Despite the Department of Defense child care system’s long-standing reputation as a national model, military families are facing a worsening child care crisis.
While its foundational principles—universal access, consistent quality, qualified staff, and adequate funding—remain intact on paper, current conditions reveal significant shortcomings in the DOD system, including limited access, staffing shortages, high administrative costs, and accountability gaps.
These structural failures undermine support for military families and readiness. This Operation Child Care Project study, based on a successful pilot program, calls for bold reform through a Basic Allowance for Child Care (BACC) model.
This model advances a “Families in Command” approach that shifts decision-making to families, strengthens military retention and effectiveness, and allows the DOD to refocus on its core defense mission while also benefiting providers and the broader child care system.