Naval Air Station Oceana needs at least 50 new child care workers for its daycare and after school programs.
The base is offering up to $2,250 in first-year incentives to lure workers. To get more people into the pipeline quickly, the Navy is also offering same day job interviews during hiring fairs at the Midway Manor Youth Center from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday and Sept. 28. Applicants who make it through the hiring process, will be given a tentative job offer before they leave.
Oceana’s Child & Youth Program offers programs for children from ages 6 through teenagers. It includes daycare, sports and other after school programs. Child care on bases accommodates the working hours of military families. Centers are open from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.., including weekends and holidays, Applicants should come prepared with their resume, a photo ID, social security card, high school diploma/GED or college transcripts if applicable, as well as proof of certification, according to a news release from NAS Oceana.
Military child care is at a premium at bases throughout Hampton Roads. Roughly 1,400 Navy families are on a waiting list for child care in Hampton Roads. New childcare centers are budgeted for Oceana and Naval Base Norfolk, in recent defense bills.
The Department of Defense serves nearly 160,000 children. There are roughly 6,200 vacancies at base child care centers around the world. A 2022 General Accounting Office report said the Pentagon does not do enough to track vacancies, which contributed to a nearly 50% turnover rate at some centers.
