Good things come to those who wait, the saying goes. But military officials and Upwards, the largest childcare network in the nation, just couldn’t keep the good news to themselves anymore in May: a resoundingly successful pilot program has expanded early from Army Reserve families to include Army National Guard soldiers in 20 states.
“I think we’ve seen the success of what’s happening, and we didn’t want to wait any longer,” said Jessica Chang, Upwards’ CEO and co-founder. “We really wanted to offer to other branches what we were doing for the Army Reserve, providing a better childcare for not just reservists, but also the National Guard.”
The Army National Guard Weekend Drill Child Care program (WDCC) was officially announced at a Pentagon ceremony on May 13. Thanks to the partnership, guardsmen in eligible states can now receive free childcare facilitated by Upwards. Originally, the program, then nameless, was slated to run for a year before re-evaluating. It was so popular and efficacious, however, that officials moved up the expansion date.
“The expansion to 20 states in WDCC’s [sophomore pilot program] aims to assist the maximum number of ARNG soldiers by addressing childcare gaps during drill weekends,” said Dr. Julie Lockwood, the vice director of manpower and personnel at the National Guard Bureau. “This reduces conflict between military duties and parental responsibilities, enhancing unit readiness and retention.”
The 20 states include Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Ohio, Oregon, Virginia, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin. Those eligible include now not only Army reservists from a few Midwestern states like before, but also ARNG soldiers in good standing within their unit of assignment who have DEER-enrolled dependents from six weeks up to 12 years old. Soldiers can be single, dual military or married with a spouse unavailable due to work or school during drill.
“In WDCC Pilot 2, we’ve addressed [soldiers’ previous] concerns by broadening the network of weekend providers, streamlining registration and verification, and offering more flexible care scheduling options,” said Lockwood.
That flexibility and broad network of weekend providers immediately drew Kansas National Guard Capt. Jax Rutledge’s eye. A mother of five, she couldn’t sign up for the program fast enough.
“Trying to find good, trustworthy childcare that you can afford as a young person in the military is often, at best, impossible,” she said. “So what do you do? Oftentimes, there wasn’t a lot to eat or a fancy car, because the money was going for childcare.”
But this program is changing that, she said. Her children came home from their new daycare, introduced to Rutledge by Upwards, pumped up to return.
“I was able to work, to go to my drill weekend, without all that anxiety,” Rutledge said. “I want to tell everybody that [this program] isn’t a joke; it’s not too good to be true, it’s actually free daycare for those who need it.”
It’s also good for local daycare providers, who receive an extra, consistent income stream with weekend clients.
“Everything is so expensive right now, so partnering with Upwards for military families has helped so I don’t have to raise my prices for my regular kids,” said Vickie Mitchell, the owner and operator of A Child’s Place Daycare in Olathe, Kansas. “This really is a win-win-win for everyone.”
Mitchell currently serves four military families, including a single dad with twins and a 6-year-old. Her civilian clients fully support her work with military families, she said, and feel like they’re helping in some small way.
“It feels good to help these families who are serving our country,” she said. “And I know it’s a huge relief to military families to not have to figure out childcare, or how they’re going to pay for it.”
To apply for the Army National Guard Weekend Drill Child Care program for either Army National Guardsmen or Army reservists, go to Upwards.