MADISON – The Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs, in partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families, is excited to announce the launch of Military Child Care in Your Neighborhood-PLUS (MCCYN-PLUS). Building on the existing Military Child Care in Your Neighborhood (MCCYN) fee assistance program, MCCYN-PLUS enables Wisconsin to expand the network of quality childcare providers available to military-connected families, increasing access to affordable care within local communities.

Funded and administered by the Department of War (DoW), MCCYN helps eligible military-connected families reduce their out-of-pocket childcare expenses when military-operated childcare is unavailable due to distance or waitlists. Through MCCYN-PLUS, state-licensed providers that participate in YoungStar, Wisconsin’s quality rating and improvement program, and have a 3-star and above rating may be eligible to serve families receiving military fee assistance.

“Our strength has always come from the families who stand with our Soldiers and Airmen. When they have access to dependable, high‑quality childcare, it reinforces the foundation that allows our force to remain ready, resilient, and focused,” said Maj. Gen. Matthew Strub, Wisconsin’s adjutant general. “MCCYN‑PLUS is a powerful example of what partnership can achieve—connecting military families with trusted providers in their own communities and helping ensure that those who serve our state and nation can do so knowing their children are cared for close to home.”

Together, DCF and the Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs share a deep commitment to strengthening the support systems that make military service possible for families across our state.

“Our state is deeply thankful for the dedicated network of child care providers who offer high-quality care and nurture Wisconsin’s littlest learners every day,” said DCF Acting Secretary Nadya Pérez-Reyes. “Through MCCYN-PLUS, even more providers will now have the opportunity and resources to support the families of Wisconsin’s service members, ensuring military families receive the dependable, exceptional care they deserve.”

Military-connected families can search for and select approved providers through MilitaryChildCare.com (MCC), the DoW’s online request-for-care platform. Eligible families may receive fee assistance to help offset childcare costs beyond their required DoW parent fee, up to the current provider rate cap of $2,000 per month, per child. Families can use the MCC Fee Assistance Cost Estimator Tool to estimate their potential monthly childcare costs.

The Military Child Care in Your Neighborhood (MCCYN) fee assistance program supports active-duty service members, National Guard members, reservists, and eligible DoW civilian personnel by helping them access affordable community-based childcare when military-operated care is unavailable. MCCYN-PLUS builds on this foundation by enabling states and counties to expand their network of eligible providers, increasing the availability of quality childcare options for military-connected families. With the addition of Wisconsin, MCCYN-PLUS is now available in more than 18 states.

Through initiatives like MCCYN-PLUS, Wisconsin remains committed to supporting military-connected families and ensuring they have access to safe, high-quality childcare that meets their needs.