Connecticut Guard launches no-cost drill weekend child care program
The Weekend Drill Childcare Program provides Soldiers with licensed, and vetted child care close to their home of record or drill location. The program is facilitated by Upwards and directly pays participating providers or childcare professionals, preventing soldiers from having to pay out of pocket and retroactively seek reimbursement. Melody Baber, the Connecticut National Guard state family program director, said child care during drill weekends has been a longstanding concern especially from soldiers whose family or work circumstances leave them without childcare during those periods.
“For a long time, Soldiers have needed help finding child care during drill weekends,” Baber said. “This has been a very long time coming.”
Baber oversees the Service Member and Family Support Center whose staff connects soldiers and families with resources, benefits and assistance when they encounter financial, family or other hardships.
The Weekend Drill Child Care Program is available to traditional drilling soldiers in good standing with their units and the Connecticut National Guard meaning they aren't flagged or pending adverse administrative actions. To access the program, Soldiers must confirm that no other adult in the household is available to provide care during the scheduled drill period. In households with a spouse or a domestic partner, they must verify that they cannot attend due to work or school obligations. The entire goal of the program is to establish a reliable network of providers and make it available to soldiers without a direct cost to them.
Eligible children must be registered in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System and may range from six weeks to 12 years old. Soldiers must provide Department of War identification numbers for themselves and each child who will receive care.
Childcare is available and covered for up to 12 hours per child per day between the hours of 6AM and 6PM(How do you write time like this?, based on the soldiers duty hours and necessary travel time. The program covers Multiple Unit Training Assembly or MUTA 1-6 which is approximately one half day training period to three days, and can be used for one drill period per month.
Baber said the program has been piloted for several years and is currently undergoing a more expansive rollout across the Army National Guard.
“It started with four or five states, and then it expanded,” Baber said. “Now we’re rolling out the rest of the states.”
Currently, available slots are limited and available on a first come first serve basis. Continued use of the program will demonstrate the demand for shrill weekend child care across the National Guard and potentially the broader force.
Connecticut Soldiers interested in enrolling can visit [Upwards.com/benefits/military](http://upwards.com/benefits/military), email [Heroes@upwards.com](mailto:Heroes@upwards.com) or call Upwards at 816-670-3286.
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