Fort Drum seeks input from parents on child care services
Mike Strasser
Fort Drum Garrison Public Affairs
FORT DRUM, N.Y. (Jan. 10, 2022) – A Fort Drum survey on child care went online today to provide family members a chance to voice their needs, concerns and experiences.
Cathy Stenfeldt, Fort Drum Child and Youth Services program operation specialist, said that the hope is to reach as many families with young children as possible who either use or plan on using CYS child care services or community care (such as Family Child Care providers, local day care centers and hourly care), or have no child care.
“The voice of the community is vital to shaping the child care needs for Fort Drum,” she said. “We look forward to hearing from all Fort Drum parents about their experiences – whether it is a particular challenge, successes or an idea to improve services.”
A survey was conducted last year through Fort Drum Medical Activity to measure the impact of hourly care on patient appointments. Stenfeldt said that this new survey will measure both accessibility and satisfaction of child care service, both on and off post.
Stenfeldt said that there is no doubt that child care has presented a significant challenge to many parents nationwide during the COVID-19 pandemic, as they seek to balance family and work responsibilities.
At the same time, the child care industry has felt the impact of this public health crisis with labor shortages and the need to adapt to new safety protocols.
“Child care is essential to achieve mission readiness,” she said. “Fort Drum’s child development centers have remained open and committed to mission readiness despite all of the challenges brought about by COVID-19. Our staff continues to work long hours and takes every precaution to ensure the safety and well-being of the children and families we serve. Our staffing may be stretched thin, but our commitment to Soldiers and their families remains constant.”
The survey is available at https://www.research.net/r/2022FDNYChildcareSurvey, and it will remain online until Jan. 21. Additionally, survey participants can submit contact information for a random drawing of a Post Exchange gift card.