Shaheen Calls for Swift Action to Remedy Delay of Army Childcare Subsidies
IG Report Finds That Delayed Payments Have Put an Enormous Burden on Many Army Families
(Washington, DC) – In a letter yesterday, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) called for the U.S. General Service’s Administration (GSA) to take swift action to resolve its mishandling of the Army’s childcare subsidy program which was revealed by the GSA’s Inspector General (IG) on Tuesday. The IG report provides examples of family hardship due to delayed payments that include bankruptcy, burdensome out-of-pocket expenses and career disruption.
Shaheen’s letter to GSA Administrator Denise Roth reads in part:
“I write to express my disappointment regarding the General Services Administration’s (GSA) mishandling of the Army’s childcare subsidy program, and to request detailed information on how the GSA intends to expeditiously rectify this situation. As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Appropriations Committee, I further request that you communicate whether additional resources or authorities are needed to ensure that our military families promptly receive childcare subsidy payments.
“Our military families are an integral part of our nation’s defense, and the mishandling of the Army’s childcare subsidy program detrimentally impacts our military readiness. I urge the GSA to take swift action to resolve these issues and look forward to reviewing your plans to ensure our military families have access to childcare.”
The letter is available here.
Senator Shaheen is a Member of the Senate Armed Services and Appropriations Committees.
