MFRC Child Care services are designed to meet the needs of CF families in times of emergency or crisis, to participate in MFRC activities, and to provide a stay at home spouse a few hours off for appointments, shopping, housecleaning, etc. To speak with our Childcare Coordinator about any of the following types of Child Care services, please contact the MFRC at (403) 410-2320 Ext. 3590.

Casual Child Care

MFRC Casual Childcare is designed to help stay at home parents in need of a few hours to themselves, and to provide parents with the opportunity to participate in MFRC activities. This low cost service is not a Day Care for working parents. Casual childcare allows the stay at home parent time away from their children for things like doctor’s appointments, visiting, housecleaning, shopping and exercise - things that are not easily accomplished with little ones around!

Guidelines:

• Cost is $2 per hour per child or $4 per hour per family.
• Please call 24 hours in advance to book your space.
• Subject to staffing availability.
• Maximum of 16 hours a month per child.
• No more than 8 hours in one week per child.

Click here for lists of:
Day Cares, Day Home Agencies, Nanny Agencies in and around Calgary

Emergency Child Care

All CF families are required to have a Family Care Plan (FCP) in place to address their child care needs should a DND commitment arise. However, even the best-laid plans can sometimes fall apart… and that is where the Emergency Child Care Program becomes your back-up. This service is designed to support the ability of CF members to be available for duty if their child care plan fails, or to provide immediate, affordable regulated child care in times of emergency.

An emergency is not “Recurring events for which a plan should be developed”

i.e. duties or training for which advance warning in excess of 7 days has been given. The MFRC has a comprehensive list of childcare resources to help your family plan for just such events.

Circumstances for which a member may require emergency childcare:

1. The CF member is away from home (deployed, on a course, etc.) and the spouse or caregiver is unable to provide immediate care for a child due to illness or any other family emergency.
2. When the CF member is required to report for duty of any type wherein the duty could not have been reasonably forecast and less than seven days notice to report for duty is given. This presumes that the spouse/usual caregiver cannot readily accommodate this unexpected CF duty requirement.
3. When a single CF member is unable to access their regular childcare provider in an emergency situation.
4. When both parents are CF members, one is away, and the other is required to go away due to operational demands or extended family emergency.
5. Illness of a child that would prevent he/she to go to his regular childcare and the CF member's presence at work is critical to the military operation.
6. When there are other circumstances not covered in the above and childcare is believed to be the solution to the problem. Such cases must be approved by the MFRC ED/Director and by a DMFS staff member. Please do not hesitate to call and discuss your situation with the MFRC child/youth coordinator. Your information will be held in confidence.

The goal of the emergency and respite childcare is to provide military families with 72 hours of childcare PAID by the Calgary MFRC during an emergency or stressful or deployment (tasking/training) situation.

There will also be money made available on a sliding scale, depending on family income, for the next four more days for the first child in the family. Full subsidization (100%) continues for the second and subsequent children in the family to a maximum of four more days.

Regular Force Members, and Class B and C Reservists are eligible for this service.

Because the MFRC is not open 24 hours a day and is closed on weekends, if an emergency occurred during our off hours, an MFRC staff member may be reached by calling the ASU DUTY OFFICER @ (403) 816-3632. They, in turn, will contact us.

For more information or to discuss your situation, please call the Executive Director or Emergency Childcare Coordinator at 410-2320 ext. 3590. All request or inquires will remain confidential.

Deployment Respite Child Care

The goal of this service is to support the well-being of families who have a deployed CF member and relieve some of the stressors related to child care. Respite Childcare may be utilized if the spouse of a deployed member is in need of childcare to help relieve stress, or due to the total family situation, including the CF member's work commitments. This service is confidential.

Childcare may be offered either in or out of the child's home. Up to 72 hours of free care is offered which need not be continuous. A note from a medical or social service professional is required. Cost is covered by the MFRC.

Regular Force Members, and Class B and C Reservists are eligible for this service.

Special Needs Child Care Information

Parents of Special Needs children, looking for information or agencies to assist their children, may contact the MFRC to help with their search. Information gathered is private and confidential.

For more information about Special Needs initiatives in and around Calgary:

• Calgary Health Region – Support and Services for Children with Special Needs
• Calgary and Area - Child and Family Services Authority
• Alberta Education - Children with Special Needs
• Alberta Children's Services