Posted on Oct 21, 2021
How can I help retain an NCO who wants to get out because she can't find childcare while she's in school to reclassify?
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I have an NCO who wants to throw away her career because she has no one to watch her child while she goes back to school to reclass. She has no family, and the father is out of the picture. How can I keep her in and help her provide childcare while she's in school? This is the first time I've dealt with this situation and I don't want the Army to lose a good NCO?
Reclass
Child Care
Posted 3 y ago
Responses: 6
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If she's a single parent - she's supposed to have a Family Care Plan in place. These scenarios are what FCPs are for.
She's going to have to reach out to those among her coworkers and see if a spouse perhaps could help - or if you know someone who would be a good caregiver to refer her to.
I'm a single parent and my ex husband is not a constant in any of his kid's lives and is in out of prison so he's not help - but my long term FCP is for my child to go back to family if I had to deploy for 30 or more days or TDY. If it's less than 30 days, my dad comes out to stay with her now that he's retired. For local childcare, I have reached out in local babysitting groups on Facebook to find short term care (overnight for staff duty or after daycare hours). I was lucky enough to have found two people who are very dependable and trustworthy to handle short term care.
If she can't come up with a suitable FCP, then her only option is to get out of the Army. In my opinion, it wouldn't be "throwing away" her career if she had to get out for the benefit of her child.
She's going to have to reach out to those among her coworkers and see if a spouse perhaps could help - or if you know someone who would be a good caregiver to refer her to.
I'm a single parent and my ex husband is not a constant in any of his kid's lives and is in out of prison so he's not help - but my long term FCP is for my child to go back to family if I had to deploy for 30 or more days or TDY. If it's less than 30 days, my dad comes out to stay with her now that he's retired. For local childcare, I have reached out in local babysitting groups on Facebook to find short term care (overnight for staff duty or after daycare hours). I was lucky enough to have found two people who are very dependable and trustworthy to handle short term care.
If she can't come up with a suitable FCP, then her only option is to get out of the Army. In my opinion, it wouldn't be "throwing away" her career if she had to get out for the benefit of her child.
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1SG (Join to see)
She has a family care plan...but it's obviously not working out for her anymore. Hence, why she's looking at just getting out becuase it fell through.
What I'm asking is... What other routes, options or programs has anyone used, when the FCP falls through and the SM has no family or friends. Rather then just saying, "her only option is to get out..."...lets find a way to help her that works for both sides.
What I'm asking is... What other routes, options or programs has anyone used, when the FCP falls through and the SM has no family or friends. Rather then just saying, "her only option is to get out..."...lets find a way to help her that works for both sides.
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SFC Kelly Fuerhoff
1SG (Join to see) - I gave you another option. I found babysitting groups for the area I'm at on Facebook. Two or three actually. Posting in there is how I found one of the babysitters I used for short term care. The primary babysitter I've used worked at my daughter's daycare when she was in preschool and her daughter is friends with my daughter. She offered to watch her if I needed help on weekends after I said I had hired a nanny service one weekend.
She needs to look around the area where she's stationed and look out to all avenues. Join mom groups. Find out if there's babysitter groups. Look up care. com or nanny services. Find out who the FCC providers are on base and if they offer long term care or overnights. Ask around coworkers to see if anyone's spouse would be able to be a babysitter or care provider.
If she does all that and still can't find any care, then yes, she would have to get out. Unfortunately, that's just the way it is in the Army sometimes for people who are single parents and can't find care. I've seen married soldiers who got out because of it too. It's not "giving up" or "just saying." Sometimes, that's just reality.
She needs to look around the area where she's stationed and look out to all avenues. Join mom groups. Find out if there's babysitter groups. Look up care. com or nanny services. Find out who the FCC providers are on base and if they offer long term care or overnights. Ask around coworkers to see if anyone's spouse would be able to be a babysitter or care provider.
If she does all that and still can't find any care, then yes, she would have to get out. Unfortunately, that's just the way it is in the Army sometimes for people who are single parents and can't find care. I've seen married soldiers who got out because of it too. It's not "giving up" or "just saying." Sometimes, that's just reality.
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Understand situations change and plans go off track...but the individual needs to make decision what works best for her and the child. There maybe someone else in a similar situation or can use financial help that child care would help with. Also some support plans fail under pressure. Assign no blame and ask her realistically what her needs and expectations going forward are. I did have troops that asked for helpbut they really just wanted an excuse to use family to get special consideration.
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What is her current family care plan? This should be something as simple as engaging the existing plan. But if it isn't something she has that complicates things. If she doesn't have close friends/family or significant other who can act as a long term guardian for the child they may need to get out.
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