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  • A Beautiful Place to Grow

    Child Development Center

    Expert care in a safe & nurturing environment!

  • CYP - Where Kids Want to Be

    Child Development Center

    Expert care in a safe & nurturing environment!


Child Development Center - (6 Wks - 5 Yrs)

As a parent, who you entrust with the care of your children is critical.  Laughlin Child Development Center's (CDC) primary mission is to provide quality childcare services to Team XL, which enables our Military members to meet mission requirements worldwide with the knowledge that their children are in a safe, healthy environment that fosters individual development through independent and creative exploration of their world. The CDC is nationally accredited by the National Association for the Education of the Young Child (NAEYC) and staffed by well-trained professionals you can trust to care for your little ones ages six weeks to five years. Our centers are truly developmental, with programs to enhance social skills, encourage children to think and reason, promote language and literacy, build physical development and skills, and much more!

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Mission Statement


Our mission is to assist the Department of Defense (DoD), military, and civilian personnel in balancing the competing demands of the accomplishment of the DoD mission and family life by managing and delivering a system of quality, available and affordable programs and services for eligible children and youth, birth through 18 years of age.

Parent Drop-Off and Pick-Up

Arrival and Departure Process

Arrival
  • Sign the child in at the kiosk upon entry
  • Must wash parent/guardian's and child's hands upon entering the classroom
  • Parent/guardian signs child into the classroom with AF Form 1930
  • Parent/guardian will exit the facility
Departure
  • Sign the child out at the kiosk upon entry
  • Must wash parent/guardian's hands upon entering the classroom
  • Parent/guardian signs child out of the classroom with AF Form 1930
  • Parent/guardian will exit the facility with child

Supervision and Accountablity

  • Our program has CCTV monitoring throughout program hours to ensure safety standards are met. 
  • Hourly counts take place to ensure all staff and children are accounted for and all ratios are met. 
  • Staff are trained annually to ensure all supervision and accountability standards are met. 

Fire, Health, and Safety

  • Upon arrival, all educators conduct a health check for children. 
  • All educators are trained and certified in pediatric CPR and First Aid accredited by the American Red Cross. 
  • The program conducts daily and monthly safety, fire, and health inspections.  
  • The Laughlin AFB Fire Department conducts monthly random fire drills. 
  • Program practices evacuations for shelter-in-place, active shooter, hazardous weather, and any other base-wide exercises. 
  • Children who display signs & symptoms of illness may be issued a readmission form for the protection of all children and staff 

KinderSpot

Kinderspot, helps Department of Defense families on Air Force installations sublet child care spots at their home station or find spots at a location they will visit temporarily.

Spot holders, who create a Kinderspot account, will be able to offer week-long blocks of time per child, at participating CDCs, to make their spot temporarily available when gone on leave or TDY. Prospective spot renters can create a Kinderspot account, even if they do not hold a spot at a CDC.

Department of the Air Force Child and Youth Education Services

The Department of the Air Force Child and Youth Programs assist military and civilian personnel in balancing the competing demands of the mission and family life by catering programs and services for eligible children and youth from birth through 18 years of age.

Militarychildcare.com (MCC)

Military and DoD civilian families can now search for child and youth care options through a single website! MilitaryChildCare.com provides comprehensive information on child-care programs worldwide. Families can search for the care they need and submit a request for care anytime, anywhere. This website replaces the waitlist process at Child Development Centers, Youth Programs, and Family Child Care. For questions/support on the website call the help desk at 855.696.2934.  

Just follow the four simple steps below:

Create an Account:  Go to MilitaryChildCare.com to create an account containing information about your family, or log in using an existing username and password.

Search and Request Care:  Search the system for the childcare options that best fit your needs and submit your requests for care.

Manage Requests:  You can manage your requests for care from anywhere in the world. 

Update Profile:  Keep your My Profile page up-to-date with important information.

Curriculum

Early Learning Matters

The Early Learning Matters (ELM) curriculum, developed by Purdue University, promotes positive outcomes in all areas of development from birth to age 5 years. It is based on the latest research on child development and best practices in early education and care. ELM offers a comprehensive, developmentally appropriate approach to meaningful learning for all children.

    • Whole child focus on skills that bolster school readiness and life success
    • Developmentally sequenced activities that embed strategies for individualizing
    • Evidence-informed, friendly-to-use resources for classroom staff and families
    • Training tools to support direct care staff with different professional backgrounds

At the heart of the ELM curriculum are activity plans that build on children's pathways of development in five infant/toddler areas and eight preschool areas. The plans support growth and development with a range of active learning opportunities that include careful attention to differences in children's abilities and interests.

Give Parents a Break (Creative Night)

Air Force Aid funded child care program for Active Duty members who "need a break" and receive a voucher from First Sergeants, Commanders, Supervisors, the Chapel, FAC, and the M&FRC. The program offered one Saturday a month at the CDC and alternates between 1600-2000 evenings and 1300-1700 daytimes. It is also available for all AD members and DoD civilians for a flat rate of $32 for 4 hours.

Check the calendar of events for the next upcoming Give Parents a Break Creative Night.

Frequently Asked Questions


FAQs


Why does it take so long to get my child into the program?

Our waitlist is subject to change based on priority as determined by AF Child and Youth Services, rendering an accurate waitlist number unavailable due to its fluid nature.

How do I request childcare?
MilitaryChildCare.com (MCC) is a Department of Defense website for military families seeking child care. This site will allow families to search for and request care from a wide range of military operated and military subsidized child care options across all Services to include Child Development Centers, School Age Programs, and Family Child Care Homes. Additional benefits from Child and Youth Programs (CYP) are standardized procedures for effective waiting list management, expedited placement of children and youth into available programs, and enhanced daily operations for programs.
What is “Give Parents a Break”?

Need time to run errands or plan a date? Give Parents a Break is offered one Saturday per month and alternates between daytime and evening. This program is open to ALL base personnel. The registration deadline is always the Wednesday before. Youth Center: (830) 298-4363 Child Development Center: (830) 298-5419

Why does child care cost so much?

Our fees are predetermined by Air Force Headquarters. Our fees are not established at the local level. Fees are determined by total family income and fall into 14 different categories. 

How is family income determined and what forms are required for verification?
The May 2014 Application for Department of Defense (DoD) Child Care Fees, DD Form 2652, or electronic equivalent will be used to verify total family income (TFI) as defined in Department of Defense Instructions (DoDIs) 6060.02. For the purposes of determining child care fees in the Department of Defense Child Development Programs, TFI is defined as all earned income including wages, salaries, tips, special duty pay (flight pay, active duty demo pay, sea pay), active duty save pay, long-term disability benefits, voluntary salary deferrals, retirement or other pension income including Supplemental Security Income (SSI) paid to the spouse/partner and Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits paid to the surviving spouse before deductions for taxes using the individual’s most recent W-2 or Leave and Earning Statement. TFI calculations must also include quarters subsistence and other allowances appropriate for the rank and status of military or civilian personnel whether received in cash or in-kind. Programs should not include alimony, child support received by the custodial parent, SSI received on behalf of the dependent child, reimbursements for educational expenses or health and wellness benefits, cost of living (COLA) received in high cost areas, temporary duty allowances, or reenlistment bonuses. Do not include cash awards, bonuses, or overtime pay in TFI calculation. TFI includes the appropriate Non-Locality Basic Allowance for Housing with Dependents Rate (BAH Reserve Component/Transit (RC/T)) for all members, regardless of whether they live in government housing or off-installation. Programs will use the local BAH rate in locations where military members receive less than the BAH RC/T allowance. For dual-military living in government quarters, include BAH RC/T of the senior member only; for Defense civilian OCONUS, include either the housing allowance or the value of the in-kind housing provided. Note that the BAH RC/T rate is based on the calendar year. Programs will use the appropriate year’s rate when calculating fees.

CYPBMS

Securely manage family profile and payments.

Parent Advisory Board


  • Parents are always welcome to visit and assist with their child's care to the extent that their duty permits.
  • The Parent Advisory Board function in an advisory capacity, parent led, providing recommendations for improving services. Improves staff and parent communications. Increase parent's knowledge of developmentally appropriate practices in program activities. Increase parent participation and involvement in the Child and Youth Services activities.
  • The Parent Advisory Board Committee selects a chairperson (parent interested in volunteering to chair the board please inform the program director). The Parent Advisory Board meets with the Child and Youth Services Flight Chief and program directors at least quarterly and with the Mission Support Group Commander at least annually. The minutes of the parent advisory meetings are shared with leadership, available and posted on the parent board at each center.
  • All program directors have an open-door policy, if you have a concern, please don't wait to meet in this forum to address your concerns. We encourage you to address any concerns on the spot, to allow supervisor on duty an opportunity to address them in a timely manner.
  • If you are interested in attending your center's parent advisory committee, please see your center's director for more information.

Upcoming Events


Give Parents a Break (CDC) Creative Night (YC)
Apr
06

Give Parents a Bre ...Child Development Center

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Apr
08

Week of the Young ...Child Development Center

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Apr
09

Week of the Young ...Child Development Center

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Apr
10

Week of the Young ...Child Development Center

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Contact


  • Child Development Center

    Building 476, Lee St, Laughlin AFB, TX 78843

    Hours of Operation

    • Mon - Fri
      6:30 am - 5:30 pm
    • Sat
      Closed (Exception Give Parents a Break)
    • Sun
      Closed
    • Family Days & Holidays
      Closed