The need is acute. The waiting list for families who wish to place children in a Wright-Patterson child care center is anywhere from six to 18 months, depending on the child’s age, said Necoleia Friend, the base’s child development director and child youth programs project manager.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for us to improve our child care wait list,” Friend said.
With this center, child care capacity at Wright-Patt will grow by more than 300 children, she said, in time replacing the aging Wright Care Child Development Center on Spinning Road in Riverside, the base’s oldest care center.
When completed, the new center will serve children aged six weeks to 12 years of age, with dual playgrounds for children of varying ages.
Child care is a pressing need across the Air Force. Earlier this year, Hill Air Force Base child development centers had to turn away some some families due to staff turnover and a Department of Defense civilian hiring freeze, Air & Space Forces Magazine reported.
“The sooner we can get our families into care, the sooner they can focus on the mission,” Friend said. “Child care is a mission-critical unit.”
In May 2024, civilian and military leaders also ceremonially broke ground on the base’s Area A for a child center, not far from the newest construction site.
With a working population of at least 38,000 military and civilian employees on Wright-Patterson, the need for child care has been undeniable, leaders have said.
“We’re really going to have a cutting-edge, state-of-the-art, brand new facility to take care of our families,” said Col. Travis Pond, deputy commander of the 88th Air Base Wing. “That’s job No. 1 for us at the 88th Air Base Wing.”
Friend was unable to say how many child care employees the base will need to hire for the new center. But she said a center with more than 232 children will have “at least” 38 staff members, and this center will have 304 children.
“We’ve got to wait to see what we need here,” she said.
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