Photo By Abigail Carey | Sgt. Kyler Chatman and his wife Senait Chatman cut the ribbon on their new FCC home...... read more read more
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.
| Date Taken: | 04.15.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.15.2025 14:38 |
| Story ID: | 495373 |
| Location: | MARYLAND, US |
| Web Views: | 19 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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