Overview
- Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force David Wolfe told senators the service has funded 17 new child development centers, part of 35 identified projects, expected to reduce the Air Force’s space shortage by about 60 percent.
- The Air Force reports about 2,700 children with unmet need, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren cited a Defense Department-wide waitlist of roughly 7,800 at the end of 2025.
- Warren said the services missed an April 2025 law requiring updated pay models for child care staff, while Air Force and Navy leaders said their scales have been upgraded and are improving staffing.
- Air Force incentives begun in late 2022—free care for employees’ first child and 25 percent discounts for additional children—are linked to staffing gains from 72 percent to 86 percent by December 2024, with an estimated 7–8 percent retention boost.
- Senior enlisted leaders said access to health care is the most frequent complaint and families still struggle to secure child care, with the Navy reporting about 1,400 children waiting for slots.