Photo By Stephen Warns | Anne Rasmussen, child development branch chief for AFSVA, inputs data during an...... read more read more
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Dean, a basic medical technician corpsman program instructor, knows her baby will be in good hands with Denise Garces, the lead teacher for the CDC.
“I’m happy to drop him off,” Dean said. “It’s just peace of mind, really.”
Dean’s confidence stems from the Air Force Services Activity’s annual physical inspections of child development centers, family child care programs, school age care and youth centers.
“Knowing the Air Force is committed to quality, affordable and available child care helps Airmen focus on their mission because they know their children are well cared for,” said Anne Rasmussen, child development branch chief for AFSVA.
Four annual, unannounced inspections of child and youth programs is a key way the Air Force ensures quality care for families. The inspections include comprehensive fire and safety; public health and sanitation; an installation multidisciplinary team inspection; and the Department of Defense unannounced higher headquarters inspection. A benefit of the multidisciplinary inspection is that the team is comprised of local experts and parents from each of the programs.
“These inspections are our quality control measure,” said Stacey Young, a member of the policy division of the Headquarters Air Force Child and Youth Programs office in Washington, D.C. “They’re also a requirement by public law. It’s how the Department of Defense ensures we are offering the quality programs we should be offering per the law and DoD instructions.
“The inspections give us our DoD certificate to operate,” Young added. “Without these inspections, we can’t operate, and if we can’t operate, parents can’t go to work. That’s the main thing.”
To ensure the building and sustaining of ready and resilient Airmen and their families, AFSVA uses a formula of quality, availability and affordability, Rasmussen said.
“It all goes hand-in-hand, and that drives what we look at,” Rasmussen said.
Ultimately, Rasmussen said the Air Force wants Airmen and their families to be able to afford quality child care experiences in buildings and spaces that are being used effectively.
“That is really our big focus when we come (to an installation),” Rasmussen added.
By the end of this year, AFSVA inspectors will have made unannounced visits to 70 installations worldwide with each inspection taking about a week to complete, Young said.
Following the inspections, mission support group commanders are briefed on the results. Installations then have 90 days to correct identified deficiencies. Once corrective actions are verified, installations are recommended for DoD certification.
| Date Taken: | 11.02.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 11.28.2016 12:15 |
| Story ID: | 213641 |
| Location: | SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 84 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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