FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, Md. — Fort Meade celebrated the opening of a new Family Child Care (FCC) home this week with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 3315 Oliver Ct. Operated by Senait Chatman, the new home-based facility expands the installation’s Child and Youth Services (CYS) program — a key contributor to family readiness and mission efficiency across the garrison.
Fort George G. Meade Garrison Commander Col. Yolanda Gore praised Chatman and her spouse, Sgt. Kyler Chatman, for their commitment to serving the Fort Meade community and emphasized how FCC homes directly support Army readiness. “This is not just a business concept — this is about service to the community, to parents, and to our service members,” Gore said. “These homes provide a stable, nurturing environment that gives parents peace of mind, which directly impacts their ability to focus on the mission. That’s what readiness looks like.”
Fort George G. Meade Garrison Command Sgt. Maj. Richard Moore echoed those sentiments, stressing the Army’s longstanding reliance on strong, supportive families to maintain operational excellence. “The United States Army has been in business for 250 years this year, and it’s because of great families like you,” Moore said. “Childcare may seem like a small detail, but it’s foundational to our effectiveness. Without it, readiness suffers.”
Senait Chatman shared her personal motivation for opening an FCC home, shaped by the challenges she faced as a young military spouse seeking childcare. “I suffered as a military wife, bought childcare myself with my firstborn. It was hard,” she said. “It's hard trusting someone. It's hard finding a job to pay for childcare. So, I thought, why not help the community? It’s something I can take with me as he moves.” Her spouse, Sgt. Kyler Chatman, commended her dedication and strength. “I just want to say how proud I am of my wife,” he said. “I've seen how difficult this job can be and how stressful it can be. She handles it with eloquence, grace and patience with the kids. That, to me, is just unspeakable — because kids are different.”
FCC homes offer an efficient and flexible alternative to center-based childcare, with smaller group sizes and tailored care in a home setting. Whether full-time, part-time, or hourly, FCC services are designed to meet the unpredictable demands of military life — especially during mobilization, deployments and training cycles. The new FCC home is part of Fort Meade’s continued investment in quality-of-life programs that bolster both family well-being and the overall readiness of its military force.
Meanwhile, military families in San Diego County are gaining more options for affordable child care through a newly expanded federal initiative. Launched on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, the initiative will help families access more than 400 community child care providers. The expanded program, called Military Child Care in Your Neighborhood – PLUS, is funded and run by the Department of Defense, with the San Diego County Office of Education vetting providers.
Rita Palet, the county office’s executive director of early education programs and services, noted that even though there are on-base child development centers, the capacity is insufficient, leaving many families on waiting lists. “I just think San Diego is the perfect place to have this partnership,” she said. “We have close to 1,000 families right now on a waiting list.”
The biggest need is for children under four in full-day, full-year programs — but there are still slots available as many children have transitioned to kindergarten. The participating care providers were already available to families through the county’s Quality Preschool Initiative, which supports child development programs and helps them improve their quality. However, participating in the military child care initiative allows providers to secure a more reliable source of income, as they will be compensated directly by the military.
Palet explained that the Defense Department has been working for almost three years to understand what families need from child care in California and San Diego. “So it took us this long to align what the Department of Defense does for their licensing requirements versus our licensing requirements,” she said. “What they consider quality, and what we consider quality in California.”
Additionally, the program provides a continuation of education, offering care for children from infancy up to age five. Families can find participating providers at militarychildcare.com. Many military families who have moved to the San Diego region lack family support, making community support all the more crucial. Child development centers do a good job of embedding themselves in and understanding communities, while the county office also provides resources, Palet said. “Because when you’re coming brand new to a location, it’s like — what do you do, even, when you’re not at work?” Palet said. “How do you meet people?”
