Child care fees change
Some to see decrease, some a small increase

Article courtesy of CFSC Public Affairs

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - Child-care fee changes issued by the Department of Defense will become effective in January for families using Army child development centers and school-age programs.

Commanders use the DoD fee ranges as the basis for determining local fees. This year changes in the way fees are calculated will reduce fees for some lower-income families and dual military couples, while officials said other patrons will likely see a $2 to $4 increase per week.

Army child-care fees adhere to Department of Defense Child Development Program fee ranges based on family income levels. After an 18-month review, two major changes have been made in how fees are calculated.

First, the income limit for the lowest family income category (Category I) has been raised from $23,000 to $28,000. This is the first time the Category I income limit has been changed since the fee scale was established in 1990.

"We are hoping that more families will be eligible for Category I instead of Category II and thereby pay lower fees," said Nancy Campbell, a Child and Youth Services staff member at the U.S. Army Community and Family Support Center in Alexandria, Va.

The Army fee guidance establishes the minimum weekly DoD fee ($42/week) for all Category I patrons Armywide in response to an Army Family Action Plan recommendation. Commanders select installation fees in the other five categories. Those patrons will likely see a $2 to $4 increase per week.

Secondly, dual-military couples living off post will benefit from a change in the way Basic Allowance for Housing is calculated as part of total family income. Previously, BAH for both soldiers was counted toward determining family income, which placed some families into higher income categories causing them to pay higher fees. How-ever, starting this year, only the BAH for the senior member of the dual military couple will be used in determining total family income.

Campbell said that with 100 percent of Army child development centers accredited through the National Association for the Education of Young Children, soldiers are getting the best quality child care at a significantly reduced cost. In comparison, only 8 percent of off-post centers are accredited, and fees for comparable childcare are usually 20 to 50 percent more expensive than those on post, she said.

"Military child care is a terrific value in terms of what you get for your child care dollar ... 10 to 12 hours of care per day, meals, snacks, trained staff, state-of-the-art facilities, no additional charges for infants and the high quality of care your child receives," she said.

Another advantage of Army childcare is that child development centers and Family Child Care homes accept infants and usually have longer operating hours than do off post programs, Campbell said. Finding infant care and extended-hours care off post is both difficult and extremely expensive, said Campbell. The fee policy changes will not affect FCC home fees, Campbell said. Family child-care homes run by military spouses in government quarters fall under the oversight of Child and Youth Services, but are private home-based businesses. Patron fees generally cover only half the cost of Army child care, said Campbell. Appropri-ated funds cover the rest.

The new fees are effective in January so soldiers can use their December 2002 Leave and Earnings Statement to determine their family income category for fees, said Campbell. The January LES will include a military pay increase which would bump many families into a higher fee category.

"The intent is to have their fees set at the lower level, before their pay raise goes into effect," Campbell said.

Child and Youth Services is a component of the U.S. Army Community and Family Support Center, the Headquarters Department of the Army agency responsible for delivering more than 200 Morale, Welfare, Recreation and family programs worldwide.

(Editor's note: Information provided by CFSC Public Affairs.)

A Tempe runner tries to elude members of the El Paso Scorpions during the fall rugby season. Evasive running will be one of several skills covered Saturday when the Scorpions host a clinic from 1 to 3 p.m. at Armstrong Field.

Scorpions begin rugby skills clinics Saturday

Master Sgt. Steve Miller
Public Affairs Chief

We've all seen the bumper stickers and T-shirts: Give blood - play rugby.

To be sure, mental and physical toughness are prerequisites for playing this exciting, non-stop sport, and if you're serious about learning the game, now is the time to do it.

The El Paso Scorpions rugby football club, which now practices and plays at Fort Bliss, will begin a series of skills and fitness clinics from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday at Armstrong Field. Similar skill development and fitness training sessions are scheduled Jan. 25 and Feb. 1, also from 1 to 3 p.m. at Armstrong Field, which is located down the hill from the Officers' Club.

"At the first training session we'll saturate them with skills. The first individual skills and fitness clinic (Saturday) will consist of passing, ball handling, kicking and catching, evasive running, and the continuity and support skills," said Scorpions Coach Doug Park. "They can get an idea if they like the game," he said, referring to those new to the sport.

Before the other two clinics take place, the Scorpions will begin training on Tuesday and Thursday nights from 6:45 to 8:30 p.m. at Armstrong Field. The evening practice sessions will be a constant throughout the spring season, Park said.

The Jan. 25 skill development and fitness training session will focus on the contact part of the game, specifically rucks, mauls and tackling. The Feb. 1 session will concentrate on unit skills, such as lineouts, scrums and unit defense, Park said.

The Scorpions plan to field an "A" side and a "B" side during the spring season, and Park feels they will have enough players to support both.

"Our numbers look pretty good," Park said Saturday after a player orientation and organizational meeting at the Down Under, located on the lower level of the Officers' Club. "We had 28 people here today, but we should have about 50 or so. Some people couldn't make it today because of work."

Park says there's a good mix of new players and returning veterans, military members and civilians who've shown interest in playing during the spring season, which runs from March through May. The Scorpions home opener will be March 8 when the "A" side takes on Santa Fe at 1 p.m., with the "B" side playing Albuquerque at 2:45.