APRIL 21, 2025 — A once popular U.S. Army Child & Youth Services program that was nearly shuttered in the wake of the COVID pandemic is beginning to stir up interest again.
So far this year, the Family Child Care program at Fort Knox has opened eight active homes, and program officials said they are hoping to capitalize on this recent surge to encourage even more families to participate.
“This past year, we worked really hard to get interest in FCC here at Fort Knox,” said Elizabeth Hicks, a program operations specialist at Fort Knox Child & Youth Services.
Hicks explained the installation’s history with the program was extremely well received.
“In the FCC heyday, there was over 100 homes here on post,” said Hicks.
All that changed with COVID-19.
“At Fort Knox, we went down to one home,” said Hicks, “and we had one home for quite a few years. Some of the reasons for that were the strict COVID protocols and guidelines we had to implement at the CDCs.
“Everybody had to have the gloves and the masks, and they were talking about the shoe booties for parents coming in. And it was hard to maintain those strict guidelines in a home that’s also functioning as a daycare.”
Prior to COVID, Family Child Care was a way for Army spouses to earn an income on post while also watching their own children.
Childcare guidelines, mandated by U.S. Army Installation Command, still remain stringent, based on CDC guidelines. As a result, officials at Child & Youth Services remain responsible for certifying potential caregivers, running background checks on family members who live in participating homes, and ensuring the homes offer a safe, inviting environment for the children.
Hicks said FCC helps reduce wait times for incoming parents trying to get their children registered for childcare.
For first-time mother Taylor Lawrence, having her 11-month-old son Cooper in the home of Karen Guzman has proven beneficial for them both. She enrolled him in September 2024 and said she discovered an added benefit.
“This whole experience has been amazing!” she said. “I like the fact that when I go there to pick him up, he’s happy and he’s smiling at Miss Karen. She’s just so connected to Cooper, and she’s so caring.”
Lawrence said the FCC program turned out to be a natural fit for her and her husband.
“[Cooper] was delivered early, and we were not prepared for child care at that time,” she said. “I was trying to get into the CDC, but then I was offered FCC. I work for CYS, and I just never really understood FCC until I went there and actually interviewed with Miss Karen. I was like, ‘No, this is where my son needs to be.’”
The program also adheres to strict regulations on how many children can be watched in each household. Regardless of the number of potential caregivers living in a home, there can only be a maximum of six children per residence, including the family’s own children.
“If she has two children, then she can only provide care for four additional children,” said Hicks. “She can never go over her six ratio.”
The ages of the children are also considered. Of the six children cap, only two can be younger than 2 years old: “If a parent has two children who are under the age of 2, say twins or something that are 1, no other children can be under the age of 2 in that particular home. They would have to be 24 months and one day old.”
Hicks said both the potential caregiver and the participating family must go through an interview process before a selection is made. This is an opportunity for parents and the potential caregiver to meet and decide if the home placement would be a good fit.
“If they both say yes,” said Hicks, “then we move forward with enrollment.”
One of those caregivers who has gone through the interview process countless times is Zenaida Vazquez. She has been providing care to military children for 17 years at three different installations.
She and her husband arrived at Fort Knox six months ago.
The wife of a 1st Theater Sustainment Command noncommissioned officer, Vazquez said she continues to provide quality care because she loves the children and the reward of knowing she has been a significant part of their young lives.
“I love my job!” she said.
She has a basket full of awards she has received over the years for leadership and mentorship. They sit in a closet by the front door.
She said some of her biggest rewards come from the parents, the testimonies sent to her by former children, and the constant smiles she witnesses in the six she currently takes care of. They range from 17 months to 3 years old.
“I have three children ages 28, 27 and 23; my son grew up in this program,” said Vazquez. And my daughter worked with me almost nine years. All my family has supported me.”
Vazquez’ husband said he is very supportive, even considering the children his second family.
Hicks said that sentiment is shared by other caregivers, and she offered some advice to those who would be interested in opening their home to Family Child Care:
“We can make the Family Child Care program fit in your home around your family; that’s the whole point of it,” said Hicks. “You can still have a family and take care of your children with the care you want to provide them, while earning an income meeting the needs of other military families with a homelike childcare experience.”
Story by Eric Pilgrim
Fort Knox