Contracting Child Care

The Department of Defense is the single largest
provider of employer-sponsored child care in the U.S.
The 1989 Military Child Care Act (MCCA) is the legal
authority for the military s child care system. This
study explores the dynamics of child care delivery
between a contractor, Camp Adventure Youth Services,
a program in the Department of the Army, and their
agreement to provide programs to school-age children
during the summer. A detailed description of the
origins of Camp Adventure, its operations and growth,
all dependent on its contracts with the military is
outlined. Findings suggest a good fit between Camp
Adventure and military child care programs. Programs
delivered by Camp Adventure appear to be well aligned
with contract specifications, program goals, and the
expectations of the MCCA. There is a co-dependent
relationship between Camp Adventure and military
child care programs with the military exerting
somewhat greater leverage. This case study describes
how two organizations, grounded in different
cultures, with different goals, form a beneficial
relationship, bounded by the regulations of policy
and contracting, that meets the needs of both.

Autorentext
Julianne Gassman serves as the Executive Director of American Humanics, and Associate Director of Camp Adventure Youth Services at the University of Northern Iowa. She is the co-author of Camp Leadership: A Staff Development Approach, has authored articles in professional journals and magazines and has been a featured speaker at conferences.

Klappentext
The Department of Defense is the single largest provider of employer-sponsored child care in the U.S. The 1989 Military Child Care Act (MCCA) is the legal authority for the military's child care system. This study explores the dynamics of child care delivery between a contractor, Camp Adventure Youth Services, a program in the Department of the Army, and their agreement to provide programs to school-age children during the summer. A detailed description of the origins of Camp Adventure, its operations and growth, all dependent on its contracts with the military is outlined. Findings suggest a good fit between Camp Adventure and military child care programs. Programs delivered by Camp Adventure appear to be well aligned with contract specifications, program goals, and the expectations of the MCCA. There is a co-dependent relationship between Camp Adventure and military child care programs with the military exerting somewhat greater leverage. This case study describes how two organizations, grounded in different cultures, with different goals, form a beneficial relationship, bounded by the regulations of policy and contracting, that meets the needs of both.