Weekend Drill Childcare (WDCC)
The National Guard Bureau has teamed up with Upwards to provide the Weekend Drill Child Care (WDCC) Program, offering no-cost child care for eligible Army National Guard Soldiers during weekend drill.
WDCC connects families with licensed, vetted child care near the Soldier’s home of record or weekend drill location. Each Soldier is also assigned a Care Navigator who can help with enrollment, finding available providers, and arranging provider tours.
Eligibility
To participate, Soldiers must:
- Be in good standing with the Army National Guard and their unit.
- Have no other adult in the household available to provide care during drill.
- If in a dual-parent household, have a spouse or domestic partner who works or attends school during the drill period. Verification of their schedule is required.
- Have dependent children ages 6 weeks through 12 years who need care. DoD ID numbers are required for the Soldier and each child attending care.
What WDCC Covers
- Care is available for MUTA 1, 2, 4, and 6, including properly rescheduled weekend drill. Care may be provided from 0600 to 1800, based on drill duty hours plus travel time, for up to 12 hours per child per day and one weekend period per month.
- Overnight care, care outside the prescribed hours, and annual training are not covered.
- There is no cost to eligible Soldiers, no paying providers up front, and no reimbursement paperwork. Upwards pays the child care provider directly.
Requesting Care
- Start by enrolling through Upwards. Soldiers will provide required documentation, including their yearly training schedule, DoD ID numbers for themselves and each child attending care, and proof of the child’s age. Once eligibility is confirmed, Soldiers can submit a care request for the drill dates when child care is needed.
- Spaces are limited each month and are assigned first come, first served, so families are encouraged to submit requests early.
Need to Cancel?
- Notify Upwards in writing at least seven calendar days before the scheduled care date and copy your ARNG point of contact. Repeated late cancellations or no-shows may affect future access to the program.
Ready to Get Started?
Visit Upwards Weekend Drill Child Care or contact Upwards at Heroes@upwards.com or 816-670-3286.