for care by selecting the View MCCYN Providers link under the MCCYN program profile. If you've requested fee assistance, you can access the list under your MCCYN request on your "My Child Care" page or in the Provider Information section of your "My MCCYN" page if you have received and accepted an offer for MCCYN.

If there are no providers in your area, or your provider is not listed, you may choose your own provider. All providers must meet the eligibility requirements, apply, and be approved to participate in the MCCYN Fee Assistance Program.

MCCYN BENEFIT FORM TIP SHEET

If you are employed by the Navy or an agency affiliated with DoD, then you or your provider must complete and submit monthly a Fee Assistance Benefit Form before your fee assistance benefit can be processed. Review the Benefit Form Tip Sheet to learn how to complete and submit the form.

Provider Resources

PROVIDER APPLICATION

Community providers interested in participating in the MCCYN program must complete and submit the MCCYN Provider Interest Form.

PROVIDER REQUIREMENTS

The DoD is committed to providing affordable, quality child and youth care in a safe, healthy, and nurturing environment. To do that, all DoD-funded programs must meet strict quality standards. Learn more about the quality standards that MCCYN participating providers meet. Exceptions to the quality standards may be approved on a case-by-case basis.

Quality Standards for MCCYN

Community providers participating in the Military Child Care in Your Neighborhood (MCCYN) fee assistance program must have a state license and either be accredited by a national accreditation organization or participate in the Military Child Care in Your Neighborhood Plus program.

State Licensure

All community providers participating in an MCCYN program must have a valid state license that covers all ages served at the center or home. While licensing standards vary by state, all are designed to ensure the health and safety of children in care and outline the minimum standards that providers must meet to operate legally. They often include rules that ensure caregivers have passed criminal background checks and have taken required health and safety trainings, including CPR.

You can learn more about state licensing regulations in your area by reviewing the National Database of Child Care Licensing.

In addition to being licensed, each community provider must submit a state licensing inspection report from within the last 12 months indicating there were no disqualifying incidents.

National Accreditation

Community providers participating in a DoD-funded MCCYN program must obtain accreditation from one of the recognized national accrediting organizations. Accreditation shows a commitment to quality and indicates that the provider meets standards for high-quality early childhood and school age education. MCCYN requires community providers to meet these standards to ensure military-connected children receive a similar level of quality care through MCCYN as they would at a military-operated program.

Child care centers must obtain accreditation through one of the following organizations.

* Accreditation must include the early learning component to meet the MCCYN requirement.

Family Child Care providers must have achieved one of the following credentials:

MCCYN PLUS

To expand the availability of quality child care in locations where accredited care is limited, DoD added MCCYN PLUS. MCCYN offers MCCYN PLUS to give community-based providers participating in their state’s QRIS an opportunity to participate in the fee assistance program.

QRIS is a systemic approach to assess, improve, and communicate the level of quality in early and school age care and education programs. Like rating systems for restaurants and hotels, QRIS award quality ratings to early and school age care and education programs that meet a set of defined program standards. By participating in a state’s QRIS, community providers embark on a path of continuous quality improvement.

MCCYN PLUS is currently available in Arkansas, Colorado, Florida: Miami-Dade County, Kentucky, Maryland, Nevada, North Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and Washington. To qualify for MCCYN PLUS, community providers must meet minimum standards.

  • Participate in the state’s QRIS and have a minimum rating of three or higher
  • Demonstrate continuous quality improvement until the highest rating or accreditation is achieved

In states where MCCYN PLUS is offered, licensed community providers that previously obtained an exception to participate in MCCYN, must meet the below standards to maintain their eligibility.

  • Provide evidence of enrollment in the state’s QRIS within twelve months of being notified of the MCCYN PLUS requirements
  • Submit the initial rating level awarded by the state’s QRIS
  • Achieve a minimum of three rating
  • Demonstrate continuous quality improvement until the highest rating or accreditation is achieved

For more information on MCCYN PLUS, review the MCCYN PLUS Parent Pamphlet.

MCCYN Resources

From here, download the commonly requested forms and resources referenced on this page.

Note: If you are affiliated with the Air Force, Army, Navy, or Marine Corps visit your Service's MCCYN page.