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Military Child Care in Your Neighborhood (MCCYN)

SERVING DEPARTMENT OF AIR FORCE 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 military care.

Who Is Eligible?

MCCYN is available to Air Force and Space Force active duty, Air Force Reservists on active duty, Air Force and Space Force civilians, and Gold Star spouses 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 student enrolled in a minimum number of hours.

Notes:

  • Fee assistance is available to families stationed within the continental United States, Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
  • Families may request fee assistance in MCC for their children who are 6 weeks - 12 years of age (until they turn 13 years old). If a child turns 13 while enrolled, they may remain enrolled until the end of the school year.

Eligibility Exceptions

An otherwise ineligible family may request an exception to receive fee assistance under special circumstances. Allowable exceptions include:

  • Medical: Spouse has a temporary medical issue which prevents them from maintaining an eligible spouse status. The family is eligible for fee assistance until the medical issue is resolved, at which time the family has 90 days to provide documentation of employment or student status.
  • Special needs: A child’s needs cannot be fully met by a military-operated program or the child’s family will face added hardship accessing necessary services by using a military-operated program.
  • Deployment or extended TDY: Family needs placement due to extenuating circumstances related to a Service member’s deployment or extended temporary duty.
  • Disabled spouse: Spouse is disabled and has documentation that they are unable to provide care to children in their home on their own.
  • Sibling eligibility: This child has a sibling who is currently enrolled in this MCCYN program, but MCCYN is not an option when you search for care for them.
  • Other: A Service Representative may approve other exceptions on a limited case by case basis.

Note: To request an eligibility exception, contact the MCC Support Desk for assistance.

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 top 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.

Required Documentation

When fee assistance becomes available for your child(ren), you will receive an offer from MilitaryChildCare.com with the next steps to complete your application. The Air Force has authorized Child Care Aware of America (CCAoA) to administer the program. You will submit your required documents through the CCAoA fee assistance portal.

Below are commonly required documents that you may need to provide during registration.

You must provide documentation based on your sponsor type.

All sponsors must provide a Self-Certification Statement that includes all your dependent children who will receive fee assistance.

Air Force active duty and Reservist on active duty must provide

  • Most recent Leave and Earnings Statement (LES), and
  • Active Duty Orders

Air Reserve Technicians and Air Force civilians must provide either

  • Personnel Action Request Form (SF-50 form), or
  • Most recent Civilian Leave and Earnings Statement (CLES)

Working Spouse must provide one of the following

  • One month or 4 weeks of pay stubs showing you work at least 16 hours per week, or
  • If newly employed, a completed Employment Verification Form for a 60-day approval, or
  • If self-employed, a copy of the most recent Schedule C Income Tax Return, a copy of the business license, and a self-employment statement signed by the sponsor and spouse that includes a description of the business, start date, estimated monthly income, and work hours per week. If a Schedule C has not been filed yet, you must submit the business license and statement.

Student Spouse must provide

  • School schedule that shows you are enrolled at least 12 credit hours in an undergraduate program or 9 credit hours in a graduate program.
  • School schedule must include the student’s name, the school’s name, the number of enrolled credits, and the period of the current semester.

Spouse Seeking Employment must provide a Looking for Work Form to receive fee assistance for a one-time 180-day period while you look for work. If your child is enrolled during this time, you may be asked to verify that your spouse continues to seek employment. After 180 days, you must provide the required employment documents to support continued enrollment.

Before benefit payments can be issued to your provider:

  1. They must be approved to participate in MCCYN.
  2. You must submit a Provider Cost Verification Form for each provider that will care for your child(ren). The Provider Cost Verification Form 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.

FY26 Fee Assistance Calculation

Family Resources

Your fee assistance benefit depends on factors such as the rate your provider charges, your total family income (TFI), and whether you live in a high-cost area. The benefit amount is the difference between your provider’s rate or the provider cap—whichever is less—and your parent fee. The program pays the benefit amount directly to your provider.

To estimate what you will pay for child care each month, follow these steps:

  1. First, determine your parent fee and provider cap.
    • DoD assigns you to a TFI category based on your TFI. Refer to the TFI Tip Sheet for guidance on what income to include when calculating your TFI.
    • DoD sets parent fees for each TFI category. The parent fee is per child per month.
    • DoD sets provider caps for basic and high-cost areas. If your provider charges more than the cap, you must pay the parent fee plus any amount above the cap.
    • The meal allowance for full-time care may reduce your parent fee or increase your provider cap.
    • Review the MCCYN FY26 Parent Fees document to find your parent fee and provider cap per child. The document also lists the high-cost locations and explains the meal allowance.
  2. Next, determine your provider’s monthly rate.
    • If your provider charges a weekly rate, multiply that amount by 4.33 to get the monthly rate. This accounts for some months having more weeks than others.
  3. To find your benefit amount, subtract the parent fee from the provider rate or the provider cap—whichever is less. This amount is per child per month.
  4. Determine your total parent responsibility.
    • If your provider’s monthly rate is equal to or less than the provider cap, your total parent responsibility per child per month is the parent fee you looked up in step 1.
    • If your provider’s monthly rate is more than the provider cap, subtract the provider cap from your provider’s monthly rate. Add the result to the parent fee you looked up in step 1. This is your total parent responsibility per child per month.

EXAMPLE 1: FULL-TIME CARE IN A BASIC AREA

TFI: $110,000

TFI category: VII

Parent fee for this TFI category for full-time care in a basic area: $598 per child per month

Provider cap for full-time care: $2,000 per child per month

Provider’s monthly rate: $1,800 per child per month (below the provider cap)

Benefit amount: $1,800 (provider rate) - $598 (parent fee) = $1,202 per child per month

Total parent responsibility: $598 per child per month (equal to the parent fee because the provider rate is less than the provider cap)

Note: The meal allowance for full-time care may reduce your parent fee or increase your provider cap.

EXAMPLE 2: FULL-TIME CARE IN A HIGH-COST AREA

TFI: $110,000

TFI category: VII

Parent fee for this TFI category for full-time care in a high-cost area: $620 per child per month

Provider cap for full-time care: $2,000 per child per month

Provider’s monthly rate: $2,500 per child per month (above the provider cap)

Benefit amount: $2,000 (provider cap) - $620 (parent fee) = $1,380 per child per month

Total parent responsibility: $2,500 (provider rate) - $2,000 (provider cap) + $620 (parent fee) = $1,120 per child per month (more than the parent fee because the provider rate is more than the provider cap)

Note: The meal allowance for full-time care may reduce your parent fee or increase your provider cap.

FY25 Fee Assistance Calculation

For DoD MCCYN programs, your fee assistance benefit varies based on the rate your provider charges, your Total Family Income (TFI), and if you live in a high cost area. The benefit amount is the difference between the rate your community-based provider charges and your parent fee. In addition, the benefit amount cannot be more than the DoD-established provider rate cap.

To determine what you will pay for child care, each month, you’ll need some more details.

  1. First, determine your parent fee.
    • DoD assigns you to a TFI Category based on your Total Family Income. Refer to the TFI Tip Sheet for guidance on what income to include when calculating your TFI.
    • The DoD then determines the full-time and part-time parent fee per child for each TFI category. For each category there is a Basic parent fee and High Cost parent fee based on locality.
    • Review the FY25 MCCYN Parent Fees document to determine your TFI category and the associated parent fee for your child. Review the list of installations at the end of the document to determine if you are in a high cost area.
  2. Next, determine your provider’s monthly rate.
    • If your provider charges a weekly rate, multiply that amount by 4.33 to get the monthly rate.
  3. Subtract the Parent Fee from the Provider Rate or the Provider Cap, whichever is less. This is your Benefit Amount for each child.
    • DoD defines a provider rate cap. If you enroll with a provider who charges more than the provider cap, then you are responsible for your parent fee plus any amount above the provider rate cap.

Note: Your parent fee or provider cap might be different as a result of the meal allowance pilot, which begins April 1, 2024. For information, see the Parent Fees document. 

EXAMPLE 1: DUAL-INCOME FAMILY WITH TFI OF $102,501 – $115,000 LIVING IN A BASIC AREA

TFI Category: VII

Basic Parent Fee for Full-Time Care: $598

Provider Monthly Rate: $1,800

$1,800 (Provider Rate) - $598 (Parent Fee) = $1,202 (Benefit Amount)

Your total responsibility: $598

EXAMPLE 2: DUAL-INCOME FAMILY WITH TFI OF $102,501 – $115,000 LIVING IN A HIGH COST AREA

TFI Category: VII

High Cost Parent Fee for Full-Time Care: $620

Provider Monthly Rate: $2,500 ($700 above provider cap)

$1800 (Provider Cap) - $620 (Parent Fee) = $1,180 (Benefit Amount)

Your total responsibility: $620 + $700 = $1,320

Participating MCCYN Providers (AF/USMC)

The DoD is committed to making a variety of child care options available – both on and off base – to ensure families have access to the care they need. On our website, you may search for community child care providers who meet the requirements to participate in MCCYN or may already be serving families receiving fee assistance. 

To see if the MCCYN program is available to you, log in to your MCC household or create an MCC account. You can then access the community provider resource list when searching for care by selecting the View MCCYN Providers link under the MCCYN program profile, or, if you've requested fee assistance, from your "My Child Care" page.

If there are no providers listed 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.

Provider Resources (AF/USMC)

Provider Resources

PROVIDER APPLICATION

Community providers interested in participating in the MCCYN program must complete and submit an application by visiting the Child Care Aware of America Provider Fee Assistance webpage.

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

The Military Child Care in Your Neighborhood (MCCYN) program partners with quality child care providers to offer DoD connected families greater access to care. Providers participating in the MCCYN fee assistance program must have a state child care license and either be accredited by one of the national accreditation organizations listed below or also participate in the MCCYN-PLUS program.

MCCYN requires community providers to meet these standards to ensure children receive a similar level of quality care through MCCYN as they would at a military-operated program. 

What is child care licensing?

Although it does not guarantee quality, child care licensing is the main way states regulate child care to ensure the health and safety of children in child care. All providers participating in the MCCYN program must have a valid state child care license that covers all ages served at the center or home. While child care licensing standards vary by state, all are federally required to set baseline health and safety requirements that providers must meet to operate legally.  To learn more about child care licensing and how your state licenses child care, visit ChildCare.gov to see your state’s resources page. 

What is national accreditation?

Child care programs that earn national accreditation demonstrate that they meet standards for higher quality child care that go beyond a state’s minimum licensing standards. This process includes self-study, continued program development, and assessment by an independent professional accrediting agency. Providers participating in a DoD-funded MCCYN program must obtain accreditation from one of the following recognized national accrediting organizations: 

Family Child Care providers must meet the following requirements: 

What is MCCYN-PLUS?

DoD created the MCCYN-PLUS program to ensure DoD connected families have access to quality child care in locations where accredited child care is limited. Through the program, providers have the opportunity to participate in MCCYN if they meet the required quality rating level for that state. 

What are state quality ratings?

Many states use a child care quality rating system to help families to easily identify high-quality child care programs when searching for care. These ratings help measure additional program features that go beyond minimum child care licensing requirements to support higher quality care. Like rating systems for public schools or hotels, states award child care quality ratings to child care and school age programs when they meet a set of defined program quality standards. Most states use symbols, such as stars, to easily indicate levels of quality. Programs earn higher ratings when the state determines they have met more quality standards.  

To learn more and quality ratings, visit ChildCare.gov.

Where is MCCYN-PLUS available?

DoD continues to work with states to expand participation in MCCYN-PLUS. The program is currently available in Arkansas, Colorado, Florida: Miami-Dade County, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, San Diego, CA, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Washington.

Which Community Providers Can Participate in MCCYN-PLUS?

To qualify for participation in MCCYN-PLUS, providers must meet the following minimum standards:

  • Be state licensed
  • Participate in the state’s quality rating system and have achieved the minimum rating as determined by the DoD
  • Demonstrate continuous quality improvement until the provider can achieve the highest rating or accreditation.

MCCYN Resources (AF/USMC)

MCCYN Resources

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

Air Force MCCYN

Email Contacts