Child Development Services (CDS) provides a multitude of child
care services at two Child Development Centers (CDC);
CDC East (bldg
1730), located behind the Fort Bliss Commissary; and the
new CDC (bldg
3500), located within the Logan Heights housing area. Additional
services are available at the Fort Bliss School and in certified family child
care quarters throughout Fort Bliss. Services offered are weekly and
hourly child care; before/after school care for kindergarten children;
before/after school care for first through sixth grade children; preschool
programs; and a kindergarten class.
In addition, Family Child Care (FCC)
provides extended hours and child care for field duty and TDY.
TYPES OF
CARE AVAILABLE
Weekly Care: Care for children 6 weeks-6 years
(includes kindergarten children) on a regular basis Monday through Friday is
provided at both CDS East and CDS West. A long waiting list exists
for infants. The weekly program is for families requiring care
because of needing child care for employment/school.
Hourly
Care:
Care for children 6 weeks to 12 years on an irregular,
hourly basis is provided at CDS East.
Preschool: Preschool/kindergarten classes for children 3 to 5 years
of age are provided during the school year (Sep through May). For
more information call 568-4374.
School age
Care:
Regular, weekly care for school age children first
grade and older is provided before and after school, during school breaks and
during summer vacation. Planned activities such as fun at Kelly Park
and sports keep us busy after school. We provide escort service to
Travis, Bliss, Logan, Miliam, Hughey, Ross, and Assumption
Schools. For more information please call
568-4374/4429.
School Age Care: is located at the Youth
Plex. For further information please call (915)
568-5689.
Family Child Care:
Quarters-based Family
Child Care FCC) services within certified homes offers a family atmosphere with
a limited number of children, flexible hours and the capability of addressing
special needs. FCC special purpose homes meet the needs of families
requiring unique child care services. Included are extended hour
homes which provide child care options for those parents who require routine
evening child care, who work unusual or long hours, or have mission related
child care needs that require child care service up to or in excess of 24
hours. This service meets the needs of dual and single service
members needing child care at times the Center is not open. In
addition civilians working on Fort Bliss are authorized to utilize
FCC. For further information, call
568-4198.
Fees:
The Military Child Care Act requires
DOD to prescribe uniform fee regulations for military child development
centers. The fees are based on total family income and apply to all
children who attend on a regular basis. The fee ranges are updated
annually. Monthly fees for full time child care range from $158 to
$340. 20% discounts are offered for additional children. Half day
fees range from $95 per month to $204 per month. Before and after
school care fees range from $31 to $78. Hourly fees range from $1.50 to $2.50
per hour per child.
The Family Child Care Program was implemented in June
1986 to establish a partnership between Child Development Services, parents, and
child care providers to improve in-home care. Prior to the Family
Child Care Program, no agency monitored the child care being provided in
quarters on Fort Bliss. Within the partnerships created by FCC/CDS,
we hope to enhance communication between parents and caregivers and help ensure
that your children are cared for in a nurturing, safe and developmentally sound
environment.
Family Child Care providers are not
babysitters. They are adults over the age of 18 who have expressed
the desire to care for children and to be certified by the Fort Bliss Child
Development Services through the Family Child Care office. The
training required to be a provider consists of classes in Army Regulation
608-10, Child Growth and Development, Child Guidance, Safety, Fire Prevention,
Food Safety, Menu Planning, Daily Activities, Administering Medication,
Childhood Diseases, Contracts, Running a Small business, Child Abuse Prevention,
working with Parents, observing at the Day Care Center, Observing at an FCC
home, Infant Care, Learning Centers, First Aid and CPR.
The Family Child
Care office is responsible for ensuring that all Family Child Care providers
meet all requirements outlined in AR 608-10 and Fort Bliss SOPs. The
staff provides training classes, workshops, and a provider newsletter, which
contains a page for parents. This page should be posted in the
provider's home. The FCC office maintains a referral list of child
care openings. Parents must first register through the Child
Development Services system. A copy of the same paperwork that was
filled out at the Center will then be taken to the selected
provider. All parents should contact the FCC office by phone
(568-4198) to inform us who has been selected. If there are
complaints, please notify the office, and they will be investigated
immediately. Currently there are between 55 and 65 certified FCC
providers on Fort Bliss, located in 10 housing areas.
Child care for unit
functions can be provided by contacting the Child Development Center at (915)
568-5689/4429.Check out the School Age Services website for detailed info on all
the available services!
Fort Bliss and surrounding area provide a wide
variety of options to the parents for school age care.
On base School age
care is available for grades 1-8. Bus service is provided from most of the local
schools servicing the Installation. Fees are based on current DOD
structure. The programs include tutoring, computer Lab, Recreation
and Instructional Activities.
Consult the local phone directory for
listings of community activities.