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Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Nicholas Belflower, attached to U.S. 7th Fleet Flagship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19), walks the main deck with his son during the ship's first Family Day Cruise in December 2018
U.S. Navy (Patrick Semales)

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Child Care Is a Fleet Problem

Managing child care is a problem for every parent. But it's daunting for dual-military families and often is worse for Reservists.
By Lieutenant Commander Alison Maruca, U.S. Navy Reserve
April 2019
Proceedings
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If you want to kick-start a conversation among Navy families, bring up the topic of child care. But beware, because discussing the wide range of child care struggles for a Navy family is much swapping particularly contentious sea stories— the lack of options, costs, length of child care development center (CDC) waitlists, limited hours, and so much more. Unfortunately, this is a societal issue that affects all working families. But Navy life adds to the challenge. A mother who wants to return to work after the birth of a child begins researching child care options long before the baby arrives, and the stress never ends until the child has grown up and left home (and most parents would agree the worries never really fade.) Sailors know this all too well, especially those in single-parent or dual-military households. And being in the reserve component adds an extra layer of unique challenges.

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Listen to a Proceedings Podcast interview with Lieutenant Commander Maruca below:

Lieutenant Commander Alison Maruca

Lieutenant Commander Maruca commissioned through NROTC at the University of Pittsburgh. After five years as a surface warfare officer, including service on the USS Cowpens (CG-63) and USS Howard (DDG-83), she converted to the Navy Reserve as a public affairs officer. She currently is on active duty for special work orders at the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

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