National Guard expands free childcare program for drill weekends, but with some caveats

The Army National Guard is expanding a program where eligible soldiers can receive free childcare on drill weekends, marking the latest effort to help retain service members amid a nationwide childcare provider shortage.

First launched as a test in six states in 2022, the weekend drill childcare program sets up Army National Guard soldiers with licensed, vetted childcare providers near their home or drill location on drill weekends. The Army pays providers through the childcare network Upwards, so soldiers don’t have to worry about reimbursement.

The program expanded to 20 states in 2024, and the National Guard plans to spread it to all 50 states, three territories, and the District of Columbia by Dec. 31.

“Free childcare for our traditional drilling guardsmen relieved a large amount of stress for families when planning to attend drill and managing family responsibilities,” Col. Danielle MacDonnell, chief of the human resources directorate at the National Guard Bureau, said in a Nov. 3 press release. “By relieving the burden of childcare, soldiers are more able to focus during drill weekends and perform at higher levels.”

Licensed, affordable childcare is tough to find for both military and civilian families nationwide, but National Guardsmen and reservists face a unique challenge on their monthly drill weekends, since fewer providers are open outside traditional hours. That challenge makes staying in uniform unsustainable for some service members.

“I felt like I was constantly pressuring my family for help, not receiving it and feeling like I’d rather just not be in the military because it was such a consistent burden that I simply had no fix for,” Sgt. 1st Class Amber Peck, a Wisconsin National Guardsman, said in the release.

The weekend drill childcare program relieved that burden for Peck, and about 650 other military families, according to Stars & Stripes. Expanding the program nationwide should help more soldiers, but a military childcare advocate warned that eligibility restrictions may put it out of reach for others.

“Something is better than nothing, but it’s still failing to take into account the really unique circumstances that created the hardship to begin with,” said Kayla Corbitt, an Army spouse and CEO of the nonprofit Operation Child Care Project.

To be eligible, many childcare providers must be licensed with the state, meet Defense Department minimum requirements, and maintain a liability insurance policy coverage of at least $500,000. Few providers that meet these criteria are open on weekends near military bases, Corbitt said.

Ideally, soldiers would receive a direct stipend to find their own childcare if an eligible provider cannot be found through Upwards, Corbitt added.

Soldiers in a dual-parent household must also prove that their spouse or domestic partner works or attends school during the drill period. Doing so can be difficult for spouses who do shift work or who need more support for children with special needs, Corbitt explained.

“The extra steps make the process a lot longer and add a lot more administrative burden,” she said.

Not all eligible soldiers will get a slot in the program, since space is limited and assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. 

Still, for those members who are eligible and can find the right provider, the program may be a life-changer.

“Having that reliable childcare completely put my mind at ease for drill weekends and 100% allowed me to focus on what I needed to for the military,” Peck said in the release.