Kirtland AFB Child Development Center Renovation Closure Leads to Support for Other Bases 

• While undergoing renovations, Kirtland AFB's Child Development Center (CDC) sent personnel to support childcare programs at Edwards AFB and Cannon AFB, ensuring continuity of care for military families at those installations.
   
• This collaborative effort highlights the Air Force's spirit of selfless service and demonstrates the importance of proactive leadership in addressing childcare shortages and maintaining mission readiness.
   

While one of Kirtland Air Force Base's two Child Development Centers (CDC) underwent renovations, the base leveraged the opportunity to support other installations facing childcare shortages. Personnel from Kirtland's CDC volunteered to assist programs at Edwards Air Force Base in California and Cannon Air Force Base in New Mexico, ensuring continuity of care for military families. 

"Access to quality childcare is essential to mission readiness," said Col. Michael Power, 377th Air Base Wing and Installation Commander. "Airmen and civilian personnel can better perform their duties knowing their children are in a safe, nurturing environment, free from worry about their well-being." 

Two Kirtland personnel provided staffing support at Edwards AFB, and another is currently supporting operations at Cannon AFB. 

"The 412th FSS and the families at Edwards Air Force Base are incredibly grateful for the collaboration from Kirtland’s child and youth programs, as well as for the unwavering support of their leadership," said Lt. Col. Christine N. Johnson, Commander of the 412th Force Support Squadron at Edwards AFB. "The experienced employees who came to support our child development center were not only incredibly knowledgeable and skilled, but their presence here has allowed our program to continue operations and enabled our airmen to execute the test mission without disruption.” 

April Osz, Child and Youth Flight Chief at the 377th Force Support Squadron at Kirtland Air Force Base, emphasized the collaborative spirit: "We are all one team, one mission." 

The benefits of this support extend far beyond simply keeping the doors open. "It is always important to help when we can," Osz stated. "It helps us grow, it helps the other program grow, and it creates a better center for our families and children. It shows that you care and that you are willing to assist when needed." 

This support comes at a time when other installations are struggling to maintain childcare services. At a time when some installations are having to turn families away, Kirtland sent help. Demonstrating the Air Force's spirit of selfless service, Kirtland’s CDC personnel volunteered to temporarily augment those operations, ensuring continuity of care and allowing fellow service members to stay mission-focused. 

These situations reinforce the importance of proactive leadership, innovative solutions, and collaborative efforts, like the one undertaken by Kirtland AFB, to ensure airmen, guardians, and DoD employees have access to the childcare they need to maintain mission readiness and support their families.