Child Development Centers (CDC) and Child Development Homes (CDH) in Navy Region Northwest (NRNW) are raising their rates in accordance with the Commander, Naval Installations’(CNI) three-year plan to create an equilibrium with Navy childcare center fees.

The fees in each income category are increasing by $1. The rate change will take effect Nov. 1.

“The military child care act mandates that child care be affordable for military families and fees are subsidized,” said Deborah Robins, regional child and youth operations manager.

The CNI initiative is to have standardized fees across the Navy so families can expect the same services and fees anywhere they use Navy care.

“This makes it so when a family makes a permanent change of station, they can expect to pay the same fee wherever they go,” said Judith McDonald, Naval Station Everett CDC director.

CNI reviewed childcare fees across the Navy and set specific fees for each region with the goal of standardization in three years.

“I’ve been here six and a half years and this is only the second time the rates have gone up,” said McDonald. “The first time, it was also only a dollar increase.”

A letter was sent out to families who have children enrolled in the programs 30 days prior to the rate increase.

“We sent the letter out so the families know about and expect the change and they can budget for it,” said McDonald. “We haven’t had any complaints from families. It seems to be pretty well justified and accepted by everyone.”

CDC’s and CDH’s provide a safe education and care system Navywide for children of military families and Department of Defense (DOD) personnel between the ages of six weeks and six years old.

The Navy childcare programs in the Northwest region are partnered with programs such as the Boys and Girls Club in order to provide care to school-age children that don’t receive care at a Navy facility.

The increase in rates also applies to non-military and non-DoD customers and is applicable to partnerships that NRNW has with local community programs.

The new School Age Care (SAC) fees for 2006 will remain the same.

SAC is highly structured recreational and educational programs that provide age appropriate before and after school activities as well as holiday and summer day camps for youth ages five years (and enrolled in kindergarten) to 12 years.

SAC is available in NRNW at Naval Base Kitsap and Naval Air Station Whidbey Island.