Armed Services YMCA and Navy Federal Credit Union Expand Childcare Partnership to Strengthen Support for Military Families

The ongoing partnership builds on data and success of initial programming to deepen impact and expand reach Junior Enlisted Families

ARLINGTON, Va., June 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Armed Services YMCA (ASYMCA) and Navy Federal Credit Union today announced the expansion of their national military family childcare partnership into its second year, increasing support in communities where the barriers to care are highest for military families.

The partnership, which began in 2025, was created to help support servicemembers and their families who face challenges accessing affordable and quality childcare. As availability falls below demand nationwide, costs of care continue to rise.  For junior enlisted families in particular, the gap between what parents need and have access to continues to widen.

This expansion of the partnership focuses on increasing program capacity, improving affordability, and delivering childcare options that better reflect the realities of military life, including care during nights, weekends, and summer months when traditional options are limited.

"The partnership with NFCU has been incredible for our childcare offerings in various locations," said William French, Vice Admiral, U.S. Navy (Ret.), President and Chief Executive Officer, Armed Services YMCA. "The results we saw from year one essentially tells us that while successful, there is a lot more to be done. And that is what this phase is, expansion - more space, more access, more families served."

In its first year, the partnership delivered measurable impact across five key military markets with significant military populations and specific childcare needs.  This included expanding physical space, increasing program capacity, and directly serving thousands of junior enlisted families.

Resources made available through this partnership enabled 342 additional children per day to access programming in Killeen, TX. It supported 956 participants across afterschool, camp, and early learning programs in San Diego, CA. And it added hundreds of camp registrants and extended school-day slots at Fort Bragg in North Carolina.

In the Hawaii and Hampton Roads locations, the investment expanded access to preschool, summer camp, and early learning programs for additional families who would otherwise have had nowhere to turn.

"We know access to childcare is a significant need across this country," said Navy Federal CEO Dietrich Kuhlmann. "Like all parents, military families deserve high-quality, affordable childcare options while they work to keep our nation safe. We are tremendously grateful for ASYMCA's partnership, and we look forward to expanding our support for military families where it's needed most."

As the partnership enters its second year, ASYMCA and Navy Federal will continue to expand access to childcare in high-need communities and build on their shared commitment to support military families.

Some examples of expanded programming include:

• Killeen, Texas: Expansion of physical space to serve more children and families
• San Diego, California: Increased access through a scholarship model

This ongoing effort reflects the shared commitment of ASYMCA and Navy Federal to strengthen critical childcare access and support the well-being of military families nationwide.

For more information about the ASYMCA and Navy Federal Credit Union collaboration, contact Venessa King at Nardi Media, (323) 419-3349, [email protected].

ABOUT ASYMCA:
The oldest military support organization in the U.S., the Armed Services YMCA (ASYMCA) serves nearly 200,000 military service members, spouses and children and delivers almost 1.5 million points of service through its 12 ASYMCA Branches and 28 YMCA Affiliate Partners. The organization provides full day, drop-in or school aged childcare to almost 15,000 children, primarily to junior enlisted ranks. To learn more about how the ASYMCA is "Strengthening Our Military Family®," visit www.asymca.org.

ABOUT NAVY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION:
Established in 1933 with only seven members, Navy Federal now has the distinct honor of serving more than 15 million members globally and is the world's largest credit union. As a member-owned and not-for-profit organization, Navy Federal always puts the financial needs of its members first. Membership is open to all Department of Defense and Coast Guard Active Duty, Veterans, civilian and contractor personnel, and their families. Navy Federal employs a workforce of over 25,000 and has a global network of more than 380 branches. Navy Federal is contracted to operate the Overseas Military Banking Program under the authority of the Department of Defense, which provides Active Duty military servicemembers deployed overseas with access to some 60 branches and hundreds of ATMs spread across 10 countries and territories. For more information about Navy Federal Credit Union, visit navyfederal.org.

SOURCE Armed Services YMCA