Defense Department Adjusts Child Care Fees, Expands Flex Spending to Increase Military Access to Quality Child Care

The Defense Department is adjusting how much service members pay in child care fees for the 2023-2024 school year to reduce the burden on lower income families and meet the intent of Executive Order 14095.

Executive Order 14095, “Increasing Access to High-Quality Care and Supporting Caregivers,” directs the DOD to improve the affordability of child care on military installations.

Adjustments include a reduction in the number of fee categories from fourteen to eleven, modification of the Total Family Income categories and an increase in the highest TFI category to $160,001 and above. These adjustments provide a more equitable division of fees based on total family income. The adjustment also includes an increase in the fee assistance provider rate cap for both community-based providers and military-certified family childcare providers to $1,800 per child per month, from $1,700.

Read more: https://finred.usalearning.gov/Benefits/DCFSA