Child Care

There are four CDCs on post. Fort Riley CDCs offer care for children 6 weeks to 5 years of age. Programs include Full-day care, Part-day preschool and hourly care. FCC homes offer care provided by a military family member in both on-and off-post homes for children from 6 weeks to 12 years of age. CYS Central Registration office: 785-239-9885.

The Fort Riley Family Child Care (FCC) program, as outlined in Army Regulation 608-10, Child and Youth Services, provides flexible options for child care, thus making it an essential component for meeting the Army’s military mission.

FCC homes offer high quality care provided by a military family member in both on-and off-post homes. FCC providers have extensive training and are regularly monitored and inspected by the FCC director and other CYS staff. In addition on-post homes are inspected by post fire, safety, and preventive medicine professionals and off-post homes are inspected by off-post licensing agents through their county Health Departments. These inspections are conducted to ensure that homes are maintained in a safe and sanitary manner providing the healthy, wholesome environment that the Army requires for your children.

FCC homes offer developmentally appropriate activities and guidance; follow child abuse prevention practices; undergo initial and annual background checks for the provider, the provider’s sponsor, and anyone in the home 12 years or older; and follow the USDA food program guidelines for providing healthy meals and snacks.

FCC homes can provide additional services, such as extended hours and long-term care, to include overnights and weekends; transportation to and from school if required; before-and after-school care, and hourly and part-time care, in addition to regular full time care. A Family Child Care home can be an extension of your own family setting, and can individualize care to meet the special needs of your child. FCC homes take children from 6 weeks to 12 years of age, making it possible for all siblings to be cared for in the same home. This is especially advantageous during school vacations and half-days. Your FCC provider has the autonomy to plan special activities, celebrations, and field trips that interest your child, and are approved by you. All children who attend FCC must be registered with Fort Riley CYSS before being enrolled in an FCC home.

The Family Child Care program selects only those individuals who are “most qualified” for acceptance into the program. An applicant must pass background checks through the DA Criminal Investigation Division, Provost Marshall’s Office, Drug and Alcohol, DA Social Work Services, and On-Post Housing. Those who are selected to become FCC providers must attend 40 hours of training in home safety, fire prevention, food sanitation, menu planning, food principles and nutrition; CPR and First Aid, Child Abuse Identification and Prevention, Special Needs, Parent and Public relations, Character Counts, Business Practices, and Positive Guidance. Additionally, providers must complete ongoing training in child development and guidance, to become fully certified and maintain their certification.

Only after a provider has undergone the required training and inspections, are they given the FCC certificate and allowed to display the FCC “House and Rainbow” flag in their front window. The FCC symbol is your assurance that your children are getting care from a post-certified provider. Anyone offering care in on-post quarters, over 10 child hours per week, must be certified. Anyone providing care above the 10 child hours per week without FCC certification is considered unauthorized care and subject to losing their housing privileges.

FCC is always looking for military spouses who are interested in a career in child care. Operating an FCC home, either on- or off-post, can be a viable and portable career for the military family member. To help a provider get started, all training, equipment, toys, and supplies necessary to start a childcare home are available, free of charge. Those who live off-post, must first be licensed with the state of Kansas, and then must work with the Ft. Riley FCC staff to meet the military requirements. By completing the required training, an FCC provider may qualify to receive the Child Development Associate (CDA), which is a nationally recognized childcare credential. An FCC home may also earn national accreditation by the National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC).
Affordability for childcare in an FCC home is guaranteed. FCC homes participate in the Army FCC subsidy program, and follow the same fee schedule as the Fort Riley Child Development Center and School Age Services program. This makes FCC homes a competitive alternative to other childcare services on post and in the surrounding communities. We hope you will consider FCC—you will be glad you did!!

FCC providers are independent contractors. Some providers will transport or walk children to and from school or pre-school. Headstart, Special Needs and Early Childhood program buses will pick up and drop off at FCC homes. The FCC office will always attempt to make placements that are convenient for before and after school considerations.

Parents are always welcome to visit their child’s “FCC home” during business hours and are encouraged to participate in field trips and other program events. The CYS Parent Advisory Council meets monthly and all parents are welcome to attend. Please contact your FCC director or provider to see how you can become involved in your child’s FCC experience. We hope to have the pleasure of assisting you in making your child care decision and look forward to serving you here at Fort Riley in our FCC Program.

Take a virtual tour of FCC Provider homes at http://www.armyfcc.com/. Contact Parent Central office at 239-9885 or the FCC office at 239-4313 for your USERNAME and PASSWORD. Click here for directions on how to log in.

Child Development Centers offer full-day child care for children 6 weeks to 5 years of age. The Army provides care in a multi-age group setting. The concept of the multi-age classroom is to provide a family-style environment where the children can learn from and nurture each other. Children experience fewer transitions while in the multi-age childcare setting and therefore can bond more closely with their primary caregiver. Children also benefit widely from opportunities to interact with children who are older and younger, learning important principles of citizenship, relationships, respect, patience, and self-esteem.

Utilizing the creative curriculum, our approach balances both teacher-directed and child-initiated learning, with an emphasis on responding to children’s learning styles and building on their strengths and interests. We provide opportunities for learning in literacy, math, science, social studies, the arts, technology, and personal hygiene and health. Yet, we never lose sight of the importance of children’s social/emotional development. The most important goal of our early childhood curriculum is to help children become enthusiastic learners.

All Fort Riley Child Development Centers are eligible for national accreditation through an external evaluation process that surpasses expectations and provides high quality care for children.

Fort Riley's Child Development Center, Family Child Care and School Age Services programs are DOD certified. The Child Development Center and several Family Child Care homes are nationally accredited. All programs that are offered through Child and Youth Services are processed through Central Enrollment Registry. All patrons must be registered through CER.

The CDC is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children and certified by the Department of the Army per AR 608-10. Each staff member completes a series of comprehensive training addressing every domain of child development (social, emotional, cognitive, language, physical….) to ensure that all children who attend receive care that is developmentally focused, nurturing the overall development of each individual child. A full-time Training and Curriculum Specialist is on staff to support and guide staff through their training process.

The purpose of the Fort Riley Child Development Center is to offer high quality developmental programs for children that support mission readiness and quality of life for the Fort Riley Community. Age requirements are 6 weeks to 5 years of age. For more information about the programs offered at the CDC please call 785-239-9935.

There are four CDCs on post. Fort Riley CDCs offer care for children 6 weeks to 5 years of age. Programs include Full-day care, Part-day preschool and hourly care. FCC homes offer care provided by a military family member in both on-and off-post homes for children from 6 weeks to 12 years of age.

The CYS Central Registration office can be contacted at 785-239-9885.

*First Division CDC:

• 4012 1^st Division Road.
• 785-239-9011

Hours of Operation:

• Monday - 5:45 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Tuesday - 5:45 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Wednesday - 5:45 p.m. to 6 p.m.
• Thursday - 5:45 p.m. to 6 p.m.
• Friday - 5:45 p.m. to 6 p.m.
• Saturday - Closed
• Sunday - Closed
• Federal Holidays - Closed

*Forsyth CDC:

• 2410 Saddlehorn Road
• 785-239-4846

Hours of Operation: 

• Monday - 5:45 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Tuesday - 5:45 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Wednesday - 5:45 p.m. to 6 p.m.
• Thursday - 5:45 p.m. to 6 p.m.
• Friday - 5:45 p.m. to 6 p.m.
• Saturday- Closed
• Sunday - Closed
• Federal Holidays - Closed

*Warren East CDC:

• 6981 Warren Road
• 785-240-0823

Hours of Operation: 

• Monday - 5:45 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Tuesday - 5:45 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Wednesday - 5:45 p.m. to 6 p.m.
• Thursday - 5:45 p.m. to 6 p.m.
• Friday - 5:45 p.m. to 6 p.m.
• Saturday - Closed
• Sunday - Closed
• Federal Holidays - Closed

*Whitside CDC:

• 676 Warrior Road
• 785-239-4978

Hours of Operation:

• Monday - 5:45 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Tuesday - 5:45 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Wednesday - 5:45 p.m. to 6 p.m.
• Thursday - 5:45 p.m. to 6 p.m.
• Friday - 5:45 p.m. to 6 p.m.
• Saturday to Closed
• Sunday to Closed
• Federal Holidays to Closed

Programs Offered

CDC offer several care choices for families:

• Part-Day Preschool programs are offered for 3-5 year old children. Morning or afternoon sessions are offered from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. at 1st Division CDC.

Forsyth East CDC:

• Preschool 2-day morning session: Tuesday and Thursday, 8:15 to 11:15 a.m.
• Preschool 2-day afternoon session: Tuesday and Thursday, 12:15 to 3:15 p.m.
• Preschool 3-day morning session: Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 8:15 to 11:15 a.m.
• Preschool 3-day afternoon session: Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 12:15 to 3:15 p.m.

Part-Day Pre-Kindergarten

Forsyth East CDC:

• Pre-kindergarten morning session: Monday-Friday, 8-11 a.m.
• Pre-kindergarten afternoon session: Monday-Friday, 12-3 p.m.

School-Age Center:

• Pre-kindergarten morning session: Monday through Friday, 8 to 11 a.m.
• Pre-kindergarten afternoon session: Monday through Friday, 12 to 3 p.m.

Hourly Care is offered from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Reservations can be made up to 30 days in advance. Same-day or walk-in appointments may be accepted on a space-available basis. Hourly care options are offered through, 1st Division CDC CDC, the School-Age Center, and Family Child Care providers. For more information on, call 785-239-9011.

Registration

Central Enrollment Registry offers you a one-stop office to register your children and youth in Child and Youth Services programs. Up-to-date immunization records, one emergency designee and your family’s current income statements are necessary to complete the registration process for full-day and part-day programs. You can contact the Registration Office at 785-239-9885. DSN 312-856-9885.

Eligibility

Active duty military personnel, DOD civilian personnel, reservist on active duty, retirees, and DOD contractors are eligible to register for the child care programs and services.

Costs

Program fees are based on DOD fee guidelines. All fees except hourly care fees are based on your total family income.

Special Needs

Any children with a special need will need to work with the Child Development Center and the Exceptional Family Member Coordinator at Army Community Service.

Wait List

The wait list for Child Care services is based on different elements, the children age, length of needed care, and full time or part time. Child Care spaces are available for children between 12 months and 5th grade. Call or stop by 6620 Normandy Drive for more information, 785-239-9885.

Priority Care

It is available under special guidelines. Contact the CYS office for additional information.

Respite Care - Special Needs

Any children with a special need will need to work with the Child Development Center and the Exceptional Family Member Coordinator (EFMP) at Army Community Service (ACS).

https://riley.armymwr.com/programs/parent-and-outreach-services

The School Age Services program consists of before and after school care, full-day care on "no- school" days and summer camp for children in Kindergarten - 5th grade. Bus transportation is available to and from all five Fort Riley Elementary Schools and St. Xavier School in Junction City. The program is open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and closed on Federal Holidays.

School-Age Centers run a before- and after-school program utilizing components of 4-H and Boys and Girls Club of America. School-Age Centers provide a safe, inviting, and fun atmosphere that inspires good character, self-growth, and a love of learning.

Before School:

• Care is offered from 5:45 a.m. until the children are picked up by school transportation.
• A USDA approved breakfast is served from 6:30 to 7:15 a.m.

After School:

• Care is provided from school pick-up until 6 p.m.
• A USDA-approved snack is served until 4:30 p.m.

Before and After School:

• Care is a combination of the two previously mentioned programs.

Army School Support Services offers parents the following:

• Provides parents moving to Fort Riley information on all schools serving the installation, both on- and off-post
• Provides transition information on leaving one school district to enter a new school; as well as transitions between elementary and middle school, and middle and high school.
• Provides youth sponsorship, youth sponsor training, youth sponsorship council, arrival / departure activities, and e-mail capability
• Home school programming and support group
• Youth School Council
• PCS and grade advancement transition assistance
• Post-secondary education preparation information

All School Liaison Officers are located in CYS Parent Central.

Full-day programs are offered from 5:45 a.m. to 6 p.m. during school vacations, teacher training days, and waiver days. Children in the before-school, after-school, and before- and after-school programs are guaranteed a space in all full-day program days as part of their monthly fee. The same type of activity choices as afternoon programming are available, along with field trips and various additional activities.

Afternoon programming is provided at both school-age centers.