Parsons Foundation Grants $300K to Armed Services YMCA for Military Family Childcare

Active-duty Marines stationed at Camp Pendleton will have access to subsidies to cover child care costs thanks to a $300,000 grant announced Wednesday by the Armed Services YMCA Camp Pendleton.

The money from The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation will fund subsidy vouchers good for as long as 12 months and redeemable at licensed child care facilities or for in-home care services.

“This generous gift from The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation will have a lasting impact on the military community we serve,” Samantha Holt, executive director of the Armed Services YMCA Camp Pendleton, said in a statement. “We are deeply grateful for their commitment to our mission and for recognizing the importance of supporting our service members and their families.”

According to the YMCA, there is a 148-child waitlist for the Fisher Children’s Center on the base, which is operated by the YMCA, and the vouchers are expected to help alleviate that backlog.

“We understand it can be challenging to find affordable, reliable and quality childcare,” Renee Parsons, co-founder of The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation, said in a statement. “The intent of our gift is to remove those barriers for military families and give them the peace of mind that their child is well cared for while they are at work.”

City News Service contributed to this article.