With child care needs ‘pronounced and urgent,’ lawmakers push Air Force to seek more funding

While the need for additional child care capacity is military-wide, and long standing, “the needs of Air Force installations are pronounced and urgent,” Wasserman Schultz told the witnesses, which included Jennifer Miller, acting assistant secretary of the Air Force for installations, environment and energy; and Brig. Gen. William Kale, Air Force director of civil engineers.

If plans for construction of child development centers aren’t included in the president’s budget scheduled to be released on May 27, Wasserman Schultz told the witnesses, “I suggest you go back to the drawing board and push to make sure it is.”

As of February, there were 5,116 children on waiting lists for on-base Air Force child care, and the average wait was 151 days, Wasserman Schultz said. There are 50 installations where new or additional facilities are needed to increase capacity.