Many military families are facing challenges when it comes to finding quality childcare. In response to their needs, Air Force Aid Society (AFAS) and Army Emergency Relief (AER) partnered with National Military Family Association (NMFA). AFAS & AER established a partnership to help Airmen, Guardians, and Soldiers in need of childcare assistance.
Through the AFAS and AER’s joint partnership with NMFA, we were able to help thousands of Airmen, Guardians, and Soldiers with $1,500 in grant assistance per family.
Learn what this support meant for these families in their own words.
Stress No More
An Air Force family receives a childcare reimbursement award
Steven, an Air Force Technical Sergeant, and his spouse Michelle received a childcare reimbursement award after a challenging year.
“We were incredibly excited to learn that we had been selected as one of the recipients of the Childcare Reimbursement award. This year has proven to be one of the most challenging years of our family’s existence. As I struggled to start a healthcare consulting company during the pandemic after losing my job with a smaller company, the premature birth of our twins tripled our future childcare expenses. We usually have our family to lean on for affordable childcare here in Texas, but the military threw a PCS to Maryland at us on top of everything. With the cost of living much higher and a lack of a support system that I have here in Texas, our costs are going to skyrocket.
This reimbursement will help alleviate some of the stress that our finances have introduced to our life with the twin additions and cross-country move. We never would have pictured ourselves where we are today when we first started our family. The NMFA/AFAS award could not have come at a more perfect time. Thank you so, so much for your organization’s generosity. It has helped 2021 look like it might be turning around for us!”
Michelle F. (spouse), Steven F. (Active-Duty Air Force) E-6
Alleviating Hardship
AFAS is here to help throughout the military journey
Military service is not an easy path to follow. But as Bradley, an Air Force Technical Sergeant, and his spouse Odhalea have discovered, no Airman or their family is alone in this journey.
“The challenges faced by military families are not always more difficult than those faced by people in the private sector, but they are usually unique. The efforts of organizations like the NMFA and AFAS to alleviate the hardships of service members who are moved far from their social and family safety nets are greatly appreciated by those of us that have been helped. Thank you!”
Always There to Help
AFAS partners with NMFA to provide childcare assistance
Frances Jo, an Air Force Staff Sergeant, received childcare fee assistance for his 3-year-old daughter.
“Our family is overjoyed that we have been chosen for the childcare fee assistance. Ava, our 3-year-old daughter, doesn’t fully understand the scope of the benefit but we tell her it is exciting news for us, and she gives a cheesy smile with a big thumbs-up. It is comforting to know that there are associations out there who have been diligently looking for ways to provide assistance to struggling military families during this pandemic.
I read in the email that the Air Force Aid Society (AFAS) has partnered up with the National Military Family Association to provide the funding for the fee assistance. As a young Airman, before I even had a family in mind, I used the AFAS to help me in my time of need. I have always believed in the charities under the Air Force Assistance Fund because of my experience with the AFAS. To think that even after years, I am leaning on the AFAS and they are always there to help pick me up when I need it! I could go on and on about how amazing these assistance programs are for helping struggling military families but I won’t bore you. We would like to thank the National Military Family Association and the Air Force Aid Society for the helping hand they extended from their family to ours.”
Frances Jo A. (Active-duty Air Force) E-5