The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation Grants $312,000 to the Armed Services YMCA Camp Pendleton to support childcare subsidies.

The Armed Services YMCA Camp Pendleton (ASYMCA) has received a $312,000 grant from The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation to provide childcare subsidies for military families.

The funding will be used to provide vouchers for up to a 12-month period to help Marines, Sailors and their families stationed at Camp Pendleton and surrounding areas cover the costs of childcare at licensed facilities or vetted in-home care in the area. The vouchers will also help alleviate the 144-child waitlist at Fisher Children’s Center, the childcare center located on Camp Pendleton and operated by the Armed Services YMCA.

“We are grateful for the support of The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation,” said Armed Services YMCA Camp Pendleton’s Executive Director Samantha Holt. “This grant will help us reach more military families in our community by providing them with the support they need to manage their careers and family needs.”

According to the 2020 Blue Star Families Military Family Lifestyle Survey, the need for more childcare funding is great.  Although the military’s childcare system is considered a “gold standard” in safety and affordability, it is extremely difficult for families to access. The report indicates that nearly one-third of military spouses who want to work report they can’t find childcare.

“We understand that many military spouses wish to develop careers of their own outside of the home,” said Bob Parsons, co-founder of The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation. “Our hope is to help bridge the gap for those who are struggling to find available, affordable, and quality childcare to strengthen military families long term.”

The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation has made it possible for the Armed Services YMCA Camp Pendleton to expand their existing Temporary Emergency Assistance Program (TEAP) to include childcare vouchers, address the lengthy childcare waitlist, and support employment opportunities for military spouses.

The current TEAP program offers grocery and gas vouchers to families who are referred to the Armed Services YMCA by trusted representatives from different organizations that work directly with military families such as: Navy Marine Corps Relief, Family Advocacy Program, New Parent Support Program and other similar groups. The grant will allow the ASYMCA to offer financial assistance to military families who are struggling to find affordable, quality childcare. With the rising cost of childcare, military families are having to make tough decisions that can affect their careers and family’s needs.

The Armed Services YMCA has been strengthening and fostering resiliency among military families on Camp Pendleton for 80 years through a wide range of programs and services. With this new grant, the organization will be able to serve even more military service members and their families.

The Armed Services YMCA Camp Pendleton will begin accepting applications for childcare vouchers in early summer. For more information, please visit www.camppendleton.asymca.org.