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AFMC Spouse and Family Forum set for Nov. 16

  • Published
  • By Marisa Alia-Novobilski
  • Air Force Materiel Command
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio --  

The Air Force Materiel Command will host a virtual Spouse and Family Forum, Nov. 16, at 1 p.m. ET, open to military and civilian family members across the enterprise.

The event, hosted by Dede Richardson, spouse of AFMC Commander, Gen. Duke Z. Richardson, is part of a new AFMC Family Connection initiative, which is designed to connect family members across the command with support and resources in all aspects of life.

“We are building on the ‘Five and Thrive’ program, which was developed by Sharene Brown, the spouse of Air Force Chief of Staff, Gen. Charles Q. Brown, in an effort to link military families with the resources and support in key areas of service life,” said Lesley Darley, AFMC Community Support Program Manager. “The AFMC Family Connection efforts build on the Thrive Initiative with the added goal of reaching the family members of our civilians to better connect them to the Air Force, AFMC and installation resources in areas such as childcare, employment, education, medical, housing and more.”

The AFMC Spouse and Family forum will feature Department of the Air Force representatives from the Five and Thrive focus areas who will provide information on services and resources available to the military and civilian community. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions of the subject matter experts during the live event.

The virtual forum will be hosted on ZoomGov, with the invitation and event link sent to employees via internal channels prior to the event. Uniformed and civilian Airmen are asked to forward this information to their family members to encourage widespread attendance.

For additional information on the event, contact the AFMC Community Support Program team.

Edwards provides care, opportunities for children aged six weeks through high school graduation

Edwards provides care, opportunities for childrenaged six weeks through high school graduation

The Child and Youth Program at Edwards AFB provides care and opportunities for kids ages six weeks old through high school graduation. A brief summary of those services follows:

  •                    The Child Development Center cares for children ages 6 weeks to 5 years, with a DOD-wide curriculum. The curriculum is focused on learning through play activities supporting social, emotional, physical and intellectual development. Installations across DOD follow the curriculum on the same timeline to allow seamless permanent change-of-station transitions for youth enrolled in care.
  •                    The School Age Center provides before and after-school care and summer camp for children ages 5 to 12. During school breaks, full-day camps are offered. SAC promotes cognitive, social, emotional, cultural, language and physical development through programs that encourage self-confidence, curiosity, self-discipline and resiliency.
  •                    The open recreation program at the Main Youth Center provides a safe space for ages 9 to 12 to attend after school. Programs include Power Hour, STEM, Torch Club, social recreation, youth camps, special events and more.
  •                    The youth sports program provides intro and league opportunities for ages 3 to 12, and promotes inclusiveness, self-discipline, commitment, resiliency and social skills. There are four sports offered annually for ages five to 12: baseball/softball, soccer, flag football and basketball. Smart start programs are available to ages 3 to 5. There are many other sports and camps offered throughout the year.
  •                    The Teen Center is available for ages 13 to 18 during the school year. Programs offered include Military Youth of the Year, Keystone Club, social recreation, STEM activities, college trips, leadership camps and more.
  •                    Youth programs (SAC, open rec and teen) are affiliated with the Boys and Girls Clubs of America and 4-H.
  •                    Family Child Care homes – there are currently three FCC homes on the installation. They can provide care for ages two weeks to 12 years. FCC providers are trained by Child and Youth Program training and curriculum specialists and have the flexibility to determine their hours of operation and the ages of youth within their care. The program’s new dedicated manager, Jennifer Stegmann, may be reached at 661-275-7529.

Although CDC enrollment capacity is 317, not all slots are currently filled because of a shortage of childcare workers. School Age Center enrollment capacity is 156. After-school care enrollment is 130. Before-school care enrollment is 75. Summer Camp 2022 was at its capacity and enrollment for Summer Camp 2023 opens April 3.