Congressman Greg Casar (D-Texas) has been instrumental in an addition to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2025. His amendment, which passed by voice vote and now awaits approval by both the House and Senate, aims to bolster the United States’ commitment to military families by improving military child care services. 

Cesar has called for a Government Accountability Office (GAO) to execute a study on the child care programs offered to our military families. According to the GAO, very little data exists on learning and development outcomes for children in Department of Defense (DOD) child care programs. Cesar’s amendment hopes to change that. 

Many military families face roadblocks to accessing child care. Long waitlists or subpar facilities leave families struggling to find adequate options for their children. The study Cesar proposed will address these issues by bringing them to light.

With more up-to-date information available, state and local governments could step in and offer solutions to an issue too many military families face. Cesar’s amendment provides a path for their child care services to get better. 

“Military readiness means more than just stocking up on more and more weapons and gadgets,” Cesar said in a press release. “It means investing in the people of the military.”

EANGUS has been working toward solutions to these child care shortcomings for years through our states’ resolutions and our work on Capitol Hill. Cesar’s amendment is a step in the right direction of attaining equitable benefits for our National Guard service members and their families.