MILITARY CHILD CARE CENTERS & DOD TEACHERS GIVEN EXEMPTION FROM CIVILIAN HIRING FREEZE
A major hiring freeze continues to affect the federal government but military child care will be exempt, along with schools connected to the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). The civilian hiring freeze exemption is allowing for workers to be hired during this turbulent time to help ensure military children are taken care of and that the burden doesn’t fall on milspouses.
Military Child Care Exempt From Civilian Hiring Freeze
The Pentagon has issued a memorandum exempting military child care centers and DoD schools from the hiring freeze affecting the federal government.
Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Jules W. Hurst III included not only staffing exemptions for children but several programs related to military families.
There is still some confusion on how many positions within the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) or child care facilities are exempt.
Nevertheless, it’s a sigh of relief for military families who often face a variety of hardships when finding quality education and care options for their kids.
Investing in Military Children
The issues facing military families for child care and education continue but the DoD has been working on a variety of solutions to help lessen the burden.
For years, staffing has been increasing across child care centers, even offering increased salaries and benefits so that facilities could increase the number of employees available.
Expanded access, lower fees for those living on base, and even more workers have been hired all in an effort to improve childcare options for the military community.
These are clear examples of how the DoD is helping military families but even with these efforts, it’s clear that more needs to be done.
A National Concern
Exempting child care and education from the hiring freeze is a necessary step for our nation’s security and the everyday lives of military families across the nation.
Military families are facing a serious child care crisis, making it even harder for milspouses to work and support their families.
While child care shortages affect families nationwide, the very nature of serving as a warfighter makes it difficult to ensure educational needs are met even with better outside conditions.
For example, living a military life means PCSing often, working long hours, and families being separated for large periods of time.
This has a direct impact on military readiness for warfighters; however, it’s often milspouses who are forced to pick up the slack.
This can impact milspouses finding employment or starting careers altogether. All at a time when military families are stuck facing financial hardships that often require two incomes.
Hiring Freeze Not Just for Child Care
While the DoD is exempting child care and education, they’re not the only areas receiving the protection.
A memo from the DoD shows that exemptions to the hiring freeze cover essential positions related to fire, life, and safety.
Employees paid from non-appropriated funds, like those working at exchanges and morale, welfare, and recreation (MWR) programs, are also exempt.
Furthermore, medical personnel directly involved in patient care or critical hospital operations are included in the exemption as well.
While the hiring freeze affects many roles, these exemptions, like those for military child care, help maintain key operations, ensuring critical services, security, and operational readiness continue.
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