Sec. 556. Enhancing military childcare programs and activities of the Department of Defense
461 words·~2 min read·
/bill/115/hr/2810/eh/section-556·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
The hours of operation of each childcare development center
(CDC)of the Department of Defense shall, to the extent practicable, be set and maintained in manner that takes into account the demands and circumstances of members of the Armed Forces, including members of the reserve components, who use such center in facilitation of the performance of their military duties. The demands and circumstances to be taken into account under paragraph
(1)for purposes of setting and maintaining the hours of operation of a childcare development center shall include the following: Mission requirements of units whose members use such center. The unpredictability of work schedules, and fluctuations in day-to-day work hours, of such members. The potential for frequent and prolonged absences of such members for training, operations, and deployments. The location of such center on the military installation concerned, including the location in connection with duty locations of members and applicable military family housing. The geographic separation of such members from their extended family. The extent to which spouses of such members are employed or pursuing educational opportunities, whether on a full-time basis or a part-time basis. Such other matters as the Secretary of the military department concerned considers appropriate for purposes of this section. Each Secretary of a military department shall provide for a childcare coordinator at each military installation under the jurisdiction of such Secretary at which are stationed significant numbers of members of the Armed Forces with accompanying dependent children, as determined by such Secretary. The childcare coordinator for a military installation may be an individual appointed to that position on full-time or part-time basis or an individual appointed to another position whose duties in such other position are consistent with the discharge by the person of the duties of childcare coordinator. Each childcare coordinator for an installation shall carry out the duties as follows: Act as an advocate for military families at the installation on childcare matters both on-installation and off-installation. Work with the commander of the installation in order to seek to ensure that the childcare development centers at the installation, together with any other available childcare options on or in the vicinity of the installation— provide a quality of care (including a caregiver-to-child ratio) commensurate with best practices of private providers of childcare services; and are responsive to the childcare needs of members stationed at the installation and their families. Work with private providers of childcare services in the vicinity of the installation in order to-— track vacancies in the childcare facilities of such providers; seek to obtain favorable prices for the use of such services by members stationed at the installation; and otherwise ease the use of such services by such members. Such other duties as the Secretary of the military department concerned shall specify.