A solution for child care > F.E. Warren Air Force Base > News

Finding child care can be a constant struggle for military families, but there can be an easy solution: Family Child Care.

The 90th Force Support Squadron has three childcare options for military families, one of which is family childcare. The FCC gives spouses the opportunity to become providers and be paid to monitor up to six children in their own homes, including their own children.

Malina Boardman is one of these FCC suppliers for FE Warren Air Force Base. She has been a provider here for four years and has been working in the child care field for 15 years, including at child development centers where she started.

“I like working with kids, but especially like being a provider because I can create my own curriculum and base my program on my kids,” Boardman said.

To become a provider, there is a background check, a week-long training course that teaches CPR / first aid, food handling and other important topics, and a home inspection for safety. Once completed, suppliers are certified and can begin the process of finding families to work with. During the time to be a provider, there are also random and periodic inspections with the fire department, health department, safety and the FCC program coordinator.

One of the biggest parts to becoming an FCC provider is getting all the materials for the kids’ education and enjoyment, but it’s also one of the easiest parts, due to support received from FSS.

“They really make it that easy,” Boardman said. “I was able to use the lending library, and if my car was not big enough to fit certain things, Joyce got one of the work trucks to help.”

Joyce Cisneros, the community child care coordinator with 90 FSS, built an extensive lending library during her time in this position. Providers can go to the lending library and sign out materials to help them with their programs, including furniture, crafts, books, educational materials, toys, and more. According to Boardman, if there is material that a supplier needs, they just need to make a wish list for Cisneros. That list will be fulfilled, if funding is available. 90 FSS and Cisneros make it so there are no out-of-pocket expenses for suppliers.

Boardman is also accredited by the National Association of Child Care, which means that she not only meets all Air Force child care standards, but also another 400 criteria required by that accreditation. On top of that, she won FCC Supplier of the Year in 2021.

“I like most of the relationships I have with the kids, even with kids I’ve had in the past who have moved away or gone,” Boardman said. “It’s great to see them learn new things and grow up, and that’s the part I enjoy doing.”

Air Force FCC providers are subject to strict certification requirements to include: Completion of 15 Air Force training modules, monthly unannounced home visits, background checks, annual training and certification in first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). For anyone interested in increasing revenue, providing quality, available and affordable child care, and assisting the Air Force in meeting the child care needs of clients, call the FCC office at 307-631-2645 or email joyce.cisneros@us.af. mil. Additional information about the FCC can be found here.