Anyone in the local community with a passion for bridging the gap in safe child care options. You must be at least 16 years old, and able to complete online training and be available for the entirety of the in-person cohort. You must also be able to pass National & Local Background Checks and complete a First/Aid CPR Certification (includes an online portion and an in-person portion).

No! OCC Project believes that the simple act of having more safe caregiver options in the local community is payment enough. Through this program, the cost of all training, background checks, certifications, and materials are covered. The required in-person training cohort will also provide drinks and meals, and you will receive a stipend of $250 just for completing the program at the conclusion of the training day. There is also a child care reimbursement of up to $75, and a $50 referral bonus for anyone you refer to the program who completes all of the training and the cohort day.

​​Future Helpers can click HERE to apply.

If you have any questions, please contact the HomeFront Help Program Manager at heather.m@occproject.org

No. OCCP is not a licensing agency, and completing the training does not inherently mean that Helpers are licensed. Helpers are vetted through background checks, and are trained in CPR and early childhood topics.

No. Our organization aims to set up a win/win/win for the local community. We are not the Helpers' employers, nor do we set rates or directly “connect” helpers to families. For families entering our case management in need of emergency, short-term help will be provided by drafting their “ask,” which OCC Project will send out to the vetted Helpers. It is up to the Helpers to contact families they are interested in assisting.

The Lead Helper will receive care requests from a Case Manager. The Lead Helper will then share that request with Helpers, including information about how to contact the family, the amount of time care is needed, the amount and ages of children, and the type of care. Helpers are then asked to reply “yes” or “no” to the care request within four hours of receiving it. If Helpers are able to provide care, they are responsible for contacting the family to coordinate a schedule, rates, etc.

No. While HomeFront Help was pitched to the Department of Defense after seeing the need for emergency, ad hoc, and flexible care, they declined to participate. The Department of Defense reiterated that they are focused solely on full-time care solutions. If you are accepted into the Department of Defense CCYH Program, you are welcome to see if a Helper fits your family's needs.

Helpers are not employees of OCC Project; that means anyone can! Partnering center directors will contact Helpers interested in participating in the substitute provider pipeline to cover short-term staffing needs. Helpers are WELCOME and ENCOURAGED to use their free training, certifications, and skills to work for anyone in the community, with or without OCC Project.

Helpers are welcome to identify and market themselves to the general public. If you see their advertisement, you may hire a Helper directly. If you would like assistance drafting your request, you can join our case management at occproject.org/case-management.

The care provided through a Helper is not subsidized unless you are hiring the Helper for a program that offsets caregiver costs, such as the DoD CCYH program or your state's Respite care program.

Since Helpers do not work for OCC Project and we are simply facilitating the program's harm reduction and professional development aspects, Helpers are welcome to develop their own rates and payment procedures.

That is entirely up to you and your Helper. If you are concerned about tax implications, please reach out to OCC Project at info@occproject.org for a referral to one of our partners who offers a FREE consultation for families hiring private care.

If there is an unexpected emergency and child care becomes a barrier please contact our on-call emergency operator at (202) 871-3490. Emergencies are situations where there is not a safe alternative care option, and care is needed in less than 24 hours to meet medical, mental health, or mission needs.

Since Helpers work for themselves, we can only verify feedback if it is from a family that was connected via our case management. If you were connected via our case management, we welcome feedback, which is part of our process. We want to know how access to a safe, quality caregiver impacted your life. If you’d like to complete a feedback form regarding your Helper (and you were connected through case management), please contact the HomeFront Help Program Manager at heather.m@occproject.org

Yes! If you are already connected with a Helper, you are welcome to contact them directly (if they provided their contact information) to see if they are interested in providing additional care. If you are submitting the request through our case management we can let the provider know they are the preferred caregiver but cannot guarantee that they will be the individual available since they set their own hours.

Helpers who expressed interest in completing short term contracts (2 weeks to three months) to help local centers bridge the gap in staffing shortages are able to use their training for direct hire opportunities. OCC Project has partnered with Kids Discovery with the following locations: Kids Discovery in Ft. Walton Beach, Kids Discovery in Mary Esther, and Kids Discovery in Valparaiso. Helpers who signed up for this portion of the pilot and who complete the cohort will be contacted directly by the center director with employment opportunities. The center will hire the Helper directly.

The HomeFront Help program relies on private caregivers much like the DoD Child Care in Your Home Pilot Program. The DoD requires the same background checks and First Aid/CPR certifications that our helpers must obtain. In addition, the DoD requires that helpers complete online training that covers the following:

• Child Abuse Prevention, Identification, & Reporting

• Child Safety & Fire Prevention

• Health & Sanitation Procedures

• Safe Sleep & SIDS Prevention

Helpers cover the same topics but receive hands-on, in-person instruction as well. The standard training for Helpers also includes the requirements to work in a licensed Florida child care center and Special Needs Appropriate Practices.

Helpers receive all training and support free of charge, in fact, they receive a stipend of $250 just for completing the training, as well as incentives of up to $85 for completing the online training within two weeks of their application being approved. They are offered verified resources for many topics that are local to where they live. Each Helper receives two free hours of consultation with child care expert Nanny Yvonne to ask questions about being a caregiver, how to market yourself, or how to navigate a tricky situation with a family. Helpers set their schedules and are not required to answer all of the requests they receive; however, they are asked to complete a weekly survey whether or not they provided care that week. Helpers receive incentives for these surveys, and receive periodic incentives to cover care needs in the community. Additionally, Helpers will be sent a monthly Roadmap with opportunities for professional development, education, or community activities. These Roadmap activities are worth a total of $25 in incentives if each activity is completed.

We know two things to be true: water is wet, and military life means change. Part of the selection process for this program is that we ask you to be available for at least one year. We have ad hoc/emergency roles, part-time and full-time. Availability depends on the role you are requesting.

If a Helper completes the cohort and can only take on a few opportunities before their life circumstances change, we hope you use your new skills to benefit yourself and your family. Since OCC Project does not employ Helpers, there isn’t a contract obligation to serve for any period. We do ask that Helpers sign a HomeFront Help Volunteer Commitment, linked HERE.