U.S. Representatives Don Bacon (R-NE) and Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee's Quality of Life Panel, received a briefing from United States Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Space Force child and youth program officials regarding service-specific child care services, programs, and future initiatives.
"My family moved sixteen times in the thirty years I served in the military. I know all too well the challenges of finding reliable childcare. Servicemembers and their families move around the country and the world, this means they often aren't near family or close friends who can help with providing childcare. It's incumbent upon the Department of Defense to provide accessible, affordable, high-quality, and reliable childcare for our military families," Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) said. "Military families are the backbone of our armed forces - it's vital that we do all we can to provide them with the best possible quality of life."
"There is nothing comparable to the joy of becoming a parent. I gave birth to my first daughter when I was in uniform, and the excitement of growing our young family was soon tempered with concerns about accessible and affordable childcare," Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) said. "I retired from the military many years ago, but I still hear too many stories that echo my experience as a mom on active duty – long wait times for on-base childcare centers, a lack of childcare workers to fill staffing needs, and more. Thanks to the efforts of this committee and the Administration, we are making progress supporting working parents, especially those in uniform, but challenges remain. I'm thankful for the expert panelists who spoke with our panel and their recommendations on improving childcare."
