Child Care for PCS

Child Care for PCS is sponsored by Air Force Aid Society (AFAS). This program helps relieve some of the stress associated with the Permanent Change of Station (PCS) move process by providing child care assistance.

Community Programs | Air & Space Forces Aid Society | AFAS AFAS understands the challenges that come with military life, from deployments to PCS orders, and offers targeted community programs to help make everyday life on base a little easier and help take care of military families. Air & Space Forces Aid Society supports a wide variety of Community Programs at Air Force Base and Space Force Base installations across the world.

Learn more about the programs currently offered. Our popular Bundles for Babies class is designed to teach soon to be and new parents basic parenting skills, as well as essential financial skills to help them budget for their new baby – from birth to college. The class is also a great opportunity to connect with other expectant parents on base.

After completing the class, parents can apply for a $150 monetary gift from AFAS to help purchase some of baby’s first essentials. This class is open to all ranks of service and is not limited to a first pregnancy. Want to learn more?

You can view the Bundles for Babies flyer here . Contact your Military & Family Readiness Center to find out if this program is offered at your base. The AFAS Car Seat Program helps eligible Airmen and Guardians with a one-time $200 payment to help offset the cost of a car seat or booster seat.

This program is available to Active Duty Air Force and Space Force members in grades E-1 through E-5 and is designed to support child safety while easing the financial burden of purchasing essential equipment for growing families. Want to learn more? You can view the Child Car Seat Fact sheet here .

Parenting can be stressful. Those stresses can be even more acute for a military family. AFAS offers several programs to help Air Force and Space Force families with child care needs.

And Starting April 11, 2025 we’ve enhanced our programs to offer more child care options, expanded eligibility to support even more families, and direct payments for quicker access to funds. This program provides funding for monthly child care breaks for active duty Air Force and Space Force families who need a break from the stresses of parenting.

This program is intended to help relieve some of the stress inherently associated with the PCS move process.

“ Bee ” Arnold Spouse Tuition Program This program provides funding for spouses to pursue entry-level job training to help secure immediate, viable employment through short term programs/certifications (3-12 weeks) or spouses pursuing a PART-TIME undergraduate degree at an accredited 2-4 year college, university or vocational/trade school approved by the U.S. Department of Education for participation in federal aid programs.

Spouses of U.S. Air Force and Space Force members on active duty, Title 10 Reserve and Guard on extended active duty , and Title 32 Guard performing full-time active duty are eligible and can receive up to $2,500. Military members must be on active duty orders at the time the spouse’s program/certification or class starts.

Education Childcare Grant: Spouses who are approved for the “Bee” Arnold Spouse Tuition Program are eligible for an Education Childcare Grant to help supplement the cost of childcare needed to pursue a degree or certification. Instructions for how to apply for the childcare grant will be provided to all “Bee” Arnold Spouse Tuition Grant recipients.

“Bee” Arnold Spouse Tuition Program applicants can apply once per year through the AFAS portal under Community Programs and must provide proof of enrollment, cost of tuition document, dependent ID card, and sponsor’s active duty orders (including Title 10 Reserve and Guard on extended active duty and Title 32 Guard performing full-time active duty).

Once the documents are received and the contract is signed, the funds will be distributed directly to the student via Zelle or Bank ACH.

Some examples of programs/certifications include but are not limited to: Medical Billing and Coding/Transcription, Medical Office Administration, Dental Assistant, Nursing Assistant/Aide, Mental Health, Medical Lab/Phlebotomy, Physical Therapy Aide, Pharmacy Technician, Veterinary Assistant, Basic Computer Skills, IT Leadership and Business Development, Graphic Design, Leadership Skills, Human Resource Management, Socia Media Marketing Program, Real Estate License, and Digital Photography.

Applications are now available at https://portal. afas. org/ .

Detailed instructions on how to complete the application can be found here . NOTE: If you are enrolled FULL-TIME pursuing a 2-4 year degree, please visit our General Henry H. Arnold Grant application page .