Army reservists in units in four states will have free access to child care during weekend drills under a pilot program launching next month.
The Army Reserve pilot program comes simultaneously to a similar effort from the National Guard and is intended to help retention after officials heard anecdotally that child care is an issue contributing to people's decision not to reenlist.
“This program takes care of its people, providing no-cost child care, which will allow that soldier to be 100% focused during a battle assembly,” Mufutau Taiwo, deputy director of Army Reserve Family Programs, said in an interview with Military.com. “To me, that's a win-win. It's a win-win for the Army, it's a win-win for the Army Reserve, and it's a win-win for the soldier and family member.”
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The pilot will be run in New York, Florida, Texas and California in units that meet the target population the Army Reserve wants to reach: junior enlisted personnel and mid-grade noncommissioned officers, of which the Army Reserve has identified a “shortage,” Taiwo said.
It will be open to soldiers who have children ages six months to 12 years old and are single parents; whose spouse is also in the military and drilling at the same time; or whose spouse has to work or take a class on the weekends, Taiwo said. The soldiers also have to be in…
