Child Development Centers
We are extremely proud of the Kirtland Air Force Base Child Development Centers (CDC's) facilities and the dynamic programs available to your children! Our centers are accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children and certified by the Department of Defense (DoD). Our policies and Procedures are based on Air Force Instruction 34-144, Department of Defense Instruction 6060.2, Air Force Inspection Checklist and local operation instructions.
The CDCs offer care, guidance, and developmental activities for your children while you fulfill your obligations to the Air Force or enjoy educational, recreational, or social opportunities. A schedule of activities, including meal and nap times, is posted in each area. This is a flexible schedule which allows Child & Youth Program Assistants to respond to children’s individual needs and provide you with general times for scheduled activities.
- Foster positive identity and sense of emotional well-being
- Enhance social skills
- Encourage children to think, reason, question children to think, reason, question, and experiment
- Promote language and literacy development
- Build physical development and skills
- Support sound health, safety, and nutritional practices
- Advance creative expression, representation, and appreciation for the arts
- Appreciate and respect cultural diversity
- Develop initiative and decision-making skills
- Children will experience growth and learning in their social, emotional, physical, language, and cognitive development
- Children will develop a positive sense of self as valued members of the community
- Children will progressively gain social competence and display pro-social behaviors by connecting with peers in ways that build self-worth and belonging
- Children will gain competence in problem solving strategies, understanding of concepts and relationships, develop logical, representational, and symbolic thinking skills and to take initiative and make relevant decisions
- Children will gain competence in their home language to include ability to communicate through language, to discriminate the sounds of language, to ask/answer questions, to gain understanding of print and concepts, and to make sense of printing
- Children will display a progressively higher level of competence in their gross and fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, mobility and balance
- Children will develop creativity using art, drama, and movement to express and develop their uniqueness
- Families will feel supported and nurtured in their child rearing effort
- Families will experience greater support in dealing with the challenges of life in a military community
- Families experiencing lengthy separations due to deployments will be supported via formal or informal parent/staff support groups and networks with other community agencies
- Families will gain insight into their child’s development through the collaborative teacher parent partnership through relevant, intentional, systematic observation and assessment
CDC Extras
This program offers free childcare for parents experiencing stress due to deployment, on temporary duty or on a remote tour, caring for a child with special needs, an emergency situation, such as the illness of a family member, the family recently moving to the base or other unique family circumstances or hardships.
Give Parents a Break is held at the Gibson CDC. The Air Force Aid Society sponsors and funds the program, providing up to 4 hours of free childcare per month to families with special circumstances, who are referred by a helping agency. Usually on the first Friday of every month from 6:30-10:30 p.m. (except when otherwise noted). The care is provided at the Gibson Child Development Center (6 weeks to 6 years) and the Youth Center (ages 6 through 12 years); Reservations are taken on space available basis.
We ask you to register children in the program before reservations are accepted. Forms need for registration are:
- Air Force Youth Flight Patron Registration
- Proof of current immunizations
- Physical (6 Weeks to provide)
- Medical evaluations for children with special needs
- Parent Agreement
If your family is experiencing any of the situations above or you think you might benefit from a few hours break from parenting responsibilities, talk with any of the following about a referral.
- Airman & Family Readiness
- The staff of the Child Development Centers, the Youth Center, the Family Child Care Office, the Family Support Center, or the - Family Advocacy Office
- Your Unit Commander or First Sergeant
- An Air Force chaplain
To request care, you must create an account at www.militarychildcare.com. All dependents, ages 6 weeks to 5 years, of active duty military/DoD civilian employees may use the CDCs in accordance with Air Force priorities. The CDCs operate at capacity during some periods; therefore, space may not always be available for all children. Care of children with physical, mental, or emotional disabilities or those requiring special diets, special procedures, medication for chronic illness or other special attention – cannot be cared for or registered on the waiting list, without referral to the CDC Director or designee, for evaluation.
All dependents, ages 6 weeks to 5 years, of active duty military/DoD civilian employee may use the CDCs in accordance with Air Force priorities. Bona Fide houseguests of eligible patrons may use the CDCs on a space available drop-in basis. The CDCs operate at capacity during some periods; therefore, space may not always be available for all children. Care of children with physical, mental, or emotional disabilities or those requiring special diets, special procedures, medication for a chronic illness or other special attention – may require paperwork to be completed prior to starting. Please contact CDC Director or designee for more information.
When a slot is available for your child, the CDC staff will set up an appointment at that time and will provide information on the facilities, give you a tour and provide initial orientations. If you drop in without an appointment, the staff will be happy to provide you with information on registration but may not be able to accept new registrations or re-registrations due to daily in-processing and out-processing of established patrons.
To register in the program, you must bring:
- DoD identification to establish eligibility
- Your child’s current immunization records to the center.
- A current leave/Earnings Statement and or pay slip for every adult member of the household or student schedule.
CDC will provide forms for you to fill out:
- A health evaluation for your child within 6 weeks of enrollment.
- A form must be completely filled out and signed for each eligible child a completed form includes a local emergency contact, other than the sponsor and his/her spouse, their phone number, and proof of up-to-date immunizations
- You will also be provided a copy of our Parent Handbook to review prior to your child starting our program.
It is your responsibility to ensure immunizations are up to date or child care may be denied. You must bring each child’s immunization records to the center for verification. In accordance with AFI 34-144, Child Development Centers, all children must receive immunizations recommended by Air Force policy. Failure to do so could cause loss of the available slot for your child.
All records are kept Confidential and will be maintained at the front desk and only those staff with a need to know will have access to them.
Certified written notification from a physician is required for any special care a child may need, any food substitutions, or any allergies a child may have prior to your child receiving care.
The entire registration package must be completed in its entirety prior to receiving childcare.