National appreciation day thanks child care providers

By Child and Youth Programs, 341st Force Support Squadron / Published May 09, 2017

PHOTO DETAILS / DOWNLOAD HI-RES 1 of 2

Liz Arrexi, 341st Force Support Squadron family child care home provider, right, reads a book to children March 24, 2017, at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont. National Provider Appreciation Day May 12 recognizes the impact child care providers have on our community. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Jaeda Tookes)

PHOTO DETAILS / DOWNLOAD HI-RES 2 of 2

Children from the Malmstrom Youth Center place pinwheels around fences to help raise awareness on child abuse prevention April 13, 2017. National Provider Appreciation Day May 12 recognizes the impact child care providers have on the community. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Chad Thompson)

MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. -- Today’s child care providers, teachers and other educators of young children everywhere are unsung heroes. In today’s demanding economy, more parents are working than ever before and as a result, more children require full or part-time child care. Early childhood providers play a crucial role in preparing young children to succeed in school, work and life. Studies show that children who receive quality child care enter school with better math, language and social skills and that gives children a good start to succeed in school and life.

Air Force Child and Youth Programs make a positive difference in the lives of active duty military and civilian members not just here at Malmstrom but worldwide by providing quality childcare, programs and services at the Child Development Center, Family Child Care homes and Youth Programs. These programs help personnel and their families in balancing the competing demands of family life and the military mission.

National Provider Appreciation Day May 12 recognizes the impact child care providers have on our community.

“It takes a special, dedicated person to be successful in the child care field and their contribution to the quality of family life is invaluable,” said Kathy Desy, 341st Force Support Squadron Airman and Family Services flight chief. “This day offers an opportunity for parents to show their child’s CDC caregivers, FCC providers and Youth Program personnel their appreciation.”

The Department of Defense sets clear criteria for child care and uses unannounced inspections to ensure Air Force Child and Youth Programs meet the high standards. Child care is a work force issue that directly impacts the efficiency, readiness and retention of the total force. When children and youth have safe, loving and stimulating care, parents don’t have to worry while at work. They know their children and youth are getting the kind of care they need to be healthy, happy and successful.

Child and Youth Programs enhance and support children and youth’s physical, social, emotional and intellectual development. The Child Development Center provides center-based care in a safe and nurturing environment for children 6 weeks to 5 years of age and is the only program accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children in Great Falls. Family Child Care homes provide in-home care by licensed providers who offer daily, night, weekend and unusual hours of care for children ages 2 weeks to 12 years old. Youth Programs provide a wide variety of services and activities for youth ages 5 to 18 years old, including before and after school care, summer day camp, instructional classes, youth sports and teen programs. The School Age Program at the Youth Center is the only program in the state of Montana accredited by the Council on Accreditation.

Please take time to recognize the dedication of those working in CYP and thank them for their endless energy and countless hours spent caring for the children and youth of Malmstrom Air Force Base.

If you wish to comment, use the text box below. AF reserves the right to modify this policy at any time.

This is a moderated forum. That means all comments will be reviewed before posting. In addition, we expect that participants will treat each other, as well as our agency and our employees, with respect. We will not post comments that contain abusive or vulgar language, spam, hate speech, personal attacks, violate EEO policy, are offensive to other or similar content. We will not post comments that are spam, are clearly "off topic", promote services or products, infringe copyright protected material, or contain any links that don't contribute to the discussion. Comments that make unsupported accusations will also not be posted. The AF and the AF alone will make a determination as to which comments will be posted. Any references to commercial entities, products, services, or other non-governmental organizations or individuals that remain on the site are provided solely for the information of individuals using this page. These references are not intended to reflect the opinion of the AF, DoD, the United States, or its officers or employees concerning the significance, priority, or importance to be given the referenced entity, product, service, or organization. Such references are not an official or personal endorsement of any product, person, or service, and may not be quoted or reproduced for the purpose of stating or implying AF endorsement or approval of any product, person, or service.

Any comments that report criminal activity including: suicidal behaviour or sexual assault will be reported to appropriate authorities including OSI. This forum is not:

This forum is not to be used to report criminal activity. If you have information for law enforcement, please contact OSI or your local police agency.
Do not submit unsolicited proposals, or other business ideas or inquiries to this forum. This site is not to be used for contracting or commercial business.
This forum may not be used for the submission of any claim, demand, informal or formal complaint, or any other form of legal and/or administrative notice or process, or for the exhaustion of any legal and/or administrative remedy.

AF does not guarantee or warrant that any information posted by individuals on this forum is correct, and disclaims any liability for any loss or damage resulting from reliance on any such information. AF may not be able to verify, does not warrant or guarantee, and assumes no liability for anything posted on this website by any other person. AF does not endorse, support or otherwise promote any private or commercial entity or the information, products or services contained on those websites that may be reached through links on our website.

Members of the media are asked to send questions to the public affairs through their normal channels and to refrain from submitting questions here as comments. Reporter questions will not be posted. We recognize that the Web is a 24/7 medium, and your comments are welcome at any time. However, given the need to manage federal resources, moderating and posting of comments will occur during regular business hours Monday through Friday. Comments submitted after hours or on weekends will be read and posted as early as possible; in most cases, this means the next business day.

For the benefit of robust discussion, we ask that comments remain "on-topic." This means that comments will be posted only as it relates to the topic that is being discussed within the blog post. The views expressed on the site by non-federal commentators do not necessarily reflect the official views of the AF or the Federal Government.

To protect your own privacy and the privacy of others, please do not include personally identifiable information, such as name, Social Security number, DoD ID number, OSI Case number, phone numbers or email addresses in the body of your comment. If you do voluntarily include personally identifiable information in your comment, such as your name, that comment may or may not be posted on the page. If your comment is posted, your name will not be redacted or removed. In no circumstances will comments be posted that contain Social Security numbers, DoD ID numbers, OSI case numbers, addresses, email address or phone numbers. The default for the posting of comments is "anonymous", but if you opt not to, any information, including your login name, may be displayed on our site.

Thank you for taking the time to read this comment policy. We encourage your participation in our discussion and look forward to an active exchange of ideas.