For Immediate Release

Department of Defense Grants Armed Services YMCA Funds for Expanded High-Quality, Accessible Child Care Centers for Military Families in Hampton Roads and DC areas

Two new centers opening in 2025 with a third opening in Spring 2026 to relieve lengthy child care waitlist

(Norfolk, VA.) April 23, 2025 – The Armed Services YMCA (ASYMCA) is proud to announce the opening of three new child development centers (CDCs) exclusively serving military families as a result of a contract with the Department of Defense (DoD). The centers will be accessible for military personnel currently on a waitlist for care, and each center will enroll more than 200 children, with a goal of all three centers opening by Spring 2026. ASYMCA anticipates the first center opening in Norfolk, VA, in May 2025, with a second location in Virginia Beach in Spring 2026. A new center in the Washington, DC area to help support families working in the Pentagon will open in late 2025.

The costs of child care in America have risen 22 percent since 2020, challenging most parents financially. Finding accessible, affordable, high-quality child care is even more challenging for those in the military. In addition to all the realities that go with military life such as being away from family, deployments, and frequent moves, families also face a lack of affordable child care that has led to a waitlist exceeding more than two thousand children between the Norfolk and Washington D.C. areas, which is why ASYMCA strives to expand the number of CDCs they operate.

“Being able to serve the men and women of our military by offering three new child development centers in the Norfolk and DC areas is an important step in supporting military readiness, ” notes William French, Vice Admiral, U.S. Navy (Ret.), President and Chief Executive Officer, Armed Services YMCA. “We appreciate the partnership with the Department of Defense through this contract so we can provide this critical solution to military families in the area.”

The ASYMCA is establishing these facilities in a coordinated effort with the department’s Office of Military and Community Family Policy. Military families need access to affordable, quality child care to support higher levels of personnel readiness.

“This initiative demonstrates how community partnerships can help bring additional child care capacity to areas where military and civilian workforce families have been affected the most by a lack of quality, affordable options,” said Lee Kelley, acting deputy assistant secretary of defense for Military Community and Family Policy.

Child care is a workforce enabler that directly impacts the readiness, efficiency, and retention of all military, across all branches. Military families experience considerable waiting lists for access to child care, which can be attributable to capacity shortfalls not only within DoD/Military Services operated programs, but commercial and community programs as well. The Armed Services YMCA is currently supporting 15,000 military children in child care programs. ASYMCA’s CDCs under this contract complement and are in coordination with the services provided by the Department of Defense (DoD), but are located within the community. Each CDC will be licensed in Virginia and nationally accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

Service members and their families can find more information, check eligibility, and request care in the new center and all other available DoD child care programs via www.MilitaryChildCare.com. 

Press Inquiries:
Venessa King
venessa@nardimedia.com

About ASYMCA:

The oldest military support organization in the U.S., the Armed Services YMCA (ASYMCA) serves nearly 200,000 military service members, spouses, and children and delivers more than 2 million points of service through its 12 Branches and 24 Affiliate Partners. The organization provides full-day, drop-in, or school-aged child care to almost 15,000 children, primarily to junior enlisted ranks. To learn more about how the ASYMCA is “Strengthening Our Military Family®,” visit www.asymca.org.

About Military Community and Family Policy

Military Community and Family Policy is directly responsible for establishing and overseeing quality of life policies and programs that help our service members, their families, and survivors be well and mission-ready. It’s flagship program, Military OneSource is both a call center and a website. This DOD-funded program provides comprehensive information, resources, and assistance on every aspect of military life to more than 4 million service members and their immediate family members. It’s provided at no cost to service members and the families of active duty, National Guard, and reserve (regardless of activation status), Coast Guard members when activated for the Navy, DOD expeditionary civilians, and survivors. Military OneSource services are available worldwide 24 hours a day, seven days a week at militaryonesource.mil or 800-342-9647.