Examining Child Care Need among Military Families. Technical Report

This report documents the results of a survey of 1,137 active-duty military families, including activated Reservists, regarding child care use. These survey data were analyzed to estimate the relationship between individual family characteristics and installation characteristics and the probability that the family uses any nonparental child care, uses DoD-sponsored child care, has unmet need for child care, and has undermet need for child care. Through this analysis, the reader develops a richer understanding of the extent to which DoD is meeting the need for child care among military families. This report will be of interest to officials responsible for DoD child-care policy and other quality of life issues. It should also be of interest to child care managers in other federal organizations, child care researchers, and child care policymakers at the national, state, and local levels who grapple with the issue of estimating the need for child care. Appended are: (1) Focus Group Summary; (2) Survey Nonresponse Analysis; and (3) Child-Care Survey Instrument. (Contains 15 tables.) ["Examining Child Care Need among Military Families. Technical Report" was written with Marika Suttorp.]