AFAS understands the challenges that come with military life, from deployments to PCS orders, and offers targeted community programs to help make everyday life on base a little easier and help take care of military families.
The specific AFAS supported community programs offered varies between Air Force Base and Space Force Base installations. Visit your Military & Family Readiness Center to discover which of these programs may be available to your family.
Air Force Aid Society supports a wide variety of Community Programs at Air Force Base and Space Force Base installations across the world. Learn more about the programs currently offered.
Bundles for Babies
Our popular Bundles for Babies class is designed to teach soon to be and new parents basic parenting skills, as well as essential financial skills to help them budget for their new baby – from birth to college. The class is also a great opportunity to connect with other expectant parents on base. After completing the class, parents will receive a gift card from AFAS to help purchase some of baby’s first essentials. This class is open to all ranks of service and is not limited to a first pregnancy.
Contact your Military & Family Readiness Center to find out if this program is offered at your base.
Child Care Programs
Parenting can be stressful. Those stresses can be even more acute for a military family. AFAS offers several programs to help Air Force and Space Force families with child care needs.
Visit your Military & Family Readiness Center to inquire about how these programs work, discover which options are available to you at your base and request a certificate to participate.
Give Parents a Break
This program provides funding for monthly child care breaks for active duty Air Force and Space Force families who need a break from the stresses of parenting. Families are referred to the program and receive a certificate to participate. Once a month, the AFB Child Development Center will open to participants.
Child Care for PCS
This program is intended to help relieve some of the stress inherently associated with the PCS move process. AFAS will pay for 20 hours of child care (per child) in Air Force or Space Force certified Family Child Care homes. Air Force and Space Force families with PCS orders are eligible for this service.
“Bee” Arnold Spouse Tuition Program
This program provides funding for spouses to pursue entry-level job training to help secure immediate, viable employment through short term programs/certifications (3-12 weeks) or spouses pursuing a PART-TIME undergraduate degree at an accredited 2-4 year college, university or vocational/trade school approved by the U.S. Department of Education for participation in federal aid programs. Spouses of U.S. Air Force and Space Force members on active duty, Title 10 Reserve and Guard on extended active duty, and Title 32 Guard performing full-time active duty are eligible and can receive up to $2,500. Military members must be on active duty orders at the time the spouse’s program/certification or class starts.
New in 2024: We are piloting a new Education Childcare Grant this year. Spouses who are approved for the “Bee” Arnold Spouse Tuition Program will now also be eligible for an Education Childcare Grant to help supplement the cost of childcare needed to pursue a degree or certification. Instructions for how to apply for the childcare grant will be provided to all “Bee” Arnold Spouse Tuition Grant recipients.
“Bee” Arnold Spouse Tuition Program applicants can apply once per year through the AFAS portal under Community Programs and must provide proof of enrollment, cost of tuition document, dependent ID card, and sponsor’s active duty orders (including Title 10 Reserve and Guard on extended active duty and Title 32 Guard performing full-time active duty). Once the documents are received and the contract is signed, the funds will be distributed directly to the student via Zelle or Bank ACH.
Some examples of programs/certifications include but are not limited to: Medical Billing and Coding/Transcription, Medical Office Administration, Dental Assistant, Nursing Assistant/Aide, Mental Health, Medical Lab/Phlebotomy, Physical Therapy Aide, Pharmacy Technician, Veterinary Assistant, Basic Computer Skills, IT Leadership and Business Development, Graphic Design, Leadership Skills, Human Resource Management, Socia Media Marketing Program, Real Estate License, and Digital Photography.
Applications are now available at https://portal.afas.org/. Detailed instructions on how to complete the application can be found here.
NOTE: If you are enrolled FULL-TIME pursuing a 2-4 year degree, please visit our General Henry H. Arnold Grant application page.