Pilot Program Reimburses Cost of Flying Family in to Watch Kids During a PCS

Military families already know that a PCS move can feel like chaos, especially when kids are involved. Aside from prepping to move to a new place, start a new job, and make sure your kids are comfortable, if childcare isn’t available, it may feel like all of your prepping is useless.

A new travel reimbursement pilot program aims to ease that burden by reimbursing childcare-related airfare during a move. This initiative allows families to get reimbursed for bringing in a trusted caregiver, like a grandparent, to help manage kids during a PCS.

It’s a small shift with a big impact on how families handle military childcare costs during a PCS.

What Is the PCS Childcare Reimbursement Program?

This childcare pilot program, available to military families, was created to address an issue many military families face with every PCS: long waitlists for on-base childcare.

There’s a very specific detail families should know before applying for the cost of flying reimbursement. Not every family PCSing automatically gets reimbursed.

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A very important note: It only applies if childcare isn’t available at your new duty station within 30 days of when you need it.

Specifically, the program covers travel reimbursement for a caregiver traveling to help you, by:

• Commercial airfare (yes, flights count, but they must be booked on a U.S. Flag Carrier)
• Train or bus travel
• Transportation to and from airports
• Limited rental car costs tied to travel

It is also important to note what this program does not cover: hotels, meals, and POV (Privately Owned Vehicle) mileage for the caregiver are not authorized.

The program is designed to offset the struggle that many PCSing families face when they don’t have immediate access to care.

How Much Will Families Be Reimbursed?

Under this PCS travel reimbursement pilot program, families may receive:

• Up to $500 for CONUS moves
• Up to $1,500 for OCONUS moves

Is it going to cover everything? Probably not. But even partial reimbursement for flying costs can take a huge chunk out of everyone's out-of-pocket expenses.

Who Is Eligible for the Reimbursement of Flying Costs During a PCS?

Not every family will qualify, and the requirements are pretty specific.

You may be eligible for the cost of flying reimbursement if:

• You’re an active-duty service member with PCS orders
• You have at least one child who hasn’t started school yet
• You’ve requested care through MilitaryChildCare
• Childcare won’t be available within 30 days of your arrival
• You have a dependent authorized to move with you
• If you are married, your spouse must be working, actively looking for work, or enrolled as a full-time student

One stipulation, which is a bit unclear, is whether the child needing care must be between 0 and 5 years old and not yet in school.

There are also a few important details:

• The caregiver must be 18 or older
• They can’t be your dependent
• Only one caregiver per family is covered

How to Apply for Cost of Flying Reimbursement

Applying isn’t overly complicated, especially if you’ve applied for childcare on any military base in the past.

Here’s how to get started:

• Create or log into your MilitaryChildCare account
• Request full-day childcare at your new duty station
• Wait for confirmation that care isn’t available within 30 days
• Download your travel memo from the system
• Book travel for your designated caregiver
• Submit receipts with your PCS travel claim. Important: You have up to one year from your report date to file your claim.

What the Childcare Reimbursement Program Could Mean for Families

Though the program is still a pilot, its impact on how the military is addressing childcare costs for PCSing families is not going unnoticed.

The fact that this acknowledges that PCSing doesn’t just disrupt one aspect of our lives – it affects some of the most important parts, including our support systems.

By allowing reimbursement for the cost of flying, it feels like the DoD is saying, “Bring your village with you, we’ll help cover it.”

And that’s a huge step in the right direction for our families. One that might help lower the number of spouses who are out of jobs due to a lack of childcare from base to base.