A Parent's Guide to Family Childcare at Beale AFB, California

Family Childcare (FCC) is available at over 80 military installations and civilian communities around the world to help care for the children of active duty and civilian members. FCC provides childcare for children from the ages of 2 weeks up to 14 years of age.

What's Available

Family Childcare is available on an hourly basis, half a day or a whole day. FCC is also particularly helpful during military deployments, overtime at work or when any other work related issues come up unexpectedly.

Not a Babysitting Service

Unlike a babysitting service that that can employ people from all walks of life with little to no childcare qualifications, FCC is different. The requirements apply to all potential home childcare providers. They must be at least 18 years of age, be able to read, write and speak English and be in good health. Job candidates must also successfully pass a background check, to include their family members, and then go through a newcomer's orientation guide before they will be considered for the job.

Licensing

Within 18 months of licensing, new home childcare providers must be able to complete 15 Air Force Training Modules which are the equivalent of 60 hours of training. The training does not end there. Licensed home childcare providers at Beale AFB must also undergo annual training, which is similar to the training provided for Child Development Centre (CDC) workers.

Child Safety

Child safety is the number one priority of the FCC. Home childcare providers will need to ensure that their home is completely equipped for children in their care. Safety gates, first aid kits, fire extinguishers and many other pieces of equipment and features are required in a home childcare environment. As well as adhering to strict guidelines about the home setup, home childcare providers must also submit to a monthly inspection of their home to make sure that they are continuing to work in a safe, child-friendly home.

Equipment