The Operation Child Care Project: How Kayla Corbitt is Tackling the Military Child Care Crisis

For military families, finding reliable and affordable child care can sometimes feel like an impossible mission. Between juggling deployments, moves, and unpredictable schedules, military parents often face unique challenges when it comes to raising kids—especially when child care is in short supply. But don’t worry, there’s hope on the horizon, and it comes in the form of Kayla Corbitt and her organization, the Operation Child Care Project (OCCP).

In a recent interview with We Are The Mighty, Corbitt dives deep into how OCCP is tackling the child care crisis head-on and the innovative ways they’re supporting military families. Whether you’re a military parent or someone curious about the behind-the-scenes struggles of military life, this blog breaks down Corbitt’s key insights and the inspiring solutions OCCP is bringing to the table.

The Child Care Crisis for Military Families: Not Just a Scheduling Headache

For many civilians, finding a good daycare or nanny can be a stressful process, but for military families, it’s a whole new level of difficult. Corbitt points out that one of the biggest challenges military parents face is simply the availability of child care.

Many military installations offer Child Development Centers (CDCs) on base, but there’s often a long waitlist for these services. Imagine moving to a new duty station and discovering that you won’t have a spot for your child in daycare for months—or even years. For military spouses who need to work, attend school, or simply take care of other responsibilities, this can be a massive roadblock.

Off-base options aren’t much easier. They’re often expensive, difficult to find, or not flexible enough to meet the needs of military families with unpredictable schedules. Corbitt stresses that the inconsistency of military life only amplifies the child care problem, forcing many families to rely on a patchwork of care arrangements or leave one parent out of the workforce entirely.

For the full article and more insights from Kayla Corbitt, check it out here.