Financial Assistance

Military and Family Readiness Center

To help budget your move wisely, contact your local Military and Family Readiness Center and sign up for classes and counseling sessions on your permanent change of station. Even if you are an experienced mover, you need to know the most current and up-to-date allowances and benefits available. Remember, you normally incur expenses which will not be fully covered by your PCS entitlements. A good rule of thumb is to have at least enough savings to cover cost of living expenses for 90 days.

At Luke Air Force Base, the M&FRC offers many programs to help you become financially fit. A budget can be the best indicator of what you need to do with your money like savings, investing, paying down consumer debt, etc., and help you plan accordingly.

Let your M&FRC representative help you:

• Create a spending plan based on your lifestyle and needs
• Reduce your consumer debt
• Provide you with the latest financial and consumer information on car buying, consumer scams, credit bureau research, etc.

The Air and Space Forces Aid Society is the official charity of the United States Air and Space Forces. A private, non-profit organization, AFAS promotes the Air Force mission by providing worldwide emergency assistance, sponsoring education assistance programs and offering a variety of base community enhancement programs that improve quality of life for airmen and their families. AFAS assists with rent, food, shelter, vehicle repairs including parts and labor and emergency travel for death or serious illness of immediate family members. Contact the Military and Family Readiness Center with questions at 623-856-6550 or apply for AFAS assistance on the AFAS website.

Bundles for Babies

The Bundles for Babies class is designed to teach soon-to-be and new parents basic parenting skills as well as financial skills to help them budget for their new baby - from birth to college. Upon completing the Bundles for Babies class, parents will receive a free gift card from AFAS to help purchase some newborn baby items. Active-duty Air Force personnel and spouses who are awaiting the birth of a child are eligible for the Bundles for Babies class. Contact Military & Family Readiness Center to register for Bundles for Babies class, 623-856-6550.

Child Care for PCS Program 

The Child Care for PCS Program is intended to help relieve the stress felt by Air Force and Space Force families in the process of a permanent change of station, retirement, Palace Chase, or separation service move. Effective April 2025, eligible service members will apply through the AFAS Member Portal and receive funding directly into designated bank account via Zelle or ACH to pay for the allowable childcare.

AFAS will provide $200 per dependent child up to age 12 (not to exceed $1,000 per family) to eligible service members utilizing childcare at:

Child care provider is family choice.

Eligibility:

• Active-duty Air Force and Space Force service members
• Air National Guard and Reserve service members activated under Title 10, USC for more than 15 days with a PCS order
• Air Force and Space Force service members with retirement orders to include a Temporary Disability Retired List, Palace Chase or when separating from active-duty service
  • These eligibility categories are only eligible within 60 days at the departure location

Eligible dependent children must be listed on the permanent change of station order and must be moving to the PCS location with the sponsor. Mil-to-Mil families are allowed one certificate per household. Service members with an unaccompanied permanent change of station order are not eligible, unless the dependents will be relocating to the follow-on assignment.

Application guidance is on website.

Call 703-972-2604 or email ea@afas-hq.org should you need assistance or have additional questions.

Give Parents a Break Program

The Air & Space Forces Aid Society recognizes that Air Force and Space Force families are subject to unique stresses due to the nature of military life with deployments, remote tours of duty, frequent moves, etc. Families are often separated from spouses as well as from extended family members who might otherwise offer support. To assist these families, AFAS provides assistance with the child care costs for active-duty Air Force and Space Force families under the GPAB Program. The purpose of this program is to offer eligible parents a few hours break from the stresses of parenting. Families may use this time to suit their personal needs. Effective April 11, 2025, eligible service members with a GPAB certificate will apply through the AFAS Member Portal and receive funding directly into the designated bank account via Zelle or ACH to pay for the allowable child care. Please contact the Luke Military and Family Readiness Center to obtain a certificate.

AFAS will provide $40 per dependent child a month for up to three months to eligible service members with a GPAB certificate of eligibility at:

Child care provider is family choice.

Eligibility:

• Active-duty Air Force and Space Force service members 
• Air National Guard and Reserve service members activated under Title 10, USC for more than 15 days
• It is the responsibility of the eligible service member to ensure the childcare provider is paid using the AFAS-approved funds.
• A Give Parents a Break certificate of eligibility may be issued when a parent is feeling stress due to:
  • The service member being deployed, on an extended temporary duty or on a remote tour of duty 
  • A family crisis or emergency such as serious illness of a family member, death in the family, extended illness of family members, birth of a new baby, etc.
• Application guidance is on website.