Summary: In the military's child development program, fees paid by parents fund the salaries of caregivers. Federal dollars pay for supplies, equipment, staff training, and some staff salaries. The Air Force is the only service whose centers all meet the accreditation standards of the National Association for the Education of Young Children. The hourly cost of child care is about 20 percent higher in Air Force centers than in civilian centers of comparable quality because Air Force labor costs are higher and because a higher proportion of the children are younger than three years old. Adjusting estimated costs to account for differences in age, the cost per child-hour is about seven percent higher in Air Force centers than in civilian centers. The Air Force pays its centers' caregivers an average of $11.20 per hour in salaries and benefits, $1.04 more than civilian centers pay. GAO concludes that, with adjustments for age distribution, the costs of high-quality child care in Air Force and civilian centers are not substantially different.
