SECRETARY OF DEFENSE
1000 DEFENSE PENTAGON
WASH INGTON , DC 20301-1000

MEMORANDUM FOR CHIEF MANAGEMENT OFFICER OF THE DEPARTMENT OF
DEFENSE
SECRETARIES OF THE MILITARY DEPARTMENTS
UNDER SECRETARY OF DEFENSE FOR PERSONNEL AND
READINESS
CHIEFS OF MILITARY SERVICES
CHIEF OF THE NATIONAL GUARD BUREAU
GENERAL COUNSEL OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
INSPECTOR GENERAL OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF DEFENSE FOR LEGISLATIVE
AFFAIRS
ASSISTANT TO THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE FOR PUBLIC
AFFAIRS
DIRECTORS OF DEFENSE AGENCIES ·
DIRECTORS OF DOD FIELD ACTIVITIES
SUBJECT: Policy Change Concerning Priorities for Department of Defense Child Care
Programs
The purpose of this memorandum is to ensure our military members have priority access
to child care. Title 10, U.S. Code, chapter 88, authorizes the Secretary of Defense to establish
policies with respect to programs supporting military families. The DoD' s system of child care
was established to assist Service members as they face the unique challenges associated with the
demands of military service. Over time, child care access expanded to serve the total force, but
we must not lose sight of the Service member and mission requirements.
To this end, I have directed changes to the current child care priorities to clarify situations
where military families will be afforded priority access, to include supplanting lower priority
patrons when necessary. These changes also clarify the definition of a working spouse, provide
for ample notification in cases of discontinuation of child care, and provide authority to establish
exceptions where mission requirements necessitate flexibility.
The DoD ' s waitlist management system, MilitaryChildCare.com, will continue to serve
as the access point for all waitlist requests. Enclosure 3 of DoD Instruction (DoDI) 6060.02,
"Child Development Programs," is replaced by Attachment 1, and the Glossary updated to
include the terms at Attachment 2. Implementation of these changes is effective beginning June
1, 2020; the Washington Headquarters Services Directives Division will update the current
version online.
The Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness will ensure that any
necessary conforming changes are made to DoDI 6060.02.
My point of contact is C. Eddy Mentzer, Associate Director for Children, Youth and
Families, at (571) 372-0857 or charles.e.mentzer2.civ@mail.mil.

Attachments:
As stated

 ENCLOSURE3
PROCEDURES

1. CHILD CARE REQUEST AND WAITLIST MANAGEMENT
a. Request for Care. Families will apply for and request child care through
MilitaryChildCare.com (MCC) for all military-operated child care.
b. Waitlist Management. Installation CDPs will utilize MCC as the method to manage child
care spaces, active care options, and offerings.
c. In the event that a family declines care at an installation where they have requested care
through MCC, they will be removed from all current waitlists and must re-request care through
MCC.
2. PRIORITY SYSTEM. Priority for care is administered by MCC based on the eligibility
requirements defined in Paragraph 4d of the front matter of this Instruction. Individual priority is
verified at the time of enrollment and annually thereafter.
a. Priority 1, CDP Direct Care Staff, Service Members. The children of CDP Direct Care
Staff and Service members will be placed into care utilizing the following guidance:
(1) Priority lA. CDP Direct Care Staff. The children of Direct Care CDP staff will be
placed into care ahead of all other eligible patrons. At no time will the child of a Direct Care
CDP staff member be removed from the program to accommodate another eligible patron.
(2) Priority lB. Single or Dual Active Duty Members; Single or Dual Guard or Reserve
Members on Active Duty or Inactive Duty Training Status; and Service Members With a Fulltime Working Spouse. The children of patrons that fall under Priority 1B will be placed into care
ahead of all other eligible patrons except Priority 1A. At no time will a Priority 1B patron be
removed from the program to accommodate any other patron, including lA patrons. The
following order of precedence will be utilized:
(a) Single or Dual Active Duty members.
(b) Single or Dual Guard or Reserve Members on Active Duty or Inactive Duty
training status.
(c) Active Duty with a full-time working spouse.
(d) Guard or Reserve Members on Active Duty or Inactive Duty training status with
a full-time working spouse.

 (3) Priority 1C. Active Duty Members or Guard or Reserve Members on Active Duty or
Inactive Duty Training Status with Part-Time Working Spouse or a Spouse Seeking
Employment. The children of patrons that fall under Priority 1C will be placed into care ahead
of all other eligible patrons except for Priority lA and 1B patrons. Priority lC patrons may only
be supplanted by an eligible patron in Priority lA or 1B when the Anticipated Placement Time of
the Priority lA and 1B patron exceeds 45 days beyond their Date Care Needed (as indicated in
MCC). The following order of precedence will be utilized:
(a) Active Duty members with a part-time working spouse or a spouse seeking
employment.
(b) Guard or Reserve Members on Active Duty or Inactive Duty training status with
a par-time working spouse or a spouse seeking employment.
(4) Priority lD. Active Duty Members or Guard or Reserve Members on Active Duty or
Inactive Duty Training Status with a Spouse Enrolled in a Post-Secondary Institution on a FullTime Basis. The children of patrons that fall under Priority 1D will be placed into care ahead of
all other eligible patrons except for Priority 1A, 1B, and 1C patrons. Priority 1D patrons will be
supplanted by an eligible patron in Priority lA, 1B, or lC when the Anticipated Placement Time
of the Priority lA, 1B, and lC patron exceeds 45 days beyond their Date Care Needed (as
indicated in MCC). The following order of precedence will be utilized:
(a) Active Duty members with a spouse enrolled in a post-secondary institution on a
full-time basis.
(b) Guard or Reserve Members on Active Duty or Inactive Duty training status with
a spouse enrolled in a post-secondary institution on a full-time basis.
b. Priority 2, DoD Civilians. The children of DoD civilians will be placed into care utilizing
the following guidance:
(1) Patrons in Priority 2 will utilize the following order of precedence for placement:
(a) Single or dual DoD Civilian Employees.
(b) DoD Civilian Employees with a full-time working spouse.
(2) DoD civilian patrons may only be supplanted from care by an eligible Priority lA or
1B patron when the Anticipated Placement Time of the Priority IA or 1B patron exceeds 45 days
beyond their Date Care Needed (as indicated in MCC).
c. Priority 3, Space Available. When all Priority 1 and 2 patrons have been placed into care,
CDPs may place additional eligible patrons not identified in Priority 1 and 2 into Space
Available care.

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 (1) Space Available patrons will be supplanted by an eligible Priority 1 or a Priority 2
patron when the Anticipated Placement Time of the Priority 1 or a Priority 2 patron exceeds 45
days beyond their Date Care Needed (as indicated in MCC).
(2) The following order of precedence will be followed when placing eligible patrons
into Space Available.
(a) Active Duty with non-working spouse.
(b) DoD Civilian Employees with spouse seeking employment.
(c) DoD Civilian Employees with a spouse enrolled in a post-secondary educational
program on a full time basis.
(d) Gold Star spouses.
(e) Active Duty Coast Guard members.
(f) DoD contractors.
(g) Other eligible patrons.
3. PRIORITY DETERMINATION. The following factors will be applied when making priority
determinations for eligible patrons.
a. Deactivated Guard or Reserve Members. When a currently enrolled Guard or Reserve
member is no longer in an Active Duty status, they must inform the appropriate CDP. The CDP
will make a new priority determination for possible continued enrollment. If the member falls to
a lower priority category and the child care space is needed for a higher priority patron, the
Guard or Reserve member will be given 45 days' written notice regarding their removal from the
program.
b. Activated Coast Guard. When a Coast Guard member is activated under the Department
of Navy, they will be treated as an Active Duty Service member and placed into their respective
Priority as outlined in this enclosure.
c. Combat-Related Wounded Warriors in an Active Duty Status. When Service members
designated as combat-related wounded warrior in an Active Duty status requires hospitalization,
extensive rehabilitation, or significant care from a spouse or care provider and requires full-time
child care, they may be placed into Priority 1B. This designation requires installation
commander approval (this authority cannot be delegated).
d. Exceptions. Exceptions to the priority system described in this enclosure will only be
authorized, in writing, for unique mission-related requirements. Authority for these exceptions
lies with the installation commander responsible for the management of the CDP at the
installation level.
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 4. VERIFICATION REQUIREMENTS. The following methods will be utilized to determine
eligibility.
a. A working spouse must provide verification of employment such as a Pay/Leave and
Earning Statement, Form 1099-MISC, Schedule C (Form 1040 or 1040 SR), or a selfcertification statement with an estimated number of hours worked on a weekly or monthly basis.
In the event that specific employment situations are not sufficiently documented by these forms,
an exception to policy may be granted at the installation commander level.
b. Spouses actively seeking employment must submit verification every 30 days once the
child is enrolled in care. The child may be removed from care if the spouse has not gained
employment after 90 days. The installation commander may authorize an extension of care
beyond 90 days as long as higher priority patrons are not impacted.
c. Spouses enrolled in a post-secondary educational program on a full time basis must verify
educational admission or enrollment as a full time student every 90 days once the patron is
enrolled in care. If, at the time of verification, the spouse is not currently enrolled, they must
show proof of resumption of full time student status within 30 days or the child may be removed
from care.
5. NOTIFICATION TO PATRONS. At the time of enrollment, CDPs must notify patrons in
Priority 1C and lower, in writing, that they may be supplanted if a patron in a higher priority
requires child care. The CDP must also provide notice of discontinued child care to patrons
affected a minimum of 45 days before child care termination.

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 PART II. DEFINITIONS

post-secondary educational program. Any educational program conduct by an adult education
entity to include colleges and universities, career/technical schools, vocational/trade schools,
formal apprenticeship programs, or pursuit of a General Education Development (GED).
working spouse. A spouse who is hired for a wage, salary, fee, or payment to perform work for
an employer; or a spouse who works for oneself as a freelancer or the owner of a business rather
than for an employer. In all cases, work may be performed in or out of the home. For the
purpose of this instruction, a spouse who is working 30 hours per week or 100 hours per month,
or a spouse working less than 30 hours per week or 100 hours per month and enrolled in a postsecondary educational institution will be considered a full-time working spouse.