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Military Child Care in Your Neighborhood (MCCYN)

SERVING U.S. ARMY FAMILIES

DoD Meal Policy (AF, Army, USMC)

New DoD Pilot Meal Initiative!

A pilot initiative will be effective on 1 April 2024 to provide a meal allowance to DoD families who receive full-time care from the MCCYN program. The benefit will help families offset the cost of meals when the cost isn’t included in the provider’s rate, or when the cost is included in the provider’s rate, but the provider’s rate exceeds the monthly rate cap of $1,800.

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.

MCCYN is available to Army active duty members, Army Reservists and Army National Guard on active duty*, Army 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.

Fee assistance is available to:

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

* To be eligible, Reservists and National Guard members must be on orders for a minimum of 30 consecutive days.

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.

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. Army MCCYN 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.

Army active duty and National Guard and Reservists on active duty must provide

  • Leave and Earnings Statement (LES) dated within the last 90 days, and
  • Military Orders (applies to Activated Guard and Reserve and recruiters only)

Army civilians, including Reserve Technicians, must provide

  • Personnel Action Request Form (SF-50 or DA3434), and
  • Civilian Leave and Earnings Statement (CLES) dated within the last 90 days, and
  • If applicable, a Retiree Account Statement (RAS), Veteran’s Administration (VA) benefit letter, other retirement or pension statement, or long-term disability benefits statement.

Working Spouse must provide one of the following

  • One month or 4 weeks of pay stubs showing you are working at least 16 hours per week. If you cannot provide recent pay stubs because you are on maternity or paternity leave, submit a Maternity/Paternity Leave Verification Form completed by your employer.
  • If newly employed, a completed Employment Verification Form for a 60-day approval. Paystubs must be provided once available to support the hours and income on the Employment Verification Form.
  • If self-employed as an independent contractor, provide a Form 1099-NEC, 1099-K, or 1099-MISC. If you do not have a 1099 form, submit a self-certification statement signed by the sponsor and spouse that includes your start date, estimated work hours per week, and estimated annual income, plus one month or 4 weeks of pay stubs.
  • If you own your own business, provide a copy of the most recent 1040 Schedule C Profit or Loss from Business. If a Schedule C has not been filed yet, submit the business license and a self-certification statement or Certification of Self Employment Statement with the estimated work hours per week and estimated annual income.

Note: Self-employment is defined as directly engaging in an income producing trade or business for the purpose of making a living.

Spouse Seeking Employment must provide a Looking for Work Form to 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. If you find a job within 90 days, you must report your change of status to CCAoA.

Student Spouse must provide one of the following

  • School schedule that includes the student’s name, the school’s name, the number of enrolled credits, and the period of the current semester.
  • If enrolled in a school that does not follow a traditional academic calendar, submit a school schedule and a receipt for payment.
  • If enrolled in another post-secondary educational program (e.g., technical school, trade school), a formal apprenticeship program, or a General Education Development (GED) program, submit proof of enrollment that includes the student’s name, the school’s name, length of the program, and hours per week attending school. 

Note: Refer to this FAQ for details on the number of required hours used to determine eligibility for part-day and full-day fee assistance.

In addition to the documentation required to verify a spouse’s status, if applicable, you must also submit a Retiree Account Statement (RAS), Veteran’s Administration (VA) benefit letter, other retirement or pension statement, or long-term disability benefits statement.

Before benefit payments can be issued to your provider, they must be approved to participate in MCCYN, and 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.

Fee Assistance Calculation

Family Resources

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 Family 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 MCCYN Parent Fees document in the MCCYN Resources below 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, multiple 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; however, the rate may vary by Service. 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 MCCYN Parent Fees document in the MCCYN Resources below. 

EXAMPLE 1: DUAL-INCOME FAMILY WITH TFI OF $102,501 – $115,000 LIVING IN A BASE 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: $2500 ($700 above provider cap)

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

Your total responsibility: $620 + $700 = $1320

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 a national accreditation organization 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: 

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

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

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, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, 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.

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.

Email Contacts (AF/Army/USMC)

Email Contacts